What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy can be defined as the ancient art and science of blending naturally extracted essential oils from aromatic plants, to balance, harmonise and promote the health of body, mind and spirit. Essential oils can only be extracted from aromatic plants, including flowers, leaves, roots, resins, seeds and fruit, with each essential oil having its own unique healing properties.
Aromatherapy comes from the word’s “aroma” fragrance and “therapy” treatment. It was the French perfumer and chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who coined the term “aromatherapie” in 1937 with his publication of a book by that name. Gattefosse’s intention for coining the term was to distinguish the medicinal application of essential oils from their perfumery applications.
Originating from herbal medicine, aromatherapy initially involved only the medicinal use of aromatic substances (essential oils). However, as the practice of aromatherapy has progressed over the years, it has adopted a more holistic approach encompassing the whole of a person’s health, both mental and physical, using a variety of different methods for application, as a therapy in its own right or in conjunction with other treatments and therapies.
Aromatherapy aims to enhance well-being, relieve stress and help in the rejuvenation and regeneration of the human body. It has been used throughout history in various forms of traditional medical practices of the world’s greatest civilisations. Nowadays, aromatherapy is widely accepted by orthodox and complementary practitioners as one of the most comprehensive of the natural therapies.
Here is a video to summarize What is Aromatherapy :
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are aromatic, volatile substances extracted from a single botanical source, by distillation or expression (citrus fruit peel only). When these methods cannot be used successfully e.g. jasmine flowers, solvent extraction is used resulting in ‘absolutes’. Explore different methods of extracting essential oils by clicking here. Essential oils have a very complex chemical composition which may vary from batch to batch, depending on the growing conditions. An essential oil may comprise of hundreds of different chemical compounds, all of which contribute to the characteristic aroma and specific therapeutic properties.
Essential oils are secreted from special glands, ducts or cells in one or several parts of the aromatic plants and from the sap and tissues of certain trees. These natural essences are present in the roots, stems, barks, berries, leaves and/or flowers in varying quantities, and in certain botanical families they are more abundant than in others. The plant uses these essences for many of the same things that we do, such as wound healing, fighting infection and repelling insects. You may therefore often hear them being referred to as the spirit and heart of the plant.
Some essential oils may present safety challenges such as skin and mucous membrane irritation or phototoxicity. Some interact with drugs (e.g. anticoagulants) or might not be suitable for those suffering from epilepsy or pregnant/breastfeeding women or babies, see safety page for more details.
(https://ifaroma.org/en_GB/home/explore_aromatherapy/safety)
How Are Essential Oils Extracted?
Essential oils can be extracted via two key methods: Distillation (includes hydrodistillation) and Expression.
Steam Distillation
The plant material (called the ‘charge’) is placed in a still and then hot steam is passed through it. The heat breaks open the essential oil storage chambers within the charge, releasing the oil into the steam (remember, essential oils are volatile). The steam/oil rise to the top of the still where they enter a condenser – basically, a long spiral pipe surrounded by cold water – which condenses the steam back into its water form. At the end of the condenser, the water and essential oil are collected in a receiver, usually called a ‘Florentine flask’. This specially designed container has two outflows in view of the fact that oil and water don’t mix, i.e. the solution separates into essential oil and hydrolat. Essential oils are usually lighter than water and so will float above it.
Once collected, the lower outflow in the Florentine flask, allows the hydrolat to be drawn off, and since more of this is produced than oil, the process needs to be carried out during distillation to prevent the flask from overflowing.
However, before distillation was invented, ‘expression’ was one of the main methods used to extract essential oils from plants.
Expression
This method was used to extract essences from the citrus family. The rinds of the fruit were literally squeezed by hand until the oil glands burst releasing the oil which was then collected in a sponge. Once saturated, the sponge would be squeezed out into a container.
Nowadays, this method of extraction is carried out using machinery, rather than by hand.
Other methods include Maceration, Solvent Extraction, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extraction.
You may refer to the following website for the detailed processes of Distillation and Expression:
https://ifaroma.org/en_GB/home/explore_aromatherapy/essential-oils/essential-oil-extraction
https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/aromatherapy-extracts-produced-from-plants/
Methods of Application
Essential oils are primarily absorbed into the body in two ways, via the skin or by inhalation via the olfactory system.
The Skin (The Integumentary System)
Essential oils are a complex blend of aromatic molecules with healing
properties. Some of these molecules are so tiny that they have the ability to
pass through the skin and into the bloodstream, which then allows them to
circulate throughout the body, however as these components are very powerful,
the Essential oil is too concentrated to be used directly on the body so they
must be diluted in a vegetable carrier oil or other base before being applied
to the body. Essential oils may be applied to the skin using the following
methods:
- Massage: a base of a suitable carrier oil, cream or lotion is blended with a few drops of either a single essential oil or synergistic blend of essential oils and applied to the body or used to massage the body, allowing the aromatic molecules to penetrate the skin.
- Compresses: a few drops of selected oil(s) are added to a small quantity of water (either warm or cold). A cloth is soaked in the aromatic water then applied to the affected body area to use as a compress.
- Bathing: general bathing, sitz baths, hand or foot baths. A few drops of essential oil(s) are diluted in salts, dispersants, powders or milk. Essential oils can also be added to an unscented shower gel for use in the shower and also to unscented shampoo of natural organic ingredients.
The Respiratory and Olfactory Systems (the sense of
smell)
Aromatic molecules in essential oils are inhaled through the nose and
transmitted, via the olfactory bulb, to the limbic system in the brain. This is
the part of the brain which influences the nervous and hormonal systems, and
which is connected to higher functions such as memory and emotional behaviour.
However, as the aromatic essential oils are breathed in, some of the aromatic
molecules may also be absorbed through the lungs, and ultimately crossing over
into the bloodstream. It is important to remember that each essential oil is
actually a complex blend of many different aromatic molecules. These aromatic
molecules combine together to create a distinctive fragrance and specific
healing properties for each individual oil. Essential oils are inhaled via the
following methods:
- Direct Inhalation: a smelling strip, or a bottle of undiluted essential oil is held about 10cms below the nostrils and several deep in-breaths allow the aromatic molecules to be taken in through the nose up into the limbic brain.
- Dispersion: essential oils are sprinkled or sprayed onto bed linen, furniture, tissues and handkerchiefs, allowing the aromatic molecules to be inhaled. Used as room sprays.
- Evaporation: a few drops of essential oils are combined with water and placed over a safe heat source. Heat causes the volatile aromatic molecules to diffuse into the atmosphere for a subtle form of inhalation. Burning essential oils is an effective way of disinfecting the air and of repelling unwanted insects.
Source : https://ifaroma.org/en_GB/home/explore_aromatherapy
