Although the word "aromatherapy" suggests inhalation, aromatherapy can also involve the topical application and ingestion of essential oils for medicinal purposes. Only a trained aromatherapist should prescribe taking essential oils by mouth, as some are toxic and all are highly concentrated. Essential oils, which are extracted only from the flowers, bark, roots, peels, leaves or resin of plants, can be quite potent. Cosmetic products with synthetic oils may claim to have aromatherapeutic effects, but their application will not produce the same results as a session with a qualified aromatherapist.
History
Evidence of the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes shows up in the Bible and in Ayurvedic practices dating back to 3000 B.C.E.. French Chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé founded the modern practice of aromatherapy in 1928. He had been studying the chemical properties of essential oils when he burned his arm in his laboratory. Gattefossé treated his injury with the first available salve, which was lavender oil.
Austrian Madam Marguerite Maury became the first to prescribe specific combinations of essential oils in the 1950s when she studied the effects of applying essential oils to nerve endings. In the 1980s, aromatherapy became popular in the United States among massage therapists.
In Practice
During a session, an aromatherapist will take a survey of your symptoms and medical history, including any allergic reactions. Your practitioner may ask you to inhale essential oils directly from a cloth or through a vaporizer. He may also massage diluted essential oil to your skin. Only a trained aromatherapist should prescribe ingesting any essential oil, as several are toxic.
Your practitioner may recommend home treatment such as adding essential oil to your bath. Your first session may last two hours with possible shorter follow-up appointments after three to four weeks. Many practitioners of complementary modalities such as massage and acupuncture may include inhalation aromatherapy to relieve stress.
Benefits
The Mayo Clinic includes aromatherapy among 11 complementary treatments that can improve the quality of life of cancer patients. According to the clinic's website, aromatherapy will not play a roll in curing cancer, but it may help with the symptoms caused by cancer treatment such as stress, vomiting, nausea and pain.
Aromatherapy may affect your mood. The regions in your brain that hold memories and emotions---the amygdala and hippocampus---also process scent. Preclinical trials show that essential oils can have antibacterial and antifungal effects when applied to the skin.
Considerations
The United States has no boards that certify or license aromatherapists, although many practitioners are members of aromatherapy organizations. Topical application of oils requires a license in massage therapy. Most American aromatherapists incorporate their aromatherapy training with another modality such as acupuncture, naturopathy and massage.
To find a qualified aromatherapist, contact the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy or the Aromatherapy Council in the U.K. Essential oils are also unregulated and can vary in potency depending on their method of collection, processing and storage.
Research
Clinical trials on the effectiveness of aromatherapy remain inconclusive. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports that a 2008 trial published in the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology" showed that subjects who smelled lemon felt uplifted while those who smelled lavender felt no emotional effect. The scents showed no effect on subjects' heart rate, blood pressure, wound healing, or pain ratings. Clinical trials on aromatherapy are few. Subjects usually have personal associations with scents making it difficult to find a neutral scent for blind clinical trials.
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