"Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived.  The odors of fruits waft me to my southern home, to my childhood frolics in the orange orchard.  Other odors, instantaneous and fleeting, cause my heart to dilate joyously or contract with remembered grief.  Even as I think of smells, my nose is full of scents that start to awake sweet memories of summers gone and ripening fields far away."  Helen Keller

The Science of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an alternative healing modality that focuses on the treatment of imbalance in the body mind and/or spirit using aromatic plant essential oils.  It is a unique offering to humans from plants, and a vital link with the riches of the natural world.

Essential oils contain pheromones, hormones, antibiotics and cell regenerating agents that nourish, energize and protect the plant and play an important role in strengthening the plant's immunity toward disease by killing bacteria, warding off insect pests and neutralizing viruses. 

By extracting precious essential oils from plants we can harness their individual healing qualities and use them to support the health and happiness of our body and mind.

Essential oils work both physically through the penetration of the skin and psychologically when introduced via vaporization or direct inhalation. Our sense of smell is a highly sensitive and subtle mode of perception that acts mainly on a subconscious level. Olfactory nerves, which begin in the nostrils, are the gateway that leads directly to the part of our brain responsible for memory and emotions (the limbic system).

All aroma molecules affect a variety of body functions, such as our nervous system, hormones, body temperature, stress reaction and sexual arousal, as well as conscious thought and reaction. A naturally scented product is armed with nature’s healers (essential oils) and can do plenty to ensure these vital bodily processes are stimulated in a most natural and gentle manner.

Top, Middle and Base Notes

An essential oil is usually rated for its volatility, and categorized by perfumers as either a Top, Middle or Base note.  Top notes tend to vaporize quickly and need the utmost care in storage due to their volatility.  In comparison, Base notes evaporate slowly and linger in the air and on the skin the longest. 

In an aromatherapy blend or natural perfume, a most balanced and lasting oil combination is one that includes all three notes - a Top, Middle and Base. 

Natural versus Synthetic

Pure, natural essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from the botanical world and are obtained through steam distillation or some form of expression (cold pressed or otherwise). Although they are oils, they are not oily or greasy.

Synthetic, or imitation fragrant oils are aromatic compounds that have been artificially manufactured in a laboratory using various, and often many, chemicals. These products usually carry exotic plant names yet usually contain no plant material at all.  For example, there is no such thing as a natural frangipani or strawberry oil.  While synthetic fragrances may smell pleasant, they have no therapeutic value as they completely lack the undiluted active ingredients found in plants.  Although they are often marketed as room fragrances, it is questionable as to whether they should be used as such, given the toxic nature of many of the ingredients found in them.

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