Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician Imhotep recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic fumigation to rid Athens of the plague.
The modern era of aromatherapy is dawned in 1930 when the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy for the therapeutic use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil in healing his burned hand without leaving any scars. He started investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for their psychotherapeutic benefits.
During World War II, the French army surgeon Dr. Jean Valnet used essential oils as antiseptics. Later, Madame Marguerite Maury elevated aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She started prescribing essential oils as a remedy for her patients. She is also credited with the modern use of essential oils in massage
Aromatherapy means "using scents to treat".
The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness.
It is part of the holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant smelling oils such as rose, lemon, lavender, and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. They can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.
Essential oils stimulate the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning. Studies of brain wave frequency have shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. The fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which is associated with a more alert state.
The properties of essential oils:
Some of the oils are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties.
Aldehydes anti-inflammatory,calming, sedative and anti-viral.
Characteristic lemon-like smell, such as lemon grass, lemon balm, citronella, eucalyptus
Bactericidal (kills bacteria), stimulant, energizing, vitalizing, antiviral, diuretic.
Rose, petitgrain, rosewood, peppermint, myrtle, tea tree, sandalwood, patchouli, and ginger
Phenols are strongly bactericidal, tonic, stimulate the immune system, invigorating, warming. Can produce slight liver toxicity if taken high doses for extended periods of time.
Used in lip balms and cough drops. Clove, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, savory, cumin
Cetones (Ketones) wound healing, mucolytic (eases the secretion of mucous), stimulates new cell growth.
Camphor, rosemary, sage, eucalyptus globulus and hyssop
Terpenes are very stimulating, potential skin irritants, anti-viral properties.
Lemon, orange, bergamot, black pepper, pine oils, nutmeg and angelica
Sesquiterpenes anti-phlogistic (moves fluids), anti-inflammatory, sedative, antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, bacteriostatic and immune stimulant
Blue chamomiles, immortelle, tansy, yarrow and tagetes
Esters anti-fungal, sedative, calming, spasmolytic, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory.
Roman chamomile, lavender, clary sage, petitgrain, bergamot
Lactones (part of ester group) anti-inflammatory, mucolytic
arnica, elecampane
Ethers harmonizing to the nervous system. antiseptic, stimulant, expectorant (increases secretions), spasmolytic, and diuretic.
Cinnamon, clove, anise, basil, tarragon, parsley, and sassafras
The modern era of aromatherapy is dawned in 1930 when the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy for the therapeutic use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil in healing his burned hand without leaving any scars. He started investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for their psychotherapeutic benefits.
During World War II, the French army surgeon Dr. Jean Valnet used essential oils as antiseptics. Later, Madame Marguerite Maury elevated aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She started prescribing essential oils as a remedy for her patients. She is also credited with the modern use of essential oils in massage
Aromatherapy means "using scents to treat".
The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness.
It is part of the holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant smelling oils such as rose, lemon, lavender, and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. They can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.
Essential oils stimulate the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning. Studies of brain wave frequency have shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. The fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which is associated with a more alert state.
The properties of essential oils:
Some of the oils are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties.
Aldehydes anti-inflammatory,calming, sedative and anti-viral.
Characteristic lemon-like smell, such as lemon grass, lemon balm, citronella, eucalyptus
Bactericidal (kills bacteria), stimulant, energizing, vitalizing, antiviral, diuretic.
Rose, petitgrain, rosewood, peppermint, myrtle, tea tree, sandalwood, patchouli, and ginger
Phenols are strongly bactericidal, tonic, stimulate the immune system, invigorating, warming. Can produce slight liver toxicity if taken high doses for extended periods of time.
Used in lip balms and cough drops. Clove, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, savory, cumin
Cetones (Ketones) wound healing, mucolytic (eases the secretion of mucous), stimulates new cell growth.
Camphor, rosemary, sage, eucalyptus globulus and hyssop
Terpenes are very stimulating, potential skin irritants, anti-viral properties.
Lemon, orange, bergamot, black pepper, pine oils, nutmeg and angelica
Sesquiterpenes anti-phlogistic (moves fluids), anti-inflammatory, sedative, antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, bacteriostatic and immune stimulant
Blue chamomiles, immortelle, tansy, yarrow and tagetes
Esters anti-fungal, sedative, calming, spasmolytic, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory.
Roman chamomile, lavender, clary sage, petitgrain, bergamot
Lactones (part of ester group) anti-inflammatory, mucolytic
arnica, elecampane
Ethers harmonizing to the nervous system. antiseptic, stimulant, expectorant (increases secretions), spasmolytic, and diuretic.
Cinnamon, clove, anise, basil, tarragon, parsley, and sassafras