CF Review: Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength shower and bath oil

If someone had told me that at the moment when you are completely broken, exhausted and grey with grief, a capful of aromatherapy oil could make some small dent in that endless sorrow I would never have believed them. But then I drew a hot bath after a particularly harrowing day at the hospital, slugged in Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength bath and shower oil, and it did just that. I hadn’t realised until I sunk into the scented tub that I had been holding my breath, but as my shoulders dropped for the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to exhale and, dare I say it, relax.

All this from a little bottle of golden elixir? Well, it’s not called Inner Strength for nothing. The back story is both poignant and goes some way to explain why this powerful blend of aromatherapy oils is so spot on in times of true grief and stress. It was blended by Aromatherapy Associates co-founder and president, Geraldine Howard, when she was at her very lowest ebb during her own cancer treatment and needed something to give her back the strength, courage and positive frame of mind that can completely desert you in cancer’s dark shadow.

The key notes are clary sage, frankincense, cardamom, vertivert and a big hit of geranium. Combined, they are known for their fortifying and uplifting qualities. Those who have experienced grief will recognise that knotted, heavy feeling in your chest and the only way I can explain the oil’s benefits are to say they go some way to unraveling the knot and making things feel a little lighter, even just for the time you’re in the tub, which is respite enough.

To add to the brilliance, Aromatherapy Associates are giving 10% of all proceeds to the charity, Defence Against Cancer Foundation, which is helping to pioneer new cancer vaccine treatment.

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil, £39. Available from the Aromatherapy Associates website but in my opinion, should be available on the NHS for all cancer patients and their relatives.