How Aromatherapy works

The practice of aromatherapy involves using more than just the aroma /smell of certain plant oils for the mind and body. It is concerned with getting essential oils into the body in order to alter body chemistry, support the body system and improve moods and emotions. Massaging oil into the skin does this most effectively. So, to know how aromatherapy works, it is necessary to consider the main channels through which the essential oil enters the body in a beneficial way.

The practice of aromatherapy involves using more than just the aroma /smell of certain plant oils for the mind and body. It is concerned with getting essential oils into the body in order to alter body chemistry, support the body system and improve moods and emotions. Massaging oil into the skin does this most effectively. So, to know how aromatherapy works, it is necessary to consider the main channels through which the essential oil enters the body in a beneficial way. When applied to the skin, essential oils start to work immediately on the body tissue. The molecules of the oils are so small that they can be absorbed through the pores of the skin and into the bloodstream, by which they are carried to every part of the body.

When inhaled, the aroma molecules first dissolve in the moisture of nasal passages /tissues and are then passed on by specialized olfactory nerve cells to the
Hypothalamus Hippocampus in the brain. The passage of the smell going to the Hypothalamus is significant because this tiny organ, also known as the brain’s brain is responsible for regularizing dozens of basic functions, including temperature, thirst, hunger, blood sugar level, growth, sleeping, waking, sexual arousal and emotions such as anger and happiness. To smell anything is to send an immediate message to the Hypothalamus and then to the whole body. There are a few different types of essential oil diffusers for large space that can deliver instant aromatherapy to throughout your body. Nebulizing diffusers atomize essential oils by breaking them up into smaller particles that can be evenly distributed in the air.

At the same time, the message of an order goes to the brain’s limbic systems which process emotions; smell reaching the limbic system can directly affect our moods, emotions and improve mental alertness and concentration. It also affects an area called the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, which is why Smell brings back past memories so vividly.

Benefits: Aromatherapy benefits people rather than illnesses. It is gentle enough to be used by people of all ages and state of health. It is nurturing for babies and children and offers comfort and care to the elderly. Pregnant women and even seriously ill patients, with cancer or AIDS, can benefit from professional treatment. Aromatherapy is not recommended as a cure for any diseases. Its most potent effect is that it relaxes mind and body, relieves pain and restores the body system to a state of balance in which healing can best take place. It is also most effective as a preventive or to alleviate sub-clinical symptoms before they escalate into the disease. The therapy has shown to be particularly effective in preventing and treating stress and anxiety-related disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, muscular and rheumatic irregularities, menopausal complaints, insomnia, and depression. One benefit some essential oils have is improving hair health.

Aromatherapy is a safe, natural treatment that can benefit everyone, no matter what the age or state of health. Today essential oils are collected from all over the world and science is confirming their usefulness. They can be used to treat a broad spectrum of conditions including physical, mental and psychosomatic stress problems. Research has shown that smelling them alone has the power to alter one’s state of mind. Orange flower is a wonderful remedy for anxiety, worry or insomnia; Rose is soothing for stress and depression and can alleviate hangovers; Basil, Rosemary and Patchouli stimulate mental clarity, concentration and memory.

Many oils have excellent antiseptic and anti-bactericidal properties and have been known to kill bacteria on contact in laboratory trials. The application of essential oils of
Chamomile and Lavender to infected wounds has a more powerful antiseptic effect than phenol – one of the strongest man-made disinfectants. Eucalyptus sprayed into the air in sick rooms has been known to disinfect it and to have a therapeutic preventive effect.