Aromatherapy, what's it all about?
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
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 1920's that the practice got the name "aromatherapy" which was invented by René Maurice Gattefossé, 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 its effects in people is called the 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.
Benefits of aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, like all new age practices, is riding on to successville. Everyone wants to try some yoga or have a massage with scents that will relax not only your body but also your soul. But along with its increasing popularity is the increasing number of questions about the process. What is it about? What makes it work? Is it safe? Does it really calm the nerves and relax the muscles?
Aromatherapy is the practice or use of oil extracts from plants for their medicinal and aromatic benefits in order to improve psychological, spiritual and physical well being. True aromatherapy does not include the use of oils that are only used for fragrance. These are considered unnatural products because they have been tampered with already in the laboratories.
Most think that aromatherapy is a new discovery but the truth is, the practice of using essential oils for medicinal and aromatic purposes has been going on for centuries. It started with the Greeks and the Egyptians, who used a crude distillation process to extract oils from the plants and flowers in the area.
One of the primary benefits of aromatherapy is in the improvement of a person's psychological and mental state. Aromatherapy, they claim, can help relax the mind and get rid of the everyday stress that people suffer from. It can lighten the mood and alleviate stress symptoms such as feelings of depression, heaviness and sadness. Of course, it cannot cure actual psychological problem. And if you are thinking along these terms, you are in for a disappointment. Aromatherapy only helps to alleviate the surface effects of stress but not the underlying causes and psychological problems.
There are also claims that aromatherapy has medicinal purposes and it has but it does not directly cure an illness. It only serves to strengthen the bodies of the person and also calm their fears so that they can better cope with the disease. Aromatherapy can also in easing the feelings of nausea when having an illness. This is especially true with people who are undergoing chemotherapy.
Also, aromatherapy can improve one's immune system, which is a big plus in fighting off diseases and illness.Like with the claims with psychological well being, aromatherapy cannot cure a disease. People who claim otherwise should not be trusted. Aromatherapy indirectly helps but it does not directly cure the problem.
Another benefit that aromatherapy provides in the improvement in common ailments such as indigestion, acne and other skin problems and also PMS and menstruation. The therapy has been known to help stop dysmenorrhea, a condition wherein a person feels pain in the abdominal area due to menstruation.
Essential oils are also used and combined with some hair care formulas because they have been known to keep the hair healthy and shiny. The same goes with skin care.
Aromatherapy can also help in coping and dealing with various emotions. In fact, there are special plant extracts that can be used for this very purpose. Anger for instance can be alleviated by Jasmine, Orange, Roman Chamomile, Rose and Ylang Ylang while anxiety can be dealt with extracts from plants such as Bergamot, Geranium, Cedarwood, Mandarin and Lavender.
Confidence can be improved with a touch of Cypress, Bay Laurel and Rosemary while depression can be alleviated by Clary Sage, Helichrysum, Neroli, Sandalwood, Frankincense and Mandarin.
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