So what is Aromatherapy?

As the word Aromatherapy suggests, it is the art of putting in use the essential oils obtained from aromatic plants and herbs to get the remedial effect and improvement of beauty and well being of the individuals. Prior to 1920s nobody was aware of the term Aromatherapy as such. A French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé accidentally discovered the healing properties of essential oils and coined the term Aromatherapy later on.

Actual history of the use of the essential oils can be traced back to ancient Egyptians and Indians. Egyptians used the essential oils to embalm the dead bodies while Indians and some other civilizations used the essential oils to get the remedial effects against pain relief with great success. There are many ways to extract essential oils from the plants, but the most popular method being distillation through alcohol, as this is a very simple method and alcohol is freely available.

The application of aromatherapy mainly practiced in three ways:
1. by inhalation
2. by topical application and
3. by oral intake

Inhalation is the fastest to react and provide the necessary remedial effect for the respiratory disinfection, decongestion and expectoration etc. The molecules of the volatile essential oils get in contact with the olfactory nerves located in the upper part of the inner nose. After that these molecules are carried to the brain in the limbic system. Limbic system of the brain remains always in contact with the part of the brain which controls rate of heart beats, blood pressure, breathing, hormonal balance and stress level control etc. The molecules cause the secretion of certain biochemicals to affect our mood, state of mind or trigger the remedial effect. To get the best results from the inhaling method the essential oils are either spread on a tissue or added to the water for bath or defused in a vaporizer.

Topical application is used for the general massage, baths, compresses, therapeutic skin care, rectal, vaginal interfaces for infection, congestion, parasites etc. Most of the essential oils are not greasy and gets readily absorbed by the skin. The route of the absorption is usually through the hair follicles and sweat gland openings from there they travel to the blood stream and reach to the affected part of the body. These oils not only kill the viruses and the bacteria but at the same time they strengthen the immune system of the body to prevent further attack and start a speedy recovery process. Each essential oil has distinct set of properties and benefits. The essential oils are applied to the skin always in diluted form since the application of raw essential oil can harm you. The dilution is achieved by mixing appropriate quantity of raw essential oil in carrier oil. It is always better for the people with delicate or sensitive skin to test the reactivity of the essential oils before starting the application.

Oral intake is practiced rarely as some of the essential oils are toxic in nature and besides that intake of raw oils may harm you therefore it is advisable that if you are going to opt for the oral intake, then it should be done under the expert supervision only. Generally oral application of the essential oils is done for the problems relating to the denture and gums and the oils used are clove, tea tree, myrrh, thyme and peppermint.

There are host of benefits from the aromatherapy which you can avail during your normal day to day life. First of them is the aromatherapy bath, it is a very pleasant and soothing way to relax your tired and overstressed bodies. The essential oil present in the water cleans up the pores of the skin and allows it to breathe naturally and relaxes the muscles too. The next inline is the aromatherapeutic massage it doubles up the benefit of the massage and aromatherapy. The massage revitalizes and stimulates the organs while the essential oil gets penetrated deep inside into the blood stream to clear the toxins out.

There is one more plus point of aromatherapy; it does not offer any side effect as compared to the conventional medications. May be that is the reason more and more people are coming under aromatherapy. Its popularity has grown to immensely in the recent time so as it has been accepted as one of the alternative medicine in many countries.

If you have not tried it yet, then you are really missing something. So give it a try today.

Leanne Kemp is the Managing Director for Wotaboutme. Look online to find a day spa, haircut, aromatherapy massage anywhere in Australia. Perfect for gifts for him or gifts for her. For updates, check out the Wotaboutme Blog