What is Aromatherapy?

What is aromatherapy has often been asked through the ages. Aromatherapy is the science of using pure essential oils extracted from grasses, flower petals, seeds, fruit rinds, buds, resins, bark, leaves, stems, roots or rhizomes. Essential oils are responsible for the scents emitted by plants. The body’s emotional and physical well-being benefits from the use of aromatherapy products which help to restore physical and emotional balance. Aromatherapy is also the use of essential oils mixed with base or carrier oils used in many everyday products. Modern research indicates certain essential oils and herbs used in aromatherapy have therapeutic and healing properties. The most commonly used essential oils are those that can improve your emotional state, aid in relaxation or make you feel better.

Aromatherapy began in ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Rome and other ancient cultures. The word aromatherapy was not used until the 20th Century. Dr. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, coined the word aromatherapy in an article he wrote in 1928 where he supports the use of essential oils for their potential healing and therapeutic properties. Dr. Gattefosse is known as the father of modern aromatherapy.

Does the concept of aromatherapy conjure up the idea of a mystic art? It is more than this. Smell is one of the most basic and most potent of all human instincts. Scent is an unseen power that strongly influences our lives. How we respond to scent varies from person to person. Common helpful essential oils include lavender, peppermint, vanilla, sandalwood and ylang-ylang, among others.

Aromatherapy can make a big difference in your life. You can learn how to use it for body, hair and skin care, for creating personal perfumes and fragrances, for first-aid treatments, for relaxation, for maintaining or improving health, for boosting immunity and for reducing stress. Once you begin learning and experimenting in the world of aromatherapy, you will come to appreciate essential oils for the value they can add to your daily life.
 
Aromatherapy thus, is the use of scented oils in holistic healing to restore the emotional and physical balance of the human body.