AROMATHERAPY: EXPLAINED.
Aromatherapy is one of the most practiced holistic treatments across the globe. Having been around for centuries, it is a practice that we incorporate into our daily lives, sometimes without even noticing. From the perfume in your purse to the spices in your stew, aromatics are everywhere you go, so let’s take a closer look at what exactly aromatherapy is, the history of its use over the years, and how aromatherapy is used in our modern world.
What Is Aromatherapy?
Simply put, aromatherapy is an ancient holistic treatment practice that makes use of plant essences and oils to stimulate the mind and body and promote positive holistic health. Aromatherapy has been used to improve moods, and treat stress-related illnesses, muscular problems and pain. It has also been known to help in the treatment of psychological issues such as anxiety, depression and insomnia, as well as bacterial infections, inflammation, viral infections, nausea, vomiting, minor burns, fungal infections, fatigue, wounds, and chronic conditions.
The most common plant essences used in aromatherapy treatments are essential oils. Essential oils are concentrated botanical substances that are extracted in various ways namely by way of steam distillation and expression. These botanical substances are extracted from different parts of a plant from the petals of flowers and peels of fruit to the bark of a tree and the seeds of a plant. Plants naturally produce essential oils to prevent and treat bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, repel pests, prevent dehydration, attract pollinators, and provide wound healing for the plant itself.
The process of extraction starts with the collection of the whole or part of the plant where the essence is found. This whole or part will then go through an extraction process that will cause the least amount of damage to the plant material to produce the highest quality essential oil and respective by-products. The extracted oils are then quality tested, bottled in dark glass bottles and stored in a cool, dry place in preparation for sale.
By-products from the extraction of essential oils include processed plant/flower extracts, tinctures, and hydrosols that can then be used in the manufacturing of homeopathic remedies, skincare/cosmetics, and aesthetic products, amongst other things.
As a holistic practice, aromatherapy is a form of naturopathy that takes your behavioural and integral biology into consideration when therapeutic products and treatments are being formulated. Much as they have therapeutic effects, essential oils and by-products also have adverse effects, so it is important to look into the safety precautions of all essential oils and use them in low doses, with a carrier medium or as per instruction.
NB: Essences extracted from plant materials enter your body via your nose and skin. It is highly advisable not to ingest any essential oil or plant essences unless otherwise instructed by a medical practitioner.
Aromatherapy in History:
Since the dawn of humanity, plant materials have been used for food, clothing, medicine, cosmetics, and shelter. Early African civilizations used cedar, myrrh, frankincense, styrax, and other essential plant oils for medical processes such as embalming and formulating antiseptics used to treat wounds. These formulas were documented on stone tablets and papyrus scrolls.
Phoenician merchants often traded gums, pastes, resins, and essential oils across the Mediterranean more so during the time when Romans developed their scented bathing traditions. East of Africa, natural aromatics from Syria, Lebanon, India, China, Arabia, and other countries were highly prized items, and therefore rarely traded more than herbs and spices.
In modern times, aromatherapy has grown in popularity and availability, allowing for further study and use in allopathic medical facilities and practices.
Uses of Aromatherapy in Our Modern World:
Aromatherapy can be practiced in a number of ways. It has been used in massage therapy, skincare, perfume, cosmetic application, hair care, aesthetics, spiritual practices, food preparation, and, most recently, in medical & nursing facilities. Examples of how aromatherapy is used at home include scented candles, fabric conditioner, soaps, room sprays, pest control (ants don’t like peppermint), soothing bath salts, face oils, skin serums, diffusers, humidifiers, herbs and spices for cooking, herbal teas and so on.
In medical practices, aromatherapy is used in massage therapy, humidifiers, room sprays, tinctures, homeopathic remedies, and wound care. While most articles highlight sleep, depression, and anxiety as the key symptoms that can be treated, ailments such as hypertension, rheumatism, chronic pain, nausea, vomiting, wounds, burns, stress, grief, and appetite issues. Essential oil extracts have also been used in veterinary practices to improve the health and mood of animals.
Storage and Safety:
It is of paramount importance that you know how to use and store essential oils/plant essences safely. Before using any essential oils or plant essences, you must perform a patch test. A patch test will let you know how if the selected oil or plant essence will be compatible with your skin. A patch test is performed by taking one drop of the oil or plant essence and rubbing it into your inner elbow or wrist without washing it off for a 12–24 hour period. If your skin is irritated, red, in pain or a rash begins to form after the aforementioned time period, do not use that oil. Otherwise, you’re good to go.
Never use essential oils or plant essences without a carrier medium (unless it’s for a patch test). The carrier medium helps dilute the oil without affecting the potency of the oil. For example, in a humidifier, you would add a few drops of your favourite oil to the water inside the humidifier, and when performing a massage you would add a couple of drops of your essential oil to plain vegetable oil or your choice of organic, cold-pressed carrier oil.
When purchasing plant essences or essential oils, be sure to look out for the Latin name on the bottle and any information on whether or not the essential oil is organic. After buying your essential oils or plant essences, make sure that they are stored in dark, airtight glass bottles in a cool, dry place for no more than a year. Exposure to sunlight and open air may cause oxidation and change the chemical composition of the oil (which is bad).
Learning the origins and extraction methods of the oils or plant essences is helpful in finding out the quality of the oils and how best to use them. Lower-grade oils can be used in diffusers, scented candles, and humidifiers, whilst high-grade oils can be used in bath salts, massage oils, and cosmetics. It is safer to use less than more. Never ingest essential oils, and take precautions when using phototoxic or photosensitive oils which can be dangerous to use on the face or body if you’re going to spend a lot of time in the sun.
NB!! Always keep them out of reach of children and away from the eyes. If there is contact with the eyes, first rinse with milk or plain vegetable oil, then with warm water, and visit a physician immediately afterward.
More Information on Aromatherapy:
There are plenty of resources that give us information on aromatherapy and how to use it. Some of my favourites include clinical aromatherapist Robert Tisserand’s 1977 book The Art Of Aromatherapy, a publication by Andrea Butje, LMT; Elizabeth Repede, MS, APRN-BC, FNP, CMH; and Mona Shatell, Ph.D., RN, in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services called Healing Scents: An Overview of Clinical Aromatherapy for Emotional Distress, detailing the use of aromatherapy and its effects on mental health and a video published on the Oakdale OBGYN — Maple Grove YouTube channel called Aromatherapy & Essential Oils: An Introduction to Use where Linda Halcon Ph.D., MPH, RN gives a breakdown of essential oils, their history and their uses in this very insightful talk.
For more information, the internet and library are your oysters. Please remember that this does not constitute medical advice so always speak with your healthcare practitioner before taking any medication, supplements, or introducing any essential oils to your daily healthcare and home-care practices.
