But now, the impact of using essential oils in healing has regained its rightful place. Blended with the term “aromatherapy,” essential oils now play an important role in ìholisticî therapyóhealing not only the body but the mind and emotions as well. Today, essential oils are believed to be present in almost all aromatic products like essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, and concretes.

One of the trends when it comes to healing is the emergence of aromatherapy or the use of selected fragrant substances called essential oils, lotions, and inhalants in an effort to affect mood and promote health.

Often administered through a massage, the use of aromatherapy essential oils has become quite popular because of their therapeutic properties that go directly into a person’s skin and the bloodstream. Aside from using it through a massage, aromatherapy essential oils are also used in the form of hot and cold compresses, in baths, or simply being inhaled.

The use of aromatherapy essential oils is also being adapted even by various hospitals because it is believed that these oils greatly help stress relief, depression, and even helps the patient to control or tolerate pain.
Aside from taking advantage of its soothing and therapeutic properties, aromatherapy essential oils are also being used to treat various skin problems while reducing the effects of the said disease. Aside from these, aromatherapy essential oils are also known to alleviate pain and relieve stress and depression.

THE ESSENCE OF AROMATHERAPY ESSENTIAL OILS

Aromatherapy basically involves the use of pure essential and absolute oils. Essential oilsówhich are derived from different plants gathered across the globeóare highly-fragrant, complex, and volatile substances that have varying degrees of fragrance, complexity, and volatility.

Known as the most potent and concentrated extracts of various parts of flowers, fruits, leaves, spices, roots, and woodsóeach type of essential oil is believed to emulsify and contain certain aromatic energy.

Compared to fatty or vegetable oils, essential oils are more volatile by nature. Experts say that the primary functional groups of the essential oils that are being used in aromatherapy today include Monoterpenes, Esters, Aldehydes, Ketones, Oxides, Alcohols, and Phenols.
Monoterpenes are those aromatherapy essential oils that contain bactericidal, anti-viral, and antiseptic properties that can cause skin irritation when not used properly. Examples of such include lemons, pines, and frankincense. Esters, on the other hand, are those that are fungicidal, sedating, and quite aromatically pleasing like bergamot, Clary sage, and lavender.

While Aldehydes are known to contain sedating and antiseptic properties like melissa, lemongrass, and citronella, Ketones are those that help ease congestion, aid in the flow of mucus but can be very toxic with excessive use.

Examples of such are fennel, hyssop, and sage. Oxides are those that have expectorant and bactericidal qualities like rosemary and tea tree.

While Alcohols are known to contain antiseptic, anti-viral, and uplifting qualities present in plants like rosewood, geranium, and rose, Phenols are said to have bactericidal and strong stimulating properties that can be quite to the skin like clove, thyme, oregano.

It is being used everywhere, from clinics and hospitals for their pain relief treatment especially during labor and with chemotherapy to the rehabilitation of patients who have heart ailments, from the alleviation of stress and the relaxation of muscles in day spas to the beauty and cosmetic products being made. You name it and aromatherapy has influenced it one way or the other.

But besides candles and lotions and scents, which define aromatherapy to a T, what is it all about and what can it give us?

Aromatherapy is the practice of using oils from plant extracts for medicinal, relaxation and aromatic purposes. These oils are called essential oils, which are used and combined with other ingredients to produce perfumes, lotions, and other beauty, skin care and hair care products. In fact, all the products with your favorite plant scent such as Rose, Lavender and Chamomile are results of the practice of aromatherapy. It is said that aromatherapy can also improve one’s mood, lightening it up and easing the stress. This is perhaps why the technique is also used in massage parlors and spas to relax customers.

The use of essential oils is a practice that has been going on for centuries. It all started with the Greeks, who invented the crude way of distilling. The process of distillation was then used to extract the oils from the plants.

Next to adopt the practice are the Egyptians, which incorporated it into their traditions and customs. Plant oils are used in their various religious set-ups and even in the burying of their dead. In fact, archaeologists who dug up tombs in Egypt have found plant extracts and remains with embalmed bodies. It was also the Egyptians, who first used the plant extracts for cosmetic and aromatic purposes.

Next in line were the Romans, who discovered the use of the essential oils as medicine. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, has been known to use plant oils in his medical work back in his time.

It was only in the 1920s that the practice got the name “aromatherapy” which was invented by RenÈ Maurice GattefossÈ, a French chemist, who used the process in his own work. Unknown to many, aromatherapy has a lot of branches. One of those branches is Home Therapy, which deals with the use of the practice for self-treatment as well as in the use of it in making perfumes and cosmetics. It is also used in medical practice and this branch is called clinical aromatherapy. Lastly, the branch that deals with the use of aromatherapy in the psychology of odors and their effects on people is called Aromachology.

One of the best known scents in aromatherapy is the lavender, which people can actually find in every product label in groceries and in beauty stores. Unknown to many, lavender can also be used in the treatment of wounds as well as in the enhancement of memory. It can also be used as a sleeping aid as it helps relieve anxiety and insomnia.

In addition to lavender, other really popular aromatherapy products are those with the scents of Rose, Eucalyptus, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Rosemary, and of course Jasmine.