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essential oils (they number hundreds) to choose from, from the well known to the more exotic including:

- Rose (rosa damascena)
- Lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
- Lemon (citrus limon)
- Sandalwood (santalum album)
- Ylang Ylang (cananga odorata)
- Pine (pinus sylvestris)
- Myrrh (commiphora myrrha)
- Fennel (foeniculum vulgare)

Every day, various forms of aromatherapy' surround us, perhaps some subconsciously. Soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, cleaning products and food additions all use aromatherapy products, albeit commercialized', i.e. they have often been adulterated from their natural form. Some companies in the Far East pipe essential oils through their buildings in an effort to keep employees happy and healthy.

Aromatherapy, as well as being used in massage, can also be used in other therapies such as reflexology, acupuncture and chiropractic. Essential oils are the core practice of aromatherapy. They can affect mood, reduce anxiety, prompt relaxation and alleviate fatigue. They can be calming, soothing, stimulating or invigorating, depending on which oils are selected. If inhaled, they stimulate the olfactory nerves and work on the brain and nervous system.

Essential oils can be combined together to produce different effects. This produces what is known as a synergistic blend of oils, personally adjusted' to help your particular ailment. In short, using aromatherapy can produce varying results, and thus an experienced and trained aromatherapist is skilled in producing a unique blend of essential oils to cater to a specific need.

Using Aromatherapy

The use of essential oils in aromatherapy can be used in various ways:

- inhalation
- massage
- lotions and oils
- compresses
- baths
- neat (if used by an experienced aromatherapist)

Aromatherapy may be useful in helping the following, by no means exhaustive, list:

Stress, headaches, asthma, arthritis, depression, burns, pregnancy related problems, childhood ailments, PMT, coughs and colds, circulation problems, back problems, the menopause, skin problems, insect repellents, sleep problems and bites.

It can also be used in various ways around the home from air fresheners to household cleaning; it can be used in beauty treatments.

Aromatherapy can be used if old or young, mother or child. Gaining advice from an experienced aromatherapist is best if unsure about the effects of aromatherapy. This is particularly important in the use with children and mothers-to-be, as quantities may be reduced and, in some cases, certain oils should only be used with care, or not at all. The elderly may wish to reduce the amount of essential oil used in lotions and oils also.

Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy used alongside conventional medicine. Used correctly, essential oils are extremely beneficial and relatively risk free.

Aromatherapy is extremely popular, being one of the fastest growing complementary therapies in the UK. There is now a market for aromatherapy candles, soaps, diffusers, pillows and other incidentals in addition to the more traditional massage oils and lotions.

Using aromatherapy in your every day life will only enrich you and make you feel better. After all, it has been around for thousands of years

References:

Oxford 1999 The Concise Oxford Dictionary 10th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999: 73, 1486.

Price, Shirley 2000 Aromatherapy Workbook. Rev. Edn. London: Thorsons

Learn more about this author, Sharon Falsetto.
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