Aromatherapy

Essential oils derived from plants are said to have different therapeutic properties. Some are calming, others stimulating and uplifting. Such oils have been used for healing and relaxation by many cultures for thousands of years. Myrrh and frankincense are mentioned in the Bible and the ancient Egyptians used oils to embalm the dead. So how can it be made to work for you?

A few drops of essential oil can be either added to a vegetable carrier oil for a relaxing massage or placed in a vaporiser (a bowl of water warmed over a candle) to scent a room. Six or eight drops added to a warm bath may also encourage relaxation. Medicinal oils like eucalyptus or peppermint can be added to a bowl of steaming hot water for inhalation, or placed on a tissue or handkerchief to sniff when needed.

Plant roots, flowers, leaves and stalks (even trees in some instances) are processed to extract the oils. Distillation is the most common method of extraction, whereby the plant is boiled or steamed until the oil vaporises. This was developed about a thousand years ago by the Persian physician Ali ibn-Sina (Avicenna) and brought to Europe by returning Crusaders in the Middle Ages.

How does it work?
Molecules in the scents released by the oils are absorbed into the bloodstream either through the skin during massage or by inhalation through the nose and lungs. These pass to the olfactory centres in the brain where they are thought to act on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that influences mood and the hormonal system.

The psychological effects of smell have been well researched at centres such as the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, Chicago, but the biochemical pathways that may enable specific scents to have particular effects is less well known.