PURIFYING

top and left: Clear blocked sinuses with a revitalizing burst of the fresh, menthol smell from plants such as eucalyptus and tea tree.
right: Graceful feathery fennel has been used since Roman times for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The Roman historian Pliny listed it as a remedy for no fewer than 22 complaints.

Plants have been used for thousands of years to cleanse and purify and those with a fresh "medicinal" smell are useful if you need to give your body a detox or simply want to keep the surrounding air clean and germ-free.

Two of the most important purifying plants, tea tree and eucalyptus, originate in Australia. Tea tree, which has been long known to the Australian Aborigines, has powerful antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Its sharp pungent and camphorous aroma is ideal for use in a vaporizer to kill airborne germs.

The piercingly fresh, menthol vapour of eucalyptus is also perfectly suited for use as a cleanser, and is effective as bot ha preventative and a remedy. Its smell has a head-clearing and cooling effect and can bring down a fever. If your sinuses are blocked it can be a powerful antidote. Try taking a sauna, add three to four drops to the bucket of water, mix well and pour over the hot coals. The aromatic steam will have an instant effect.

Juniper has long history of medical use. Until recently, sprigs of juniper, together with rosemary, were burnt in French hospitals to cleanse and purify the air, releasing a distinctive fresh and woody aroma. Juniper also has a strong, detoxifying effect on the body and combines well with fennel, another disinfectant and purifier, which has a fresh, aniseed-like smell. For treating cellulite, both juniper and fennel are very helpful: add a few drops each of fennel and juniper essential oil to a massage base oil and rub on to the affected areas daily.