Overview

Aromatherapy is a unique branch of herbal medicine that uses the medicinal properties found in the essential oils of various plants. The oils exert much of their therapeutic effect through their pharmacological properties and their small molecular size, making them one of the few therapeutic agents to easily penetrate body tissues.

How Aromatherapy Works

The chemical make up of essential oils gives them a host of desirable pharmacological properties ranging from antibacterial, antiviral, and antisposmodic, to use as diuretics, vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Essential oils act on the adrenals, ovaries, and the thyroid and can energize or pacify, detoxify, and facilitate the digestive process. The oils therapeutic properties also make them effective for treating infection, interacting with the various branches of the nervous system, modifying immune response, and harmonizing moods and emotions.

The Physiological Effects of Fragrance

Aroma molecules that interact with the top of the nasal cavity give off signals that are modified by various biological processes before traveling to the limbic system, the emotional switchboard of the brain. There they create impressions associated with previous experiences and emotions. Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance, scientists have learned that oil fragrances may be one of the fastest ways to achieve physiological and psychological effects. Leading researchers in the field of aromatherapy have studied the effects on brain wave patterns when essential oils are inhaled. Their findings show that oils such as orange, jasmine, and rose have a tranquilizing effect and work by altering the brain waves into a rhythm that produces calmness and a sense of well-being. In the same way the so-called "stimulating" oils -- basil, black pepper, rosemary, and cardamom work by producing a heightened energy response. Inhaling the fragrance of certain essential oils can help clear sinuses or free congestion in the chest, as well as alter the neurochemistry of the brain to produce changes in mental and emotional behavior. Even aromas too subtle to be consciously detected can have significant effect on central nervous system activity, sometimes to the point of cutting in half the amount of time needed to perform a visual search task.

Purchasing Essential Oils

While pure, natural essential oils may seem expensive, the smallest amounts will go far, and this makes them cost-effective. In contrast, the effectiveness of lower grade oils and oils that arte diluted, drastically diminished over time due to a loss of their essential properties. The best way to purchase essential oils is from a supplier who specializes in essential aromatherapy oils -- such as Hands On Aromatherapy!