Aromatherapy is a medicinal practise which uses volatile plant materials which are commonly known as essential oils. Many other aromatic compounds are also used for the purpose of altering a person’s mind, mood, and health. Some of the essential oils like tea tree have shown anti-microbial effects. But still there is lack of evidence which can show its efficacy against bacteria, fungal or viral infections. There are many studies still going around the medical efficacy of aromatherapy which can show the uses of Aromatherapy in medicinal purpose and its therapeutic uses.

Aromatherapy has its origins in antiquity with the use of infused oils. Aromatic oils are made by macerating the dried plant materials. The oils are heated and then filtered. Many of these oils have tremendous healing properties. Distilled oils have been used as medicines since the invention of distillation in the eleventh century.

The concept of aromatherapy was first introduced by some European scientists and doctors. The word aromatherapy first appeared in a French book and the English version was introduced in 1993. Aromatherapy was used to treat wounded soldiers in World War II. Its antiseptic effects are very useful in treating wounds and injuries.

The modes of application of aromatherapy include:

• Aerial diffusion: for environmental fragrancing or aerial disinfection
• Direct inhalation: for respiratory disinfection, decongestion, expectoration as well as psychological effects
• Topical applications: for general massage, baths, compresses, therapeutic skin care

Materials employed:

• Absolutes: Fragrant oils extracted primarily from flowers or delicate plant tissues. It is done through solvent extraction. The term is also used to describe oils extracted from fragrant butters, concretes, and enfleurage pomades with the help of ethanol.
• Carrier Oils: It is typically an oily plant base triacylglycerides that dilute essential oils for the use on skin.
• Essential Oils: These are fragrant oils which are extracted from plants through steam distillation or expression. However many times the term is used to describe fragrant oils extracted from plants through solvent extraction.
• Herbal Distillates: It is the aqueous by product of the distillation process. There are many herb distillates which have culinary uses. They also have medicinal applications and used for skin care. Some of the common herbal distillates are chamomile, rose and lemon balm.

• Infusions: These are aqueous extracts of various plant materials.
• Phytoncydes: These are form of various organic compounds from plants that kill microbes. Many terpene based fragrant oils and sulphuric compounds from the plants are phytoncides, though they are rarely used in aromatherapy due to their disagreeable odours.
• Vaporizer: It is typically oil content based plant material which is dried, crushed, and then heated to extract and inhale the aromatic oil vapours in a direct inhalation modality.

Aromatherapy is the treatment or prevention of disease by applying some of the essential oils. Some of the stated uses are healing pain and anxiety reduction, energy enhancement, enhancement of short-term memory, hair loss prevention relaxation and reduction of eczema-induced itching.

Some of the basic mechanisms which are offered to explain the purported effects are: the influence of aroma on brain especially through limbic system through the olfactory lobes. The other one is direct pharmacological effect of essential oils. While the aromatherapists often claim about the synergy between the aromatic oils and the body still the efficacy of aromatherapy remains unproven. Some of the preliminary clinical studies of aromatherapy in combination with the other techniques have shown positive effects. Aromatherapy does not help in curing conditions but it helps in curing the body in a natural way and also improves the immune response.

Some practitioners tend to emphasize the use of the oils in massages. Aromatherapy tends to be regarded as the complementary modality at best and pseudoscientific fraud at its worst. Lemon oil is known to be uplifting and a good source for anti-stress medicine. Lemon essential oils in the form of vapour have been found to reduce stress.  The peppermint oil is often used to deter ants. The lavender and the tea tree oils act as antiseptics, sometime sin lotions or in soaps. Lavender is the best oil when it comes to healing burns and wounds.

Some of the other benefits found in aromatherapy are relaxation and clarity of mind, which arises from the placebo effect and not from any actual psychological effect. Most of the medical practitioners and medicals professionals believe that though aromatherapy has shown positive effect on the moods and minds of the patients, still the real benefits of the oils are yet to be proven fully. The scientific research done on the cause and effects of aromatherapy is limited. The Vitro testing has revealed that aromatherapy has bacterial and antiviral effects. The long term  results of an aromatherapy massage is yet to be seen as the only long term result seen until now is the pleasant smelling massage.

The studies in the field of clinical psychological study to treat severe dementia have been successful. The essential oils have demonstrated efficacy in dental mouthwash also. Aromatherapy is base on anecdotal evidence of its evidence rather than its proof to cure the diseases.

Though scientist and medical practitioners have limited faith in aromatherapy but the critics argue that aromatherapy professionals have been highly successful and treated many people successfully.

The proponents of aromatherapy believe that the claimed effect of each type of oils is not caused due to the chemical effects but oils contain distilled effects of life force of the plants which helps in balancing the energies of the body and promote healing and well being of the body by removing the negative energies.

Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

About the author

jenny

Related Posts

AROMATHERAPY AND WEIGHT-LOSS

Aromatherapy can be defined as usage of plant oils and other essential oils for medical, physical and psychological well being of any individual. The history speaks that the term aromatherapy wasn’t much in use until...

What are Resins?

This post is part of our essential oil guide. Resin is the gummy secretion that is produced by trees or plants when their outer bark is damaged.  It can be clear or dark brown in color and it helps the trees in their...