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What is Aromatherapy?
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Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant
oils, including essential oils, for psychological
and physical well-being.
Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant,
have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when
used correctly and safely. The Essential
Oil Profiles area details over 90 essential oils. Absolutes,
CO2s and Hydrosols
are also commonly utilized in aromatherapy. Although essential oils, CO2
extracts and absolutes are distilled in different manners, the term essential
oil is sometimes used in writing as a blanket term to include CO2s
and absolutes.
In addition to essential oils, aromatherapy encourages
the use of other complementary natural ingredients including cold pressed
vegetable oils, jojoba (a liquid wax), hydrosols, herbs, milk powders,
sea salts, sugars (an exfoliant), clays and muds.
Products that include synthetic ingredients are frowned
upon in holistic aromatherapy. It is important to note that perfume
oils also known as fragrance oils (and usually listed as "fragrance"
on an ingredient label) are not the same as essential oils. Fragrance
oils and perfume oils contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the
therapeutic benefits of essential oils.
Buyer Beware: The United States does not regulate the
use of the word aromatherapy" on product packaging, labeling or in
product advertising, so any product can be marketed as a product suitable
for aromatherapy. There are quite a few products on the market that contain
unnatural ingredients including fragrance oils and claim to be aromatherapeutic.
It's important to look at the ingredient label when seeking true aromatherapy
products.
Also, use caution with marketing claims that state a
product is "Made With Essential Oils" or "Made With Natural
Ingredients." Claims like these do not state that the product is
only made with the ingredient(s) specified. Such products may contain
heavy proportions of synthetic fragrance oils and only contain a minute
quantity of essential oil to simply be able to profess the "Made
With Essential Oils" claim.
Don't let false marketing hype scare you away from the
benefits of holistic aromatherapy. By exploring AromaWeb and other aromatherapy
resources, you can learn how to safely use just a few essential oils and
start gaining the benefits of aromatherapy. If you realize you hold an
even deeper interest, you can learn to make your own products and control
the exact ingredients included in your own personal aromatherapy products.
The Benefit of an Aroma ~ Inhaling
Essential Oils
Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs offer both psychological
and physical benefits. Not only does the aroma of the natural essential
oil stimulate the brain to trigger a reaction, but when inhaled into the
lungs, the natural constituents (naturally occurring chemicals) can supply
therapeutic benefit. Diffusing eucalyptus essential oil to help ease congestion
is a prominent example.
If not done correctly and safely,
however, the use of essential oils can have severe consequences.
The Benefit of Physical Application
Essential oils that are applied to the skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
The constituents of essential oils can aid in health, beauty and hygiene
conditions. Since essential oils are so powerful and concentrated,
they should never be applied to the skin in their undiluted form.
To apply essential oils to the skin, essential oils are typically diluted
into a carrier such as a cold pressed vegetable oil, also known
as a carrier oil. Common carrier oils include
sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grapeseed oil. A more detailed
definition of Carrier Oils is found on the What
are Carrier Oils page. A detailed list of carrier oils and their properties
can be found on the Carrier
Oils Used in Aromatherapy properties page.
Other Benefits
In addition to therapeutic benefit at the emotional and physical level,
essential oils are helpful in other applications. Essential oils can be
used in household and laundry cleaners. Some oils act as a natural insect
repellent and pesticide. You may recall using citronella
candles during the summer to keep mosquitoes away. Citronella
essential oil is the ingredient in the candles that is responsible for
repelling the mosquitos. Visit the Essential Oil Uses
page for additional information on ways that you can use essential oils.
Essential Oil Blends
Essential oils can be blended together to create appealing and complex
aromas. Essential oils can also be blended for a specific therapeutic
application. Essential oils that are carefully blended with a specific
therapeutic purpose in mind may be referred to as an essential oil
syngery. A synergistic essential oil blend is considered to be greater
in total action than each oil working independently. AromaWeb's Recipes
area offers a variety of recipes and synergies.
About Aromatherapy Products
Not all ready-made aromatherapy products labeled with the word "aromatherapy"
are pure and natural. Products that contain artificial ingredients do
not provide true aromatherapy benefits. At worst, they provide no benefit
or be harmful. At best, they provide only a fraction of the benefit that
natural products supply. Buyers seeking true aromatherapy products must
look at the ingredient label to ensure that the product does not contain
fragrance oils or unpure (chemical) components. A general rule-of-thumb
is to be wary of products that do not list their ingredients and those
that do not boast of having pure essential oils (look for products that
contain pure essential oils on their ingredient list and avoid those that
have words like fragrance). A note, however, is that some sellers of good-quality
aromatherapy blends do not list their ingredients because they are worried
that others may copy their creation. By asking the seller more about the
blend, and listening to how they respond, you should have a better idea
about the quality of the blend being sold. Good suppliers should be happy
to provide you with a list of the ingredients. They understand that some
individuals must avoid particular oils due to health problems.
More Information
Good sources for expanding your knowledge of aromatherapy include the
following articles:
History of Aromatherapy
What are Essential Oils?
Is All the Hype True?
Safety Information
Uses for Essential Oils
Tips for Beginners
Expanding your Aromatherapy Education
Aromatherapy Diffusers
General Glossary
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