Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
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ESSENTIAL OIL THERAPY: AKA AROMATHERAPY
Essential oils are extracted one of two ways: either by steam distillation or expression, or pressing. Distillation is the most prominent method used to extract aromatherapy oils, however, this technique involves steaming the plant matter until it breaks down. The byproduct of this breakdown phase is the plant's fragrant oil, which is cooled, separated from the water and finally filtered into its pure essential oil. Some aromatherapy oils are too concentrated to apply directly to the skin. In this case, the oil is combined with a 'carrier' oil or lotion to dilute its strength. Applying stringent oils to the skin can cause harmful reactions, such as rashes or burns. And, certain essential oils should be avoided if you are pregnant or have been diagnosed with a specific illness. When the essential oil is extracted via the expression method, it is actually pressed from the plant source the same way lemon juice is pressed from a lemon. There are various types of essential oils, including lavender, tea tree, patchouli, jasmine, rosemary, etc. |
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Little is known about the history of aromatherapy, or where it originated specifically, but the Egyptians are credited with developing one of the first distillation machines to extract oils from certain plants -- cedarwood, clove, cinnamon, to name a few -- which were used to embalm the dead. The practice of using infused aromatic oils as a mood enhancer, however, is thought to have roots in China.
The Greeks also played a role in the history of aromatherapy. Megallus, a Greek perfumer, developed a fragrance he called megaleion, which consisted of myrrh. The "father of medicine" Hippocrates is said to have practiced aromatherapy (before it was dubbed so) for healing purposes. Greek mythology claims the gods were gifted with the knowledge of perfume and fragrance. |
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The actual term "aromatherapy" first originated in 1937 when French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse invented the word after a burn incident spurred his curiosity about the healing power of essential oils. On the heels of Gattefosse's "discovery" that lavender oil helped to cure his burn, French surgeon Jean Valnet used essential oils to help heal soldiers' wounds in World War II, proving the medical benefits of aromatherapy.
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SAFETY WITH AROMATHERAPY OILS
Aromatherapy has many benefits, but it is imperative that safety precautions are taken when handling essential oils. While they may seem harmless (they are extracted from plants, after all), many need to be diluted before applying directly to the skin. SAFETY TIPS Read all label warnings and cautions. Keep essential oils away from your eyes. If an oil comes into contact with your eye, flush it out with large quantities of warm water. Keep essential oils away from children, who may think they can ingest them because of how they smell. Use only the suggested amount; misuse can lead to headaches and/or nausea. If you suspect you’ve used too much, drink plenty of water and get some air. |
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Essential oils should be diluted before being applied to the body. Because they are so concentrated, it is not advisable to rub essential oils directly onto the skin. This can cause redness, burning, itching and irritation. If the oil comes into contact with your skin, coat the area in a cream or vegetable oil and then wash with warm, soapy water. Never consume essential oils, unless called for in specific recipes. If you do ingest the oil, drink and rinse mouth out with milk. Read the warnings on essential oil packaging; some oils shouldn’t be combined with other medication or alcohol, or taken if you have certain medical conditions (like epilepsy or low blood pressure). Essential oils have wonderful medicinal benefits, but if used improperly the effects can be hazardous to your health. |
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AROMATHERAPY FAQs
1. What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
2. What are essential oils?
Essential oils, or aromatherapy oils, are the fragrant essence of a plant. These highly concentrated liquid oils are the foundation of aromatherapy, which is based on the idea that the aromatic oil from a plant has healing properties.
3. How are essential oils used in aromatherapy?
Essential oils are extracted one of two ways – either by steam distillation or expression, or pressing. Distillation is the most prominent method used to extract aromatherapy oils, however. This technique involves steaming the plant matter until it breaks down. The byproduct of this breakdown phase is the plant’s fragrant oil, which is cooled, separated from the water and finally filtered into its pure essential oil.
4. Are essential oils the same as perfume?
Essential oils should not be confused with perfumes or other fragrance oils. Essential oils are natural to the plant, whereas fragrance oils are chemically produced to mimic certain aromatic scents for perfumes, colognes, candles, etc.
5. Can essential oils be applied directly to my skin?
It is not generally recommended. In their pure form, essential oils are highly concentrated and can burn your skin, or some oils will even pass through the skin and into the bloodstream. It is suggested that you mix them with a base or carrier oil which decreases the possibility of skin irritation.
6. Can I use essential oils internally?
It is not recommended to use essential oils internally. Given their concentration levels, essential oils can be toxic if swallowed.
7. What is the best way to apply essential oils?
How you apply essential, or aromatherapy, oils has an impact on their healing capabilities. You will experience better results if you use small amounts of the oils diluted in water or with a carrier oil or massage lotion. Check out our application page for more detailed methods.
8. Can I use essential oils if I'm pregnant?
Yes, but do so with caution. We recommend avoiding the use of essential oils during the first trimester, and then light use (no more than 1% dilution) through term.Oils like geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, mandarin, neroli, tangerine, and ylang ylang are considered safe oils to use during pregnancy.
9. How should I store my aromatherapy oils?
Essential oils are best kept in dark glass bottles with screw tops. They should be kept in a cool, dry space, preferably out of the direct sunlight.
10. How do I know which essential oils do what, specifically, for the body?
Certain essential oils can trigger physical or emotional effects on their own. For instance, lavender is a widely known calming agent, whereas peppermint is a mood lifter. Other oils are blended to achieve a desired physiological or psychological effect. Blending ylang ylang with grapefruit relieves stress, for example. Each oil has its own special benefit.
1. What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
2. What are essential oils?
Essential oils, or aromatherapy oils, are the fragrant essence of a plant. These highly concentrated liquid oils are the foundation of aromatherapy, which is based on the idea that the aromatic oil from a plant has healing properties.
3. How are essential oils used in aromatherapy?
Essential oils are extracted one of two ways – either by steam distillation or expression, or pressing. Distillation is the most prominent method used to extract aromatherapy oils, however. This technique involves steaming the plant matter until it breaks down. The byproduct of this breakdown phase is the plant’s fragrant oil, which is cooled, separated from the water and finally filtered into its pure essential oil.
4. Are essential oils the same as perfume?
Essential oils should not be confused with perfumes or other fragrance oils. Essential oils are natural to the plant, whereas fragrance oils are chemically produced to mimic certain aromatic scents for perfumes, colognes, candles, etc.
5. Can essential oils be applied directly to my skin?
It is not generally recommended. In their pure form, essential oils are highly concentrated and can burn your skin, or some oils will even pass through the skin and into the bloodstream. It is suggested that you mix them with a base or carrier oil which decreases the possibility of skin irritation.
6. Can I use essential oils internally?
It is not recommended to use essential oils internally. Given their concentration levels, essential oils can be toxic if swallowed.
7. What is the best way to apply essential oils?
How you apply essential, or aromatherapy, oils has an impact on their healing capabilities. You will experience better results if you use small amounts of the oils diluted in water or with a carrier oil or massage lotion. Check out our application page for more detailed methods.
8. Can I use essential oils if I'm pregnant?
Yes, but do so with caution. We recommend avoiding the use of essential oils during the first trimester, and then light use (no more than 1% dilution) through term.Oils like geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, mandarin, neroli, tangerine, and ylang ylang are considered safe oils to use during pregnancy.
9. How should I store my aromatherapy oils?
Essential oils are best kept in dark glass bottles with screw tops. They should be kept in a cool, dry space, preferably out of the direct sunlight.
10. How do I know which essential oils do what, specifically, for the body?
Certain essential oils can trigger physical or emotional effects on their own. For instance, lavender is a widely known calming agent, whereas peppermint is a mood lifter. Other oils are blended to achieve a desired physiological or psychological effect. Blending ylang ylang with grapefruit relieves stress, for example. Each oil has its own special benefit.
AROMATHERAPY MOOD BLENDS
Aromatherapy is based on the principle that natural fragrances, or essential oils, from certain plants or flowers can affect our moods, and consequently how we think or feel at any given time. In fact, practitioners of Aromatherapy base their entire belief system on the ideology that essential oils, or aromatherapy oils, have medicinal benefits – including antidepressant and antibacterial properties, and plenty in between! Certain essential oils can trigger physical or emotional effects on their own. For instance, lavender is a widely known calming agent, whereas peppermint is a mood lifter. Other oils are blended to achieve a desired physiological or psychological effect. Blending ylang ylang with grapefruit relieves stress. The following are popular essential oils (and blends). Add a few drops into a diffuser, a pot of hot water, or simply to a cotton ball to achieve the desired effect. *Do not apply drops directly to your skin; blend with carrier oils or lotions if you want to apply it that way. |
Stress Relief
Bergamot, Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Patchouli, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang Anxiety/Fear Bergamot, Chamomile (Roman), Cedarwood, Frankincense, Jasmine, Lavender, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood Self Esteem Bergamot, Cypress, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Orange, Rosemary Sadness/Grief Bergamot, Chamomile (Roman), Clary Sage, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang Fatigue Basil, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Ginger, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lemon, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sandalwood Agitation Chamomile (Roman), Lavendar, Mandarin, Sandalwood Isolation Chamomile (Roman), Bergamot, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Rose Memory Boosters Basil, Cypress, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary Aphrodisiac Clary Sage, Jasmine, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang https://www.aromatherapy.com |
History of Aromatherapy and
the Use of Essential Oils
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MESOPOTAMIA: 60,000 BCE
In 1979, in what is now modern-day Iraq, archaeologists unearthed a grave containing the remains of a Neanderthal man. Pollen grains of 8 herbal plant species with well documented medicinal properties were found in the grave suggesting the use of plants dates back to prehistoric times. MESOPOTAMIA: 4,000 BCE In a geographical location akin to modern-day Syria, clay tablets were discovered in 1973. The inscriptions detailed how herbal remedies were formulated and prescribed in order to treat diseases using pine needles, fennel and galbanum. INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: 3,000 BCE. Ayurvedic medicine has been practiced for millennia and is still used by over 90% of the Indian population in some form today. It is aimed at treating not just the physical body but the mind and spirit also using tailored treatments. Some of the oldest scriptures date back to 3,000 BCE and include references to plant based remedies. CHINA: 2,800 BCE. The Chinese wrote texts on the powers of herbs, spices and plants based on anecdotal traditions dating back to 2,800 BCE. Entries included records of orange being stimulating and ginger being useful to treat sickness. EGYPT: 1,550 BCE. Aromatic plants and their extracts were long used beforehand, but the Ebers Papyrus was the first recognized collection of medical knowledge to come from Egypt. It included treatments for the body, the skin and the mind. Prior to this, aromatic plants were burnt as offerings to the gods, bodies of the rulers were embalmed using the preservative and antimicrobial properties of macerated aromatic oils, and priests were experts in making perfumes. GREECE: 460-370 BCE. A physician, Hippocrates took much of the medicinal plant information with the Greek conquest of Egypt. He was declared the ‘Saviour of Athens’ when he ordered the inhabitants to burn considerable quantities of plants to fumigate the city – this warded off the plague. He recommended aromatic baths and massages as part of a healthy daily routine and is said to be the ‘father’ of Western Modern Medicine – he implemented the ‘Hippocratic Oath’ which is a code of conduct for physicians. GREECE: 371-287 BCE. The philosopher, Theophrastus studied and recorded over 500 plant species – he is known as the ‘father’ of Botany. He noticed the scent of jasmine flowers is stronger during the hours of darkness, the reason why they are picked before sunrise. EGYPT: 69-30 BCE. Cleopatra was renowned for her everlasting beauty and lavish regimes. The secret behind her youthfulness was fermented milk baths infused with the essences of jasmine, myrrh and rose. She is said to have worn custom-blended perfumes that were the secrets to her seduction abilities. GREECE: 40-90 CE. Dioscorides was a physician who authored an encyclopaedia on herbal medicine, a publication which was relied upon until after the Middle Ages. ROMAN EMPIRE After their defeat of the Greek Empire, the Romans spread their knowledge of aromatic plants throughout Europe whilst growing their territory. Avicenna was a renowned physician and philosopher. He wrote the ‘Canon of Medicine’, a medical encyclopaedia used for centuries in European universities. He is also recognized for the invention of the apparatus and method used in the steam distillation of plant materials, the first being rose essential oil. EUROPE, THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE HOLY LAND: 1095-1291 CE. During the religious wars of the Middle Ages, those returning after conflict sometimes brought with them the knowledge of medicine and plant use, often in the form of exotic plants and spices. Much of the superior information and refined techniques had been long forgotten in Western Europe during the Dark Ages, although Christian monks did continue the use of traditional herbal cures. It is only through the continued use during the Arab world that some of the more sophisticated knowledge was passed on. ENGLAND: 1616-1654 CE. Nicholas Culpepper was a botanist and herbalist who studied hundreds of plants and their properties. He was famous for treating many people with herbal remedies, and his encyclopedia, the ‘Complete Herbal’ was one of the last documented works published before the advent of the scientific revolution. ENGLAND: 1665-1666 CE. During the Great Plague of London ‘Plague Doctors’ wore beak-like masks filled with aromatic herbs and spices in order to protect them from the disease which was thought to be transmitted in the contaminated air. GERMANY: 1899 CE. Aspirin became one of the first therapeutic drugs to be manufactured and marketed. It was based on traditional plant remedies, but somewhat paradoxically, because of its effectiveness, cost and ease of use, aromatic medicine began to decline. ENGLAND: 1837-1901 CE Victorian brides reportedly wore headdresses and carried bouquets using orange blossom. The flowers were symbolic of purity and said to calm a nervous bride. FRANCE: 1881-1950 CE. René-Maurice Gattefossé was a perfumer and biochemist whose book titled ‘Aromathérapie, les huiles essentielles, hormones végétales’ was the first reference to describe the treatment of diseases using essential oils, and the first time the word ‘Aromatherapy’ appeared in print. Anecdotally, he is famously known for using lavender essential oil to treat a burn acquired during a laboratory accident to almost miraculous effect. He helped develop cultivation and distillation methods of lavender essential oil in his native South East France, and used antiseptic oils in the treatment of soldiers in military hospitals during the First World War. EUROPE: 1895-1968 CE. Marguerite Maury was a biochemist born in Austria who developed a unique method of applying essential oils to the skin with massage techniques still used by Aromatherapy Associates today. She researched the effects of essential oils on the nervous system and developed prescriptions based on the personal identity profile of the client, opening aromatherapy clinics in France, Switzerland and England. FRANCE: 1920-1995 CE. Jean Valnet was a physician and surgeon in the French military. He had a passion for treating conditions with plants and his research further developed the work carried out by Gattefossé. His work involving the ingestion of essential oils formed some the foundations of what is known as the ‘French School of Aromatherapy’. ENGLAND: 1923-2006 CE. Micheline Arcier worked closely with Marguerite Maury and Jean Valnet to create a form of aromatherapy that is now used around the world. She opened her own clinic in Knightsbridge, London in the 1960’s where Geraldine Howard and Sue Beechey were trained in the art and benefits of aromatherapy, and was a founder member of the International Federation of Aromatherapists. ENGLAND AND THE REST OF THE WORLD 1970s-present day. While training under Micheline Arcier, Geraldine Howard and Sue Beechey forged a close partnership and founded Aromatherapy Associates, where we continue to share the powers of aromatherapy with as many people as possible. https://www.aromatherapyassociates.com |
