Aroma sticks are so easy to use, and they'll last weeks to months. They're also called inhaler sticks, and they're just one way to deliver essential oils. In this video, you'll learn about them and other direct inhalation methods for personal use and in the clinical setting. You all know by now that essential oils are very concentrated. So inhaling as little as one drop from a cotton ball will deliver an effective dose for a variety of indications or well-being. A cotton ball in a little plastic cup is a very simple way to administer an essential oil for direct inhalation. You can use these small plastic cups with covers, they're often marketed as souffle cups, you'll find them online or in supply stores. Be sure to buy the ones that have plastic number 2 for the cups and plastic number 1 for the lids to avoid significant leaching. All you do is place the essential oil drops on the cotton ball, just as I did, not on the plastic, and then close the lid. How long will the essential oil remain effective, this is difficult to know for sure. However, remember that essential oil molecules can rapidly dissipate into the air. The lighter molecules found in citrus oils will dissipate much quicker. You may still be able to smell the aroma after several days of opening the cup. But there's really no way for sure if the oil remains therapeutic at that point. However, as long as the aroma remains, you may elicit an emotional memory of the oil. In the clinical setting, it's typical to recommend changing the cotton ball every shift, approximately 8 to 12 hours. This isn't a hard, fast rule, but one to ensure that essential oil remains effective. Some home care nurses use this method and change the cup weekly. I'm not sure the essential oil remains therapeutic, but it's still worth trying. Advise patients to use the cotton ball intermittently by holding the container near the nose while taking slow breaths for one to five minutes. They can do this intermittently throughout the day as needed. It's a wonderful method to incorporate breathing techniques, which are known to help with calming as well. Another very simple container for a cotton ball is just a simple sandwich baggie. Or very creative, this is one of those little paint containers that you can buy at an art store that will also work. You can also tape the cotton ball on clothing, and this works well in the clinical setting. For people who have dementia or cognitive decline or are picking at things, it's nice to tape the cotton ball on the back of their clothing. Just high enough up where they can get the effects but they can't reach it. Another simple way is just to put the cotton ball in a pillow case at night for people who have insomnia. And still another very simple way is a Band-Aid rolled on itself, And you put the drops on the white and tape it. And voila, you have your own little instant patch. Another very efficient direct inhalation method, especially in the clinical setting, is using pre-filled patches. They're sold by a number of companies, and they typically come like this. There is a backing that you would just peel off and stick it to your clothing, to the patient's clothing. And then you peel off the front part of it, and that exposes the disk with the essential oil. This is for inhalation, it's not essential oil that's absorbed into the skin. So now let's go back to the aroma sticks. These are extremely convenient to use and will last anywhere from weeks to months, like I said. It just depends on the essential oil and how often it's left uncapped. These are used by simply opening, The cap and inhaling as you gently move it right in front of your nose for several minutes as you take slow deep breaths. Be sure to guide your patients not to stick the stick inside of their nose. [LAUGH] A number of essential oil companies sell these pre-made, but I'm going to demonstrate how to make your own. You can purchase blank ones, plastic, or some come higher quality that have a glass insert. So there's two parts and then a cap, I will insert this and then the wick. And then you drop about 15 to 20 drops in there, and it just saturates the wick. And you cap it, I'm not going to cap this tight right now, and then you unscrew. It's perfect, this is really a convenient way to use aroma sticks. Patients love them, and it gives them control of treating their own symptoms. But it doesn't always work well for patients who are cognitively impaired, or they can't hold their own aroma stick. And I discovered this when I implemented an aroma therapy program in a hospice facility. Some of the patients were just too sick to use those, and they were the least method of use by any of the patients. So in summary, you just learned the various methods of administering essential oils for direct inhalation. The most cost-effective method is using cotton balls, while the most convenient method are using aroma sticks or patches. Depending on your needs and budget, these are two considerations for implementing aroma therapy in a clinical setting. Remember that cotton balls open to the air will lose their therapeutic effectiveness over time. So it's recommended to change it every 8 to 12 hours. Next, you'll learn about indirect methods for essential oil inhalation.
