Contemporary healers, therapists, and marketing gurus are grabbing hold of a marvel that insects and animals instinctively deduce: the power of aroma.

A Brief History of Aromatherapy

The ancestry of aromatherapy goes back to over 4,000 years. The early Egyptians used aromatic botanicals for massage, embalming, medicine, and cosmetics.

Hippocrates may have been the elementary aromatherapy spokesman 2,000 years ago. He would regularly tout the benefits of aromatic massage for physical and stirring well being.

In the 10th century, the Arabian world invented the process of distillation, which allowed more efficient extraction of essential oils.

For centuries, cultures around the globe inhaled aromas, drank potions, and wore aromatic amulets to safeguard them from harm.

In the early 1900s, France and England attempted to reintroduce these ancient remedies and relief them gain acceptance in the augmented traditional medical community. This trend continues in France today. Numerous French doctors prescribe aromatic remedies, pharmacies stock essential oils, and insurance companies pay for the treatment.

How Can Aromatherapy Help Me?

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to manage ailments. These conditions range from physical conditions to sensitive problems. From headaches to herpes. Dry skin to acne. Arthritis to asthma.

The essential oils of aromatherapy are extracted from aromatic plants and herbs: from the flower, bark, root, twig, seed, berry, rhizome, or leaves (generally through a process of steam distillation.) These oils may be inhaled or massaged into the skin, after combining

with a vegetable, nut or seed oil.

Massage with essential oils is most commonly used to alleviate skin ailments and muscle pain or tension. Lavender, orange, marjoram, and chamomile are particularly effective aromas in the use of massage. Essential oils can be inhaled with the relief of a vaporizer, an electric diffuser or an aroma lamp.

How Does Aromatherapy work?

Our sense of smell is deeper complex than you might think. Your nose incorporates thousands of olfactory nerves. While your tongue has the proficiency to taste sweet, sour, salt, and bitter, it is your sense of smell that creates all the delightful flavors you encounter.

The olfactory bulb is part of the limbic system in your brain. The limbic system is not under conscious manage. It also controls digestion, libido, and emotions, so it is not your creativity that scents evoke emotion. Aromas actually trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that establish a feeling of well being. Scientists say a typical response to an aroma takes just four seconds.

Which Essential Oils Are Right for You?

Essential oils are obtainable in natural and synthetic forms. Natural essential oils are not oils but non oily, non water soluble substances, which dissolve in alcohol and combine with true oils. Pure, natural essential oils may be as much as 70 times deeper potent than the plant source itself.

Some synthetics are derived from natural products. The exact formulation of an essential oil is virtually impossible to reproduce in the laboratory. Even the smallest variation can produce significant changes its ramification.

Some synthetic oils fall into the category of artificial fragrances, entirely made of petroleum products. These products generally do not produce the same therapeutic effects as essential oils.

Each essential oil is comprised of contrary hormones and vitamins, which combine to create opposed effects. Furthermore, the effects of each essential oil can vary depending

on the botanical species and where it is grown. The effects of particular aromas can also vary among cultures and individuals, so the results of aromatherapy are not universal. Still, aromatherapists have developed a roster of scents with relatively predictable effects:

Listed below are some common uses for aromatherapy:

Aphrodisiacs

Jasmine, ylang ylang, patchouli

Energizers

Lemon, basil, bergamot, sweet orange, peppermint, eucalyptus, tangerine

PMS

Cedarwood, clary sage, fennel, geranium, nerali, Roman chamomile

Relaxation

Lavender, myrrh, cardamom, cedarwood, German chamomile, clary sage, frankincense

There you have it! Please give aromatherapy a try and watch it improve your existence.