Healthyliving: Making sense out of scents
published:
Saturday | August 2, 2008
Keisha Brown, Gleaner Writer
Scented candles in the bedroom can also enhance relaxation.
You have probably heard a lot about aromatherapy within the last decade or so, and perhaps you have even considered trying it out. Well, before you give it a try, let's take a look at what this holistic therapy entails and how best it can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health. There are four main modes of application of aromatherapy, and they include:
Aerial diffusion for environmental fragrancing or aerial disinfection.
Direct inhalation for respiratory disinfection, decongestion, expectoration as well as psychological effects.
Topical applications for general massage, baths, compresses, therapeutic skin care.
Oral, rectal, vaginal interfaces for infection, congestion, parasites, new perfumery for body fragrancing and anointments.
Various uses
Yankee Candle-fragranced potpourri can help to relax you.
Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, to care for the skin, to alleviate tension and fatigue and to invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.
The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils. Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant.
Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.
Pharmacological effects attributed to essential oils
Antibacterial - In vitro testing has confirmed antibacterial effects in certain oils including rosemary, clove, lime, cinnamon and tea tree oil.
Antiviral - supported for tea tree oil, lemon grass, sandalwood, peppermint, ginger, thyme and hyssop in in vitro testing against herpes.
Antifungal - supported by in vitro testing for lavender, thyme, clove, juniper and tea tree oil.
Anti-inflammatory - reported in in vitro assays of clove, cinnamon, sage, eucalyptus, black cumin and bay leaf.
Popular uses
Potpourri in the home can enhance your mood.
Basil is used in perfumery for its clear, sweet and mildly spicy aroma. In aromatherapy, it is used for sharpening concentration, for its uplifting effect on depression and to relieve headaches and migraines.
Bergamot is one of the most popular oils in perfumery. It is an excellent insect repellant and may be helpful for both the urinary tract and for the digestive tract. It is useful for skin conditions linked to stress, such as cold sores and chickenpox, especially when combined with eucalyptus oil.
Black pepper has a sharp and spicy aroma. Common uses include stimulating the circulation and for muscular aches and pains.
Eucalyptus oil is often used in combination with peppermint to provide relief for the airways in case of cold or flu.
Jasmine is used as an aphrodisiac.
Lavender oil is used to calm and relax, and to soothe headaches and migraines.
Lemon oil is uplifting and an anti-stress/antidepressant. It may enhance your mood and relax you.
Rose is used as an aphrodisiac.
Sandalwood oil is used as an aphrodisiac.
Ylang - Ylang oil is used as an aphrodisiac.
The oils and ingredients used in aromatheraphy at Driftwood Spa at Jake's in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth. - Contributed
How often you receive treatment and the mode of application is dependent upon your individual needs. Several spas in the island now offer this service; however, their main mode of application is via massage. Go ahead and give aromatherapy a try, it just might be what your body needs.
- Sources: holisticonline.com
How does it work?
Essential oils stimulate the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odours we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.
Each essential oil contains as many as 100 chemical components, which together exert a strong effect on the whole person.
Depending on which component is predominating in an oil, the oils act differently. For example, some oils are relaxing, some soothe you, some relieve your pain, etc.
