The Bach Flower Remedies can sometimes be confused with essential oils because they are both prepared from flowers, plants and trees. Essential oils come from the aromatic parts of the plant, while flower essences are an infusion that have no scent. This means that the oils and remedies tend to heal differently when they are used.
Although they have different ways of using the plant’s energy in healing, they are very compatible and can be used together when treating clients to naturally help them reach a more positive emotional state.
Both have therapeutic benefits, with the flower remedies usually being taken orally and the essential oils being diffused or applied to the skin. Although using the remedies themselves are powerful, people tend to be attracted to essential oils as they have a scent and so have the ability to conjure up powerful memories or feelings within the recipient.
Flower remedies are prepared in a completely different way to essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated and usually extracted from the plant by distillation; whereas the remedies are made by suspending the flowers in clear spring water for a few hours in sunlight until the flowers healing energies are transferred to the water.
Each of the 38 remedies is associated with a certain mental or emotional state or a personality trait, which influences the way that people respond. By healing the mind, the physical body may become healed too.
A person might need different remedies to help them cope with different circumstances at various stages in their life. Practitioners develop an intimate knowledge of the properties and uses for the remedies, which means that they can be intuitively matched to a person’s needs, at the particular time they are needed.
You may have heard of the most famous of the remedies - Rescue Remedy - a tincture made from five of the original essences which provide support during times of emotional demand. Rescue Remedy can be used in a stressful situation or in an emergency, either physical or emotional, and is one of the best antidotes for shock. It is also used for anxiety or nervousness with events such as a driving test, an operation or an important interview or exam. The remedy is still sourced directly from the original gardens of Dr Bach in Oxfordshire!
As well as taking them orally, flower essences can be added to oils or lotions, and even to your bath. You can also add a few drops to a massage oil or to an essential oil/blend to enhance the treatment. For example, if a person was grieving and still living in the past, then Frankincense could be combined with the flower remedy Honeysuckle to encourage the person to move forward in life. If I wanted to support someone in coping with the effects of change, I would select the essential oil Cypress as the accompaniment to the Walnut essence, to help them adapt more easily.
Whether it’s balancing life, family or work commitments, or you have other challenging factors out-with your control, these remedies work naturally with you as an individual to provide some emotional support when you need it.
I hope that this has helped to give you some insight into the difference between the flower remedies and essential oils however if you would like to know more or you think you might benefit from these natural solutions, then get in touch for a no obligation, confidential chat.
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” - Luther Burbank
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