Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy uses essential oils and other botanical oils to make positive changes in a person's mood and health through the power of scent and the healing properties of the oils when applied to the skin. The umbrella of aromatherapy is a large one that can refer to almost any alternative medicine tradition of using essential oils along with other practices. Often products containing essential oils are used as massage oils and creams, alternative medicines, and topical treatments for a variety of ills.

The word aromatherapy was first used to refer to the use of essential oils in healing by a French chemist who researched the healing properties of these oils after he suffered an accident while creating perfumes. He caught his arm on fire, and used the nearest container of liquid to extinguish it. He'd put his arm into a container of lavender oil, and was amazed at the almost instant pain relief. The burn healed much more quickly than any of his previous similar injuries, with no scarring. He researched and experimented with essential oils for the rest of his life.

Aside from topical applications, aromatherapy compounds can be inhaled to brighten the mood psychologically, or provide relief from respiratory congestion and other respiratory ailments. Aromatherapy scents can be diffused into the air for their fragrance and disinfective properties, and compounds made from the oils are used for oral, rectal and vaginal infections as well as ridding the body of parasites.

Other types of substances sometimes used for aromatherapy are hydrosols, like rosewater, that are the by-products of the distillation process used to extract essential oils. Neutral and thicker carrier oils, like sweet almond oil, are used to mix with the essential oils and serve as a base, so that they can be applied to the skin.

Practitioners believe that aromatherapy uses a two-pronged approached to heal and promote wellness: The aroma has an affect on the brain, and the healing properties of the oils affects the body. There is no scientific proof that aromatherapy is effective, yet in France, aromatherapy is actually part of mainstream medicine. Essential oils are prized for their antiseptic properties and are used in infection control over the methods popular in other places like America. Some essential oils used in aromatherapy are even regulated in France, and have to be prescribed by a doctor.

While the United States, Russia, Germany and Japan lead the pack of countries that view it as a fraud or at best an alternative treatment that probably isn't that effective, dedicated practitioners use aromatherapy chiefly in massage oils, and in mood-altering fragrance.

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