What is aromatherapy?
The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.” Hippocrates
Aromatherapy is the art and science of using plant oils (essential oils) in the treatment of the mind, body and spirit. Essential oils are extracted from certain varieties of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and flowers. The oils are concentrated in different parts of the plants. The most common method of extraction is called steam distillation. On the average essential oils contain 100 components, most of which include terpenes, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and phenols.
As mysterious at it might seem, aromatherapy is easy to use. It is also highly individual, built on the concept of finding the fragrances that are appropriate to each person’s emotional needs. The simplest way to determine the best healing fragrance for you is to determine which scents you find most appealing. After all, aromatherapy should be enjoyable. The best way to find the scents that are right for you is to try different scents one by one. If you don’t like a particular scent, pass it up and go to one that you find more attractive.
What do essential oils do?
Essential oils bring oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and assist in efficient disposal of carbon dioxide and other waste products produced by cell metabolism. They improve the effectiveness of the immune system and decrease the blood viscosity to help with circulation. Because the aromatic chemicals found in essential oils are derived from phenylpropane, they are linked to every cell of the body because phenylpropane is actually a precursors of amino acids which make up protein–the building block for most of our body parts. Another common component of essential oils are terpinoels which are formed from acetyl-coenzyme A. Acetyl coenzyme A plays a crucial role in the production of hormones, vitamins and energy production. Can you see how powerful smells are to us?
How are Essential Oils used?
Essential oils are added to lotions, used diluted in massage oil, used neat (straight–undiluted), put into bath water or foot baths, used as flavorings in the food industry, used in the cosmetic industry, put in hair rinses, used in inhalation therapy, incorporated in candles and used as drops of the pure oil put onto little pieces of felt which is then inserted into a small heater like thing (called a scent ball) you can plug into an outlet. The aroma that is emitted acts on the nervous system and organs of the body to move energy through it for various health and emotional concerns. I add a few drops of essential oil to a small spray bottle of distilled water and use is at a room freshener.
One of the best things about essential oils is that they enter and leave the body very rapidly and with great efficiency, leaving no toxins behind. They are excreted through the urine and feces, perspiration and exhalation. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 14 hours depending on how much fatty tissue is in your body as essential oils follow fatty tissue (just like toxins!)
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Some Words of Caution
When used intelligently, essential oils are far less likely to cause side effects than most over-the-counter drugs. But experts still advise proceeding with caution. In general, people with fair or freckled skin are more likely to experience skin irritation from essential oils, says Los Angeles aromatic consultant John Steele. He advises all first-time users to perform a simple skin test to avoid allergic reactions: Place a drop of the oil on a cotton swab and apply it to the inside of the wrist or to the inner elbow. Cover with a bandage and don’t wash the area for 24 hours. If no itching or redness occurs, the oil should be safe for external use.
Pregnant women should take particular care in using essential oils. The essential oils calamus, mugwort, pennyroyal, sage and wintergreen can induce miscarriage when taken internally, but even inhalation and topical application are strongly discouraged. Basil, hyssop, myrrh, marjoram and thyme can also cause adverse reactions and should be avoided as well.
resources: New Choices in Natural Healing, Natural Health Techniques, Herbs for Health and Healing
