Aromatherapy derived its name from the word aroma, which means fragrance or smell and therapy which means treatment. It’s a holistic healing treatment using natural plant extracts to improve psychological or physical well-being based on their claim. Even though alot of people believe with the benefits of aromatherapy. Let’s go back to the ancient times. Humans have used aromatherapy for thousands of years. Ancient cultures in China, India, Egypt used them for medical and religious purposes. The actual term "aromatherapy" was invented by the French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in 1935 after a burn incident, he claimed he treated it effectively with lavender essential oil. Throughout the years, aromatherapy has come in different kinds of form such as candles, essential oils, diffusers, etc.
Essential oils are made by steaming or pressing various parts of plant to capture the compounds that produce fragrance. It can take severa; pounds of plants to produce a single bottle of essential oil. Although alot of people claim essential oils are natural remedies for a number of ailments, there are not enough researches to determine their effectiveness in human health. Essential oils are hard to study, as the participants and researchers can oftem recognize essential oils by their scent, removing the random element of an experiment that makes it reliable. But this doesn’t mean essential oils and aromatherpy are useless and baseless. Some studies have shown that certain essential oils may relieve pyschological and physical symptoms linked to depression. One study in 2016 , showed that inhaled lavender improved the sleep cycle of people at colloge who experienced sleep disturbances. It’s true that we need more research about the validity of essential oils but with the modern medicine supports many of the ancient claims made about essential oils, here are some examples of essential oils :
• Lavender oil: Many people find the lavender scent relaxing. It's often used to help relieve stress and anxiety and promote good sleep.
• Tea tree oil: Also called melaleuca, this essential oil was used by Australia's aboriginal people for wound healing. Today, it's commonly used for acne, athlete's foot and insect bites.
• Peppermint oil: There's some evidence peppermint essential oil helps relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms when taken in an enteric-coated capsule. It may also relieve tension headaches when applied topically.
• Lemon oil: Many people find the citrusy scent of lemon oil a mood booster. It's also often used in homemade cleaning products.
Generally essential oils are safe to us but if you are using prescription medications or you are sensitive with certain things you should be aware with the side effects of them. Some rules of using essential oils are not all of them can be put directly to your skin, do a skin patch test before using them and never swallow essential oils.
As you explore more the uses of essential oils, pay attention to how the different oils and method of use affect.
Written by : Rebecca Emma Rahmani, XI MIPA 4
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