Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that involves the use of essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds for the treatment of various physical and psychological conditions. These essential oils are derived from plants, flowers, and other natural sources, and are believed to have therapeutic properties that can help to improve physical, emotional, and mental health.
There are many different examples of aromatherapy that can be used to treat a wide range of conditions. Some common aromatherapy examples include:
Lavender oil: This essential oil is known for its calming and relaxing properties, and is often used to treat anxiety, stress, and insomnia. It can be inhaled directly from the bottle or diffused into the air using an essential oil diffuser.
Peppermint oil: This essential oil has a refreshing and invigorating scent, and is often used to treat headaches, nausea, and indigestion. It can be applied topically to the skin or inhaled directly from the bottle.
Eucalyptus oil: This essential oil has a refreshing and invigorating scent, and is often used to treat respiratory problems such as colds, flu, and sinusitis. It can be inhaled directly from the bottle or diffused into the air using an essential oil diffuser.
Tea tree oil: This essential oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is often used to treat acne and other skin conditions. It can be applied topically to the skin in diluted form.
Rose oil: This essential oil has a sweet and floral scent, and is often used to treat depression and anxiety. It can be inhaled directly from the bottle or diffused into the air using an essential oil diffuser.
Aromatherapy can be used in a variety of different ways, including through massage, bathing, and inhalation. It is important to note that essential oils should be used with caution, as they can be irritating to the skin and may cause allergic reactions in some people. It is always best to consult with a qualified aromatherapist or healthcare provider before using aromatherapy for any medical condition.
Aromatherapy: Practice and principles
Fragrance and wellbeing: Plant aromatics and their influence on the psyche. Adding an essential oil for an aromatherapy massage can potentially enhance the effects. This page is part of a series of articles covering relaxation techniques especially suited to managing and reducing stress. Inhalation can be personal direct or ambient indirect , with active or passive diffusion of volatiles depending on whether they are released by a convective force or passively. Skin structure, function, and permeation.
The oils are not cheap These oils are extremely expensive as the process of creating them is slow, laborious and expensive. May Improve Sleep Quality Because many aromatherapy oils help people unwind and feel less stressed, they can be very useful for making you feel sleepier before bedtime. Blood levels of 1, 8-cineole and locomotor activity of mice after inhalation and oral administration of rosemary oil. Unlike some other complementary and alternative therapies, aromatherapy has a scientific base that is gaining credibility. Any intensive use of essential oils should not be based on ad hoc advice, but rather requires proper knowledge and professional consultation, and should be intended for specific indications with clear outcomes in mind.
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 19 6 , 412-420. Food and Drug Administration to protect public safety and use of essential oils. However, most medical doctors are not trained in the use of herbal drugs such as essential oils, and will not readily advise their use unless they are available as registered commercial products. Aromatherapeutic blending: Essential oils in synergy. Finally, when In parts of Western Europe aromatherapy is incorporated into mainstream medicine as an antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial therapy. During the first trimester of pregnancy, aromatherapy may pose a risk to the developing fetus. Consumers should also be aware that the U.
In general, active personal inhalation is more appropriate for treating the respiratory system and delivering bioactive constituents into the body, while ambient diffusion is preferred for enhancing the mood and potentially for disinfecting the room With inhalation, the constituents can either exert therapeutic effects through the olfactory system and the sense of smell or by entering the body via the lung mucosa, nasal mucosa and intranasal pathway nose to brain , thus reflecting psychological and pharmacological modes of action. They must always be diluted with a carrier oil. They're made by steaming or pressing various parts of a plant flowers, bark, leaves or fruit to capture the compounds that produce fragrance. Studies that demonstrate systemic effects after transdermal delivery usually do not control for pulmonary absorption and olfaction. Certain aromas affect us psychologically, the smell of lemon is said to increase our perception of personal wellbeing. The holistic approach considers the person as an integrated whole of body, mind and spirit. However, lavender, though widely considered safe, was found not to affect mood in that same study.
The chemical diversity of essential oils, along with a general lack of pharmacological data, further complicate the issue of proper dosage. Make sure you are warm and your skin is dry. Exceptions include phenols strongly antimicrobial, antioxidative , sesquiterpene lactones skin allergens and furanocoumarins phototoxic. Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals 2nd ed. Which Essential Oils to Buy? The metabolic plant feedback hypothesis: How plant secondary metabolites nonspecifically impact human health. They should be able to recommend specific essential oils, and discuss what product and techniques they would use based on your needs. We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.
It's often used to help relieve stress and anxiety and promote good sleep. Always use a Children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should use essential oils with caution and under the supervision of a doctor. Helps Reduce Fatigue and Raise Alertness An International Journal of Neuroscience study involving 40 patients experiencing depressed moods and mental fatigue found that aromatherapy positively affects alertness, competency on testing in this case regarding math problems and improves overall mood. However, not all of the effects observed in vitro will necessarily confer actual therapeutic benefits. A single constituent may bind to a variety of different targets, but with different strengths affinities and selectivity. A person with Concentrated products may be poisonous before dilution and should be handled with care.
What Is Aromatherapy Massage? Oils, Benefits, Risks, and More
Which essential oils are best depends on what symptoms you're looking to ease or fragrances you prefer. Swallowing essential oils can be hazardous, and fatal in some cases. Avoid sun exposure after grapefruit, orange, or other citrus oil is used on your skin. BEST OILS FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY— Patchouli is a good essential oil for people who suffer from anxiety and depression and is considered to be a good grounding oil. As the name suggests, sweet pea is sweetly fragrant when blooming in spring. Consultations with an aromatherapist will vary depending on several factors, including where you live.
What Is Aromatherapy? The Dividing Lines Between Feel
A systematic review of the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep. The therapeutic window is an optimal dose range that produces a therapeutic response without causing significant adverse effects — in most individuals. I returned after with two glasses of water one for Client and one for myself. It is important to seek professional advice and to follow instructions carefully. Natural Product Communications, 4 2 , 291-296. Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic, endocrine, and immune function. The dose depends on many factors, such as method of application and form of dosage, the bioavailability of active substances, their pharmacological potency and toxicity, and whether the expected effect is local or systemic.
Some essential oils can irritate asthma and other breathing problems. Take Ritu Singh, 42. Hedonic — Pleasantness Semantic — Association Placebo — Expectation Psychological effects can be genuinely therapeutic and not just feel-good. Methodological variability due to the different treatment protocols, outcome measures and diversity of essential oils are added research challenges on top of the hurdle of securing funding for independent research. Last medically reviewed on March 20, 2017 Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Linalool: a review on a key odorant molecule with valuable biological properties.
Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C, 46 11-12 , 1067-1072. Jennifer Peace Rhind 2015 observes that, although diverse, holistic approaches commonly share the qualities of individual treatment and a vitalistic element. Take pure lavender oil: among the most versatile oils available, by virtue of its complexity, it heals burns, counters stress and depression, eases heart palpitation, soothes nerves, is anti-inflammatory, works to get rid of insects and headaches disinfects babies' nappies, combats the hot flushes of menopause, cures insomnia, lowers blood pressure, overrides impatience, irritability and hysteria, relieves aches and pains, and even smells good! However, studies on mice Buchbauer et al. For example, odors were found to help reduce pain perception, anxiety, cravings and enhance feelings of social connectedness and optimism Herz, 2007; 2016. We know that some fragrances can evoke strong emotional or psychological responses.
