Advice for Sybarites
The Basics of Aromatherapy: What is it and How Does it Work?
I went from gardening as a hobby to a certified aromatherapist.
What is Aromatherapy?
Simply put, olfactory aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of our sense of smell. The aromas of essential oils support and enhance our holistic health through the brain’s limbic system, the part of the brain that governs our emotions and natural survival instincts. Olfactory aromatherapy uplifts mood, increases alertness, alleviates nausea and can even relieve pain by altering pain perception.
How I went from gardening to becoming an aromatherapist
I started my aromatherapy journey after becoming a gardener. I noticed the natural oils of aromatic plants lingering on my skin after simply planting them in the garden. These fragrances sparked a surprising amount of joy, and I wanted to learn more.
Over the years, I’ve taught myself how to be a pin-up photographer, how to garden, how to become an outdoors person (I did my first hike with my purse, if you want to know where I started). I taught myself about aromatherapy in the same way: by becoming obsessed. I eventually received my formal education with the School for Aromatic Studies.
The power of plants
I discovered plant oils could be steam distilled or cold pressed into a bottle. I learned that aromas help with sleep and anxiety, prevent illness, and much more. I began to create blends for myself and my family: A chamomile, lavender roll-on for sleep, a eucalyptus chest salve to prevent colds, and an invigorating peppermint shower steam. My favorites are conifer oils such as Black Spruce, Scotch Pine and Cedarwood. They remind me of spending time outdoors, now my favorite thing to do. (After that initial hike with my purse, I ended up spending more time outdoors than indoors). These days I keep a roll-on blend of conifer oils in my pocket to apply to my pulse points when I’m feeling stressed.
Our sense of smell is the most primitive of all our senses, and it’s connected to the oldest, subconscious portions of the brain. As we breathe in an aroma, we activate intense feelings and sometimes physical responses. We have vivid memories of forgotten people or places, both good and bad. It’s therefore crucial when working with essential oils to know which oils are the most pleasant for you.
Research has shown olfactory aromatherapy is especially helpful for stress-related conditions. In 2014, Phytotherapy Research published a study demonstrating that the inhalation of clary sage essential oil may help menopausal women suffering depression. Voluntary participants included 22 menopausal women who were classified into groups of “normal” and “depression tendency groups.” Both groups inhaled the aroma of clary sage essential oil for five minutes. After inhalation through the nose, cortisol levels, the body’s stress hormone, were significantly decreased in depression tendency groups compared with normal groups.
Other research has shown that inhalation of lavender before bedtime calms the body, allowing it to produce melatonin and induce sleep. In addition, applying a roll-on blend of conifer essential oils to your pulse points can trigger memories of a walk in a pine forest, relieving stress and tension.
New to aromatherapy? Here’s what you need to know
It’s important to work with pure, unadulterated essential oils, which are highly concentrated aromatic extracts distilled or expressed from plant materials such as flowers, seeds, bark, resins, roots, grasses, twigs, needles, fruits and peels. In the wild, essential oils serve a number of roles that help the plant to survive. A plant’s essential oil attracts pollinators, while simultaneously protecting the plant from disease and harmful insects or herbivores. Essential oils also contain chemicals that deter other competing plants from growing in the same area, a process called allelopathy.
Given the recent rise in aromatherapy as a vibe more than a practice, essential oils are now used in a wide range of industries from cosmetics to perfume, and unfortunately the purity of these essential oils is often questionable. Producers add alcohol or vegetable oil to increase volume, or cheaper essential oils to distill the main essential oil to cut costs. Some industries create “fragrance oils” which are artificial and synthetic. These oils are more cost effective to produce, but can be misleading if they are mixed with essential oils and then labeled as such. Worse, fragrance oils can contain harmful chemicals and toxins such as phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors.
One way to determine whether a product is an impure essential oil is the price: if it’s labeled as an “essential oil,” but sells for a laughably low price, that’s your red flag. There is also a significant difference between the aroma of a pure essential oil and a fake fragrance oil. Fragrance oils smell nothing like the actual plant, something you can discern over time as you work with pure essential oils. Sadly, we are so conditioned to fake fragrances, that we may not be able to discern the difference initially.
More reason to spend time outside: We need to reacquaint ourselves with natural aroma and ultimately identify an imposter from the real deal. Why does this matter? When an essential oil’s aromatic chemistry is adulterated, there is a decrease in its therapeutic actions as well as its energetics. Impure oils can also cause adverse dermal reactions, allergies and irritation.
When shopping for essential oils, here are a few helpful tips:
Be alert to words such as “fragrance oil” or “perfume oil.” This labeling indicates these are not pure essential oils suitable for aromatherapy. It’s also important to note that there is no governmental regulation that grades essential oils as “therapeutic grade.” This is simply a marketing term.
Avoid suppliers who do not provide the botanical/Latin name, country of origin and method of extraction on the packaging.
Be wary of low pricing. It takes a large amount of plant material and resources to make an essential oil. For example, it takes approximately 60,000 roses to produce just one ounce of rose essential oil. If you see a rose oil on Amazon selling for the same amount as peppermint, think twice before purchasing.
Lastly, I highly encourage you to work with suppliers who care about the plants, people and the earth. Look for smaller companies who source or wildcraft responsibly with respect, and who want to preserve the beauty of our planet.
Stressed and tired? Try plants
If you’ve been suffering from stress, insomnia, anxiety, aromatherapy can be a simple but valuable modality to incorporate into a daily wellness routine or ritual, with the understanding that each person’s experience with a particular essential oil will differ. If you hate the smell of lavender, fine. Ignore the rest of the messaging that lavender is the most soothing aroma.
Instead, as a first step, spend a week noting what aromas attract you, and which ones repel you. At first you may not find the aroma of a particular essential oil pleasing, but may later discover you love it. This happened to me with helichrysum. At first I wasn’t too fond of the aroma, but after researching the plant and working with it in a salve, I discovered the relief it gave me for my acute eczema.
And now I love helichrysum.
To learn more about my aromatherapy journey, visit my website ravenscallbotanicals.com
