Aromatherapy is an alternative medicinal system that uses concentrated extracts called essential oils to treat both physical and emotional disorders. These extracts are derived from the flowers, seeds, roots or leaves of various plant species, and their effects vary according to their plant source, as well as their specific application to your body.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are derived from substances called fragrant essences, located in parts of plants or fruits, such as bark, peels and leaves, according to the National Cancer Institute. To concentrate these essences into oils, manufacturers use methods that include mechanical pressing and distillation with water or steam. You may receive oils from a variety of plants during aromatherapy, the NCI explains, including cedarwood, bergamot, lemon, geranium, tea tree and lavender.
Treatment Types
You may receive an aromatherapy treatment in one of several ways, the NCI reports. In direct inhalation, you will use an inhaler to breathe in drops of essential oil placed in hot water. In indirect inhalation, you will breathe in essential oil from sources that include drops placed near you or evaporated into the air with a passive device called a room diffuser. In an aromatherapy massage, you will receive diluted essential oil directly on the surface of your skin. Additional methods of application include the use of dressings, bath salts or lotions. In rare instances, you may also receive oral aromatherapy products.
Beneficial Uses
General effects of aromatherapy include relaxation, pain relief and mood improvement, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. When used by trained midwives, essential oils such as frankincense, lavender and rose can reduce levels of fear and anxiety in pregnant women, while use of peppermint oil may ease vomiting and nausea symptoms during childbirth. If you have depression, aromatherapy massage may increase the effectiveness of traditional therapy and medication, the UMMC explains, while use of essential citrus oil may boost your immune function. When applied to your skin, essential oils may limit bacterial activity, the NCI notes. In addition, certain essential oils appear to have antiviral and antifungal properties.
Underlying Mechanisms
Doctors do not know precisely how aromatherapy achieves its effects, the UMMC reports. When you breathe in essential oil molecules, their smell may stimulate two separate areas of your brain, called the hippocampus and the amygdala, which affect your emotions and stored memories. Essential oil molecules may also influence the activities of enzymes or hormones in your bloodstream. If you get an aromatherapy massage, essential oils may work simultaneously through inhalation and direct skin absorption.
Safety
Generally speaking, it is safe to inhale essential oils or apply them to your skin, according to the UMMC. However, swallowing certain essential oils can kill you, the UMMC warns, and you should not do so without the guidance of a trained aromatherapy expert. You should not use any form of aromatherapy if you have allergies or severe asthma, and pregnant women should avoid essential oils unless a qualified medical practitioner is supervising their use. Use of essential oils of sage, anise or fennel can worsen the effects of estrogen-related cancers in your ovaries or breasts.
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