Aromatherapy and Essential Oils: The Aroma of Life!Related topic available: 
“Essential oils” isolated from plants have been used therapeutically for many centuries. Their medicinal use is recorded as early as 4500 BC, by Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and in the Bible. During the deadly European plagues of the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, glove- makers and other tradesmen used aromatic oils in their trades. They had very high survival rates from the plague compared to those who did not benefit from their incidental exposure to aromatherapy through their trades.
Rediscovering Nature's Essential OilsThe use of these medicinal essential oils declined as the modern pharmaceutical industry developed. Garrefosse dedicated the rest of his life to rediscovering the practical use of the remarkable healing properties of nature’s essential oils. He began developing the art and science of using extracted aromatic “essences” from plants as medicinal “botanicals”. The phrase “essential oils” comes from these refined “essences”.Modern research confirms the many practical uses of the fragrant oils of essence. The list of useful qualities is long. Forgive the big words, but here goes (take a big breath): antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antivenomous, antitoxic, antidepressant, sedative, nervine, analgesic (pain reducing), hypotensol (lowers blood pressure), hypertensol (raises blood pressure), digestive, expectorating, deodorizing, granulation-stimulating, diuretic, and much more. Whew! Most of the well-known oils used in aromatherapy are managed quite well by the body, entering and exiting safely. The most effective way to use them is on the skin or inhalation. Consuming them into the digestive track renders their chemistry less useful. Pure Oils and "Carrier" Oils
For aromatherapy to be effective, the oils need to be pure, natural essential oils. The aroma can be duplicated in a factory, but the therapy part falls by the way side in the artificially produced oils. A pure essential oil is very concentrated, but not all that “oily”. The pure oils must be diluted in a carrier oil. Examples of carrier oils are vegetable oils, nut or seed oil such as olive, grape seed, avocado seed, apricot seed, and jojoba oils. There are countless good books on aromatherapy which supply the information about the best carrier oils to use for individual essence oils, as well as the uses and how to use each one. Two books that I have found to be a wealth of knowledge about aromatherapy are: The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood, and a little more expensive, but much more specific research-oriented book: Essential Oils Desk Reference, by Essential Science Publishing. I use these two reference books for writing this page and any related aromatherapy pages. The Science in a NutshellResearch has shown that the effect of fragrance and aromatic compounds used for aromatherapy through the sense of smell can exert strong effects on the brain, particularly the hypothalamus. This little gland is the hormone command center of the body and limbic system (the seat of emotions).Since aromatherapy has a direct effect on emotional health, many massage therapists and bodywork practitioners use it as a noninvasive treatment in their practices. These essential oils are present in many massage oils and lotions. Since the essential oils are able to act both on the mind and body at the same time, they are especially unique among natural therapeutic agents. Life Blood of the Plant
Like healthy human blood, essential oils from aromatic plants fight
infection, contain hormone-like compounds, and initiate regeneration. Like blood, essential oils work as a chemical defense mechanism for the plants they come from. The oils possess potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties that the plants depend on. Since some essential oils can act as hormones, they can help bring balance to many physiological systems of the bbbbbb(220 lbs lavender blooms= 7 lbs essential oil)human body. The similarity with blood goes even deeper. Many essential oils are made of a chemical structure similar to the structure found in human cells and tissues, making them more easily accepted by the human body. Because of this, they are allowed to enter past cell membranes and travel throughout the blood and tissues safely. Therapeutic UsesEssential oils used for aromatherapy can often stimulate the secretion of antibodies, neurotransmitters, endorphins, hormones, and enzymes. Research indicates that essential oils that contain limonene are antiviral. Lavender and others have been shown to promote the growth of hair and to speed wound healing. These actually increase the uptake of oxygen and the production of ATP, the required end-result fuel for every cell of the body. (See the page on the uses for essential oils here.)Some European studies have shown an ability of essential oils to work as natural chelators, binding with heavy metals and other unsafe chemicals to transport them out of the body. Essential oils do not disturb the body’s “homeostasis”, or natural balance. On the other hand, most synthetic chemicals have limited action which can disrupt the body’s natural balance. The Mysterious Power of Smell!Smell is a very powerful stimulus in all creation. The sense of smell is the only sense linked directly to the limbic lobe of the brain. This lobe is the emotional control center of the brain. Here’s how it works in a nutshell:Odor molecules stimulate the olfactory epithelium lining in the nasal passage. This causes nerve cells to trigger a specific electrical impulse to the olfactory bulb behind the nose. The olfactory bulb transmits the impulses to the limbic system of the brain. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormonal balance. By this mechanism essential oils are capable of having profound physiological and psychological effects on the human body. Complex and Potent Essential OilsThe average number of components in an essential oil used for aromatherapy is about one hundred. Advanced technology has allowed scientists to identify many of the compounds, but many are out there waiting to be discovered. The basic substances found in essential oils have very complex molecular structures. They are quite powerful!For instance, research indicates that essential oil of oregano is 26 times more powerful as an antiseptic than the active ingredient in many commercial cleansers (phenol). We tap into the life blood of plants when we use aromatherapy for safe, effective alternatives to many pharmaceutical products! Please subscribe to or our "What's New" newsletter or to an RSS feed (see left column) to be alerted whenever new information is added to the site. We'd appreciate it if you would "Like" us on Facebook, or share this site with others.
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