History of Aromatherapy

History of Aromatherapy- - Sandhya Bhat

Use of plant oils, essences and extracts dates back several centuries. Arts, writings and other references from some of world’s most ancient civilizations such as Indian, Chinese, Persian, Egyptian etc. show that plant oils and essences were used and valued by healers as well as spiritual leaders (due to their energetic influences). For example ancient Egyptians were known to have used oils such as clove, eucalyptus and lavender to treat skin disorders. They were very known to have used various aromatic oils and essences for medical (healing) and cosmetic purposes. Also, when Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened, it contained many scent pots filled with exquisite essential oils such as of Frankincense and Myrrh.

Since ancient times, plant essences have been used for healing thru various means. The benefits of these essences have been experienced thru incense (refer- www.incenseandaromatherapy.com for more information on the use of incense in aromatherapeutic healing), perfumes and aromatic water, embalming ointments and culinary uses. There are many references in the bible to various plant essences and oils as well as their usage in healing rituals. These essences and oils were also used for their effect on the general sense of well-being.

The distillation process of obtaining essential oils has been used even before the 11^th. century. It was in the 11^th. century that a Persian philosopher called Avicenna reworked and finessed the distillation process to obtain purer oils of much superior quality. This Aromatherapeutic usage of plant essences and oils was probably introduced to Europe by the Romans. In 1957, a German physician Hieronymus Braunschweig is known to have published a list of 25 essential oils and their corresponding uses.

The term “Aromatherapy” was coined in much recent times by the French Chemist, Rene Gattefosse. He had an accident in his laboratory, where he badly burned his hand and to cool the skin and diminish the pain, he is said to have dipped his hand in a small vat of lavender essential oil. He was amazed at the speedy recovery of the burn as well as the fact that the skin healed very well with minimal scars. This also led him to study the “healing properties” of lavender and other “aromatic” plant essences oils, thus giving birth to “Aromatherapy” as we know it today.

Few other notable contributors in the modern Aromatherapy include two other French men- Goddissart who is known to have treated wounds, skin cancers and gangrene by using essential oils with a good success rate. The other French man is Dr. Jean Valnet is known to have used essential oils to heal wounds and reduce scarring in World War II. He later published his work and findings in 1964.

Hydrosols and Aromatic Waters

Hydrosols and Aromatic Waters – Sandhya Bhat

            Hydrosol is a term commonly used in chemistry to mean a water solution. It comes from Latin- hydro meaning water and sol which is shortened from solution. Even though in a chemical context, hydrosol could mean any aqueous solution; in the aromatherapy context it means a “water solution” of the aromatic plant- plant extracts which produced during the steam distillation process of obtaining aromatic essential oils.

             Hydrosols have several uses. Since they contain the water soluble components extracted from the plants during the steam distillation process as well as trace amounts of the essential oils; they exhibit several therapeutic properties of the corresponding essential oils. Some hydrosols such as Rose ‘or’ Neroli (Orange Blossoms) can act as an authentic but cheaper alternative or substitute for their very expensive essential oil counterparts.

            Do note that there is a difference between Hydrosols and aromatic waters. As noted earlier; hydrosols are water solutions and are also called as hydrolates, hydrolats, and floral waters or plant waters. They are the condensate water that is coproduced during the steam or hydro distillation of plant material for aromatherapeutic purposes. Hence hydrosols contain a “water extract” of the plant material. Aromatic water on the other hand is obtained by adding essential oils to water to produce fragrant (aromatic) water. Keeping in mind that oil and water do not mix- in order to make aromatic water one needs to shake this compound solution constantly and allow it to remain mixed for a considerable length of time to obtain aromatic water with any significant fragrance. Otherwise, one would note that the water stays at the bottom and the essential oil floats to the top. It needs to be noted that commercially available aromatic waters contain emulsifiers which helps to keep the oil and water blended together.

            Unlike hydrosols which is a by-product produced during the extraction of essential oil during steam distillation; aromatic waters are fairly easy to prepare on one’s own and hence also a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hydrosols.

            Such therapeutic waters can be used to-

• Ø  Cool a hot skin which is inflamed due to heat or hot flashes.
• Ø  Soothe skin which is inflamed from excessive heat and/or sunburn.
• Ø  Freshen up any room space.
• Ø  Spritz on face to set make up. Spritz on finger nails to encourage healthy growth of nails.
• Ø  Can be added to face packs and other such beautifying recipes which call for use of water as one of the key hydrating ingredient.
• Ø  Sprayed on clothes during ironing to infuse them with mild aroma.

            Care and precautions during hydrosols usage- One should take all the safety measures and precautions for hydrosol usage that one would for their corresponding essential oil. For further details note the section on Safety and Contraindications. In addition note that fresh hydrosol which has been produced in a clean distilled environment would be pure and free of bacteria. To preserve its quality and ensure its effectiveness; hydrosols should be kept in the refrigerator and used in the year of distillation. It is always advisable to use fresh hydrosols in hygiene and skin care. Older hydrosols could be used as room fresheners.

            Keeping in mind that there are many fake and adulterous aromatherapeutic products commercially available- it becomes imperative that one carefully chooses a product which has been manufactured by an authentic source and has been obtained by natural means in an environmentally friendly method of preparation.

           

Some special uses of certain commonly available hydrosols are-

German Chamomile	It has an emotionally calming effect on the mind and anti-inflammatory and soothing effect which externally applied to an irritated skin.
Roman Chamomile	It tends to behave like a psychic soother and like German Chamomile exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect; and can be used on dry, inflamed and/or sensitive skin.
Lavender	It has a very pleasing effect on the mind and helps in relieving stress and mental fatigue. Within skin care; it has a gentle, balancing and cooling effect on all skin types and is especially beneficial (helpful) for oily skin. It also aids in cooling and healing burned and/or irritated skin.
Orange Blossom	Mentally this floral water exhibits an uplifting and aphrodisiac effect and physically it has a gentle hydrating effect on the skin.
Rose	Rose floral water helps in easing nervousness and mental strain. It also has an aphrodisiac effect. Physically it is very tonifying for all skin types and hence usually used in several skin care products such as toners, after shave and bath splash.

Healing with Aroma (power point presentation)

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The slides write-up:


Slide 1:

Healing with Aroma

Sandhya Bhat

contact@healingartanddesign.com

www.NaturalHealingChoices.com

Please note that this presentation, its content including art work is © 2010 Sandhya Bhat, and may not be reproduced in whole or part without explicit written permission.

Slide 2:

History of Aromatherapy

Since ancient times, plant essences have been used for healing thru various means. The benefits of these essences have been experienced thru-

Ø Incense (refer- IncenseAndAromatherapy.com for more information on the use of incense in aromatherapeutic healing)

Ø Perfumes

Ø Aromatic water

Ø Embalming ointments

Ø Culinary uses

Ø

The term “Aromatherapy” was coined in much recent times by the French Chemist, Rene Gattefosse. 

Slide 3:

Apprehension for Aromatherapy

Ø Several medical professionals in the U.S.A. and England suppose that while pleasant scents can be relaxing, lowering stress and offering related effects, there is insufficient scientific proof of the effectiveness of aromatherapy.

Ø Scientific research on the cause and effect of aromatherapy is limited, although in-vitro testing has revealed some antibacterial and antiviral effects.

Ø Some benefits that have been linked to aromatherapy, such as relaxation and clarity of mind, are quite subjective and may arise from the placebo effect.

Slide 4:

Common Aromatic Sources

Ø Bark

Ø Flowers

Ø Fruits

Ø Leaves and Twigs

Ø Resins

Ø Roots, Rhizomes and Bulbs

Ø Seeds

 Woods

Slide 5:

Essential Oils

An essential oil is any concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants, which are called aromatic herbs or aromatic plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove.

Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction.

Slide 6:

Carrier Oils

Carrier oils are used to dilute the strong and concentrated essential oils.

Common carrier oils are-

Ø Apricot Kernel Oil

Ø Avocado Oil

Ø Grape Seed Oil

Ø Hemp Seed Oil

Ø Jojoba Oil

Ø Sweet Almond Oil

Ø Grape Seed Oil

Slide 7:

Safety and Contraindications

Care should be taken while using essential oils, if one is also suffering from the conditions on which the oils have an adverse effect.

A qualified and experienced Aromatherapist along with your family physician should be able to give you a clear advice on their usage.

Always check to assure that the essential oil you wish to use does not have any known safe-usage issues and is not going to have any contraindications with any of your other medications (allopathic or holistic).

Slide 8:

Essential Waters

Herbal distillates are aqueous solutions or colloidal suspensions (hydrosols) of essential oils usually obtained by steam distillation from aromatic plants or herbs. These herbal distillates are used as flavorings, medicine and in skin care.

Herbal distillates go by many other names including floral waters, hydrosols, hydrolates, herbal waters, toilet waters, aqua vitae and essential water.

Herbal distillates are produced in the same manner as essential oils. However, the essential oil will float to the top of the distillate where it is removed, leaving behind the watery distillate.

Slide 9:

Classification of Fragrance

Aroma or fragrance is classified in two ways. One method that is used is to classify fragrance according to origin of the scent- i.e. if the origin is from a type of plant (plant part) or animal.  E.g. Woody scents, Earthy scents, Spicy scents etc.

The second method, which was devised by the Chinese, is where a fragrance is classified according to six scent groups which in turn were named as per the type of emotion that was stirred up when their corresponding incense was lighted. E.g. Tranquility incense, Beauty incense, Luxury incense etc.

Slide 10:

Healing Common Ailments

Aromatherapeutic healing is considered a very gentle and non-intrusive means of healing and is supposed to be suitable for people from all age-groups.

In addition to successfully addressing and relieving chronic long-term conditions; essential oils are also supposed to exhibit preventative measures for certain conditions.

One of Aromatherapy’s most known and noted benefits is in the use of essential oils to relax and rejuvenate people i.e. in reducing stress and relieving stress related conditions such as anxiety, hypertension, insomnia and depression.

Slide 11:

Common Uses for Aromatherapy

Within Health and Healing-

Ø Relaxation and Rejuvenation

Ø Stress Relief

Ø Therapeutic Massage

Within Personal Beauty and Grooming-

ØPersonal beauty (in face packs, facial steams etc.)

Ø Perfumes and fragrances

ØLotions, bath and body oils

Within Home and Garden-

Ø Room diffuser and sprays

Ø Insect and bug repellents

Ø Linen spray

Slide 12:

Common Methods of Utilizing Aromatherapy

Ø Essential Oil Diffusers

Ø Potpourri

Ø Incense

Ø Sprays and Atomizers

Ø Creams and Lotions

Ø Bath and Body Oils

Ø Culinary Uses

Ø

Essential oils are added to various carrier substances to enhance the beneficial and healing qualities. E.g. to face packs, facial steams, culinary usages etc.

Slide 13:

Integration with other Healing Modalities

Ø with Herbal Healing (e.g. lavender tea)

Ø with Reflexology and Massage Therapy (use of aromatherapeutic oils)

Ø with Ayurveda (essential oils are used in accordance to the Ayurvedic healing principles)

Ø with Healing Foods (e.g. jasmine tea)

Ø with Chakra Therapy (essential oils contain within them various Chakra energies)

Ø with Color and Sound Therapy (essential oils exhibit a special vibrational synchronization with specific colors as well as specific music notes)