Aromatherapy

Healing with Nature's Scents

Close your eyes and picture yourself strolling through a formal rose garden on a warm June day. The air is still, and the intensely lush, sensuous perfume from hundreds of full-blown blooms utterly envelopes you.

Scene change.

Now you're deep within the bosom of an aromatic pine forest. Each step you take crushes pine needles under your feet, releasing even more crisp, invigorating fragrance as you walk.

How did those two mind-strolls make you feel?

According to those who practice the art of aromatherapy, the answer, quite likely, is "quite different."

The scent of roses, for example, is thought by aromatherapists to be soothing and spiritually uplifting. In contrast, pine is known for its stimulating, revitalizing qualities.

NATURE IN A BOTTLE

Aromatherapy takes the soothing or energizing powers of scent one step further. Pure essential oils are distilled from plants, which are then inhaled or applied to the skin in various ways. Aromatherapists believe that each essential oil possesses unique healing qualities, and they recommend the oils for everything from arthritis and high blood pressure to fluid retention and cellulite, among numerous other health concerns. Essential oils are utilized in various forms--diffused into the air and inhaled, added to the bath, applied (during massage) or incorporated into compresses, creams and lotions.

And though the roots of aromatherapy are ancient, it took a twentieth-century French chemist named René-Maurice Gattefossé to coin the term aromatherapie and spark the development of aromatherapy as a healing art.

While working for his family's perfume company, Gattefossé learned the hard way that essential oils had healing powers when he plunged his badly burned hand into a vat of pure lavender oil. His hand healed within hours, unscarred and uninfected, prompting Gattefossé to begin exploring the use of essential oils in dermatology and cosmetics.

FOR WOMEN, AN EMOTIONAL LINK

Almost everyone can benefit from using essential oils, according to Michael Scholes, president of Michael Scholes School of Aromatic Studies in Los Angeles and author of Aromatherapy Pocket Guide, who holds a degree in advanced aromatherapy from the Bretland School in London.

But, Scholes notes, "Ninety-five percent of the people I train to practice aromatherapy are women, possibly because aromatherapy makes such sense to them and because it's so familiar. Historically, there's a connection between women and plants and between women and aromatherapy."

According to aromatherapist Joan Clark, Scholes' partner and vice-president of Michael Scholes School of Aromatic Studies, aromatherapy can help women stimulate the process of emotional healing.

"Lots of women aren't taking the time for themselves that they should," says Clark. "Especially business women who may feel the need to put forth lots of male energy and sublimate their essential feminine natures. When a woman like this comes in for an aromatherapy session, she gets the undivided time and attention of a therapist who anoints her body with essential oils that make her feel wonderful. That alone is a very powerful healing tool."

What is it about the essential oils that stimulate a woman's emotional healing?

"True essential oils, as opposed to the lifeless synthetic compounds that comprise most commercial fragrances, are distilled from plants and flowers--living creations that have energy," says Clark. "When you use essential oils with aromas that please you, their energy can stimulate and uplift you, or relax and calm you, based on your needs."

"Most of the women who see me want a natural antidote for stress and insomnia, and some ask me for aromatherapy to help boost their energy," says Francois Michel, founder of the American Society of Aromatherapy and aromatherapy instructor at Temple University in Philadelphia. "When a client consults me, I interview her carefully to determine her needs and lifestyle. Then I can create a personalized blend of essential oils that helps her feel better."

SCIENCE OR FOLKLORE?

If you're wondering exactly how various aromas can alleviate disease, so are plenty of other people. Does it work? Is there any proof to the health claims?

Getting science to back the benefits of aromatherapy is tricky. To show that a drug (or treatment) works, scientists rely on carefully controlled double-blind studies--that is, they test two identical drugs (or treatments): a fake one and the real thing. The fake (placebo) drug must be undistinguishable from the real drug; neither the researcher nor the individuals tested can know who gets which, to minimize the power of suggestion.

For attempts to test aromatherapy oils, that presents a real problem. The oils by nature are readily distinguishable by their aromas, according to
J. R. King, associate fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. So, according to scientists, good research on aromatherapy is hard to find.

"Most of the information you read about aromatherapy's benefits is based on folklore," says Susan Knasko, Ph.D., an environmental psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. "There just isn't a lot of scientific research to back it up."

"But that's not to say that if aromatherapy were studied, it wouldn't show some benefits," adds Dr. Knasko. "For example, there's a handful of studies on the effect of odor on mood. And although there are a lot of conflicting results, it seems that in general, pleasant odors tend to put people in a good mood while unpleasant odors tend to put people in a bad mood."

One way aromatherapy may be beneficial is by making your everyday experience more pleasant, says Dr. Knasko. "Anything that makes your environment more pleasant seems to be good for you emotionally," she continues. "Therefore, aromatherapy has the potential to be an effective stress-buster. Scenting a room with a pleasing fragrance, taking a warm bath with a scent you especially like, choosing music that relaxes you and lighting that soothes you--these are techniques that can help you gain control over a stressful environment." And, she adds, exercising control over a stressor or even just thinking that you have control over it can be an excellent way to combat the negative effects of stress.

OILS AGAINST STRESS

For general relaxation, renewed energy or stress relief, aromatherapy is easily learned at home. Essential oils can be added to your bath, diluted in a carrier oil (a neutral, nonaromatic oil) and used in massage, applied to hankies or compresses, placed on lightbulb fragrance rings or used in special aromatherapy diffusers. You can also put a few drops of oil in a bucket of hot water and place the bucket in the tub when you shower.

"The best way to familiarize yourself with aromatherapy is to read up on the subject, learn about the healing properties of the major essential oils and learn how to put its stress-balancing benefits to work for you," says Jane Buckle, R.N., a certified aromatherapist and aromatherapy teacher in England and author of Clinical Aromatherapy in Nursing.

Though scores of different essential oils are used for therapeutic effect, here are the ones aromatherapists say that they most frequently use as stress-busters.

Basil: nature's nerve tonic. Aromatherapists call basil a natural nerve tonic. Try mixing one to five drops of pure essential oil in a thimbleful of alcohol such as vodka before mixing with four ounces of distilled water in a clean spray bottle (usually in housewares departments or drugstores). Store in the refrigerator. Shake well and, avoiding your eyes, spritz it on your skin as a refreshing pick-me-up. Or mix pure essential oil with a thimbleful of milk and add it to your bath.

Clarysage: the mood elevator. Clarysage oil is "an absolutely brilliant confidence restorer and mood elevator," says Buckle. Don't mix it with alcohol, however.

Geranium: the hormonal balancer. One to five drops of geranium makes a delightful accompaniment when added to your bath or mixed into your lotion. Aromatherapists say it can help balance mood swings and ease depression, premenstrual syndrome and irregular or painful periods.

Lavender: the insomniac's friend. Considered one of the most important of the essential oils, aromatherapists believe lavender has relaxing effects that can calm anxiety and help you sleep. They believe lavender has painkilling properties. Use it for massage, inhalation or in the bath.

Roman chamomile: for bad dreams or bad moods. Aromatherapists praise the scent of chamomile for its effects as a mild sedative and antidepressant. Used during a massage or a bath, on compresses or diffused, you might even try it to relieve nightmares or stall your toddler's tantrum. If you're allergic to ragweed, avoid chamomile--they're closely related.

Sweet orange: an emotional pick-me-up. "To lift your spirits, try a few drops of oil of sweet orange in a bath, or blend it with lavender for an emotional boost," says Michel.

GROUND RULES

For best results, Buckle advises following these simple rules when using aromatherapy at home.

Dilute your oils. Always dilute essential oils before applying them to the skin, says Buckle. She suggests blending essential oils with a cold-pressed carrier oil such as grapeseed oil, available in some health food stores.

Beware the sun. Some oils, like bergamot, angelica root and all essential oils obtained from citrus peels, can cause phototoxicity. That means that using them on skin exposed to sunlight might cause a rash or burning sensation. Never apply essential oils to exposed skin when you're going to be out in the sun.

Please don't drink the oil. Never take essential oils internally except under the guidance of a qualified health care professional. Many are toxic.

Talk to your doctor. If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment or you are taking any medication, check with your doctor before using essential oils--they could interact with your treatment.

Store your oils in a safe place. Essential oils are concentrated substances and should be treated like medicines. So store them as you would any medicine--out of the reach of children. And keep in mind that vials are not childproof. "Even one teaspoon of eucalyptus oil, for example, could be fatal to a child," notes Buckle.