Aromatherapy is the use of 100% natural, whole, unadulterated, aromatic botanical plant materials for the benefits of mind, body, and spiritual health.
This is a branch of phytotherapy (plant therapy) that uses essential oils for holistic wellness to focus on the well-being of the whole person.
Aromatherapy is practiced through the skilled and controlled use of essential oils for physical and emotional health and well-being.
In its most simple definition, aromatherapy is “the study of scent”.
True aromatherapy embraces the whole essential oil and the sum of all the constituents acting together, instead of isolating a single component that is known to be effective in the oil.
Often when one component is isolated from the whole essential oil, the component loses its functional benefits. Some of the most functional parts of essential oils are in the unidentified components.
We recognize the action of synergy within the essential oil including the major and minor components that make up the fingerprint of the essential oil.
This is another reason why quality cannot be compromised in aromatherapy. How Do Essential Oils Affect the Mind?
How Do Essential Oils Affect the Mind?
Smell is the strongest link to the subconscious, and we retain memories for a very long time.
Every time we smell something, the chemical components move through the nose and send information about what we smell to the olfactory bulb at the back of the nose.
When inhaled, or applied to the skin in a diluted form, these components travel through the circulatory system and are carried throughout the body.
The olfactory nerves are directly connected to the limbic system, which houses all of our sensory experiences, memories, emotions, pleasure, instincts, etc.
The limbic system is the center for our emotions, and therefore, affects our emotional behavior.
The most interesting part is that the olfactory response is nearly instantaneous.
Through the use of essential oils in aromatherapy, we can affect this emotional behavior.
How Do Essential Oils Affect the Body?
Essential oils are made up of tiny molecules that are easily absorbed when applied to the skin.
Essential oils do not dissolve in water, but they do bind with natural body fats and oils in our skin to be absorbed, enter the lymphatic system, and circulate throughout our body in our blood.
Many properties of essential oils can have an impact on our bodies.
Different chemical compounds in essential oils can act by calming muscle spasms, soothing irritated skin, influencing mood, reducing bacterial infections, stimulating blood flow and releasing congestion in the lungs.