The Art of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the art of using the aromatic carbon compounds found in plants: essential oils. Ancient cultures in Greece, Rome, Egypt, India, China and Persia all extracted essential oils to access the healing value of plants. Many Egyptian blends were used to simultaneously enhance beauty, health and spirit, qualities that were viewed as one and the same. The Hindu text Rig Veda states, "Simples, you who have existed for so long, even before the gods were born, I want to understand your 700 secrets!..Come you wise plants, heal this patient for me."

In the 1900's European chemists rediscovered essential oils and coined the term "aromatherapy." European practitioners and consumers, especially in France, Britain and Germany, are well versed in the therapeutic effect of specific essential oils. Aromatherapy is used extensively to treat conditions of the genito-urinary tract, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory system, the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. It is most effective for treating infections and preventing disease, and quite successful in treating neuro-psycho-endocrine issues such as stress, depression and insomnia. Aromatherapy is an excellent tool for letting go of stress and enhancing wellbeing.

Aromatherapy is still very new to the United States market, even though aromatherapy products abound. There is no regulating agency or required education or training for aromatherapists in the US. And many of the aromatherapy products sold actually contain only laboratory-engineered fragrances and no plant-derived aromatic substances at all. The absence of plant-engineered components bypasses the great benefits touted by aromatherapy in the first place. One of the chief advantages of aromatherapy is found in the intricate and natural composition created by plants themselves, developed over eons of trial and error evolutionary testing. Some even refer to essential oils as the 'life force' of the plant. Laboratory-engineered aromatic compounds offer cost-effectiveness and consistency; they are not subject to the conditions (agricultural, distillation processes, political, economic, etc.) that can alter both the chemistry and aroma of an essential oil. While synthetics lend themselves to mass marketing, they offer a limited if any experience of aromatherapy.

Personally, after studying and playing with essential oils for 10 years, I think perhaps the most therapeutic quality of aromatherapy is the chance it offers to enter the mystery of nature and leave our culturally-determined set of priorities by the way side for the moment. We live and work in a world that requires us to produce, think and verbalize at optimum levels. Aromatherapy is an opportunity to enter an organic biological environment. Here we learn through smell and literally through osmosis how to thrive as members of Earth's living community-a community with priorities such as wellness, interdependence, artistry and mastery.

Aromatherapy is exquisitely aromatic, and it is much more. The practice of this art involves both the inhalation of essential oil vapors and application of essential oils to the skin. In some cases, an aromatherapist may recommend drinking certain essential oils in water or honey water, but this should be done only with the guidance of a trained and trusted aromatherapy practitioner. In Europe essential oils are used in a medical setting in capsules, suppositories and even in injections.

You are probably familiar with the idea that our sense of smell is intimately linked in the brain with memory and emotions. Smell is a more primitive sense that takes a direct (only one synapse) less filtered route into our consciousness. The olfactory nerve is topographically related to the limbic areas of the brain and with the frontal lobe. Basically the limbic system is a hypothetical construct known as the 'seat of the emotions' or the 'emotional-visceral brain' that encompasses more and more brain structures as the years pass. Put simply, it includes areas of the brain that relate to the formation of emotions and their integration with learning, thought and behavior. The frontal lobe of the brain is correlated with olfaction as well as reasoning, abstract thinking, sexual behavior, voluntary movement, aggression, and sound articulation including speech.

Perhaps even more significantly, essential oils enter our bodies through the skin and interact with our very chemistry. Made up of very small carbon-based molecules, essential oils are readily drawn through the pores and have a unique ability to penetrate cell membranes. Many essential oils have structures similar to our own hormones and interact with the endocrine and nervous systems to affect our moods and attitudes. The work of Dr. Candace Pert, research professor of Biophysics and Physiology at Georgetown University's School of Medicine, suggests that the mind and the emotions actually have chemical substance (ligands) which course throughout our body tissues.

Aromatherapists blend not only for conditions such as headaches and anxiety; they blend for each individual taking into account disposition and lifestyle. Results are experienced immediately during the consultation and through using aromatherapy self-care. Tools include essential oils from over 300 plant species, hydrosols and carrier or base oils. Both essential oils and hydrosols are obtained through distillation of plant materials (leaves, resins, seeds, flowers, roots or stems). The former being the volatile 'oil' product and the later being the water that has trapped some of the aromatic oils. A few essential oils are obtained via cold pressing from a fruit peel and others via solvent extraction or a combination of the above methods. Carrier or base oils are fixed oils cold-pressed from fruit, nut or seed sources. Many vegetable oils can serve as carriers; sweet almond is a popular choice as are hazelnut and grapeseed oils. The carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils prior to application on the skin. It is important to use fresh carriers free of rancidity or other toxins because they are drawn into the body by the essential oils. Essential oils are safely eliminated from the body within four to six hours while their beneficial physiological effects last longer.

Essential oils can be used in lots of ways: diffuse into a room; incorporate into bath water or a steam inhalation or facial; massage into the soft tissues; wear as a fragrance; mix with water and spray onto fabrics; use to clean and disinfect; mix into skin care products such as bath gels and moisturizers; add to hot or cold compresses; or even blend with arrowroot to make your own scented powder. Generally, a dilution of 2-5% essential oils is recommended. This would be equal to 6 to 10 drops of essential oil in 10 ml or base (oil, lotion, gel, powder, etc.) 10 ml is a little more than 1/3 oz. Interestingly, some essential oils are actually more effective in weaker dilution.

As you may have gathered, the procurement of quality essential oils is no small task. Acquiring a knowledgeable source sensitive to the requirements of aromatherapy-grade quality is tantamount. The quality of an essential oil cannot be solely judged by smell or 'feel'; it requires technologies such as gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to reveal the composition of unaltered essential oils. The best quality essential oils are taken from healthy plants organically grown or wild-crafted (ethically), harvested and distilled at just the right time when the essential oils are at their peak. The distillation process alone requires great skill akin to that of a master vintner. Additionally, there is a movement to empower indigenous growers to acquire the technology and skills to produce their own essential oils and therefore reap maximum value from their agricultural products. Suppliers of premium quality (sometimes called 'guaranteed and authentic') essential oils have to have connections worldwide and access to scientific testing. In short, find a supplier you can trust.

For many people this will simply entail finding a trusted aromatherapist. Often this will be a health provider with additional training: doctors, nurses, chiropractors, naturopaths, psychotherapists, estheticians, or bodyworkers. Many will be working in a clinic or spa setting.

Cameron Babberney, RMT is certified by the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy and practices in Austin, Texas. Her specialties include Swedish massage, respiratory massage, shiatsu, Touch for Health (a Western acupressure system), structural bodywork, Zero Balancing, sports massage and essential oil therapy. She may be contacted at cameron@aroma-massage.com. For more detailed information on aromatherapy, essential oils, and massage please visit her web site at http://www.aroma-massage.com.

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