Aromatherapy - Amazing Benefits In Your Holistic Life

Aromatherapy is a term coined by French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefoss in the 1920's. It describes the practice of using essential oils taken from plants, flowers, roots, seeds, etc., for their benefits. Aromatherapy is said to restore or enhance mental, emotional, physical or spiritual health.

Essential oils that are derived from plants is the foundation of aromatherapy. Properties of each oil can differ widely, from caustic to anti-inflammatory. An average household would only need to know around ten oils and their properties for simple use, although there are approximately three hundred varieties in use by practitioners.

The aromatic chemicals found in essential oils are derived from phenylpropane, the precursor of amino acids, which link to make the proteins which provide the building blocks for just about everything in the human body from the smallest enzyme to the skeleton. In Aromatherapy it is held that when essential oils are applied to one's body, like in a massage, they are carried by the skin to specific organs and systems of the body where they enhance the natural functions of these organs. Unlike chemical drugs essential oils do not, as far as we know, remain in the body and are excreted out the body. In other words, essential oils enter and leave the body with great efficiency, leaving no toxins behind.

Each oil has its own medicinal and other properties. It is the "essence" of the oil--its chemical properties--that gives it whatever therapeutic value the oil might have. Essential oils may have anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal or anti-viral properties, or a blend of two or more.

One must be careful though, Oils that are high in phenols, such as cinnamon, can cause skin irritation. For this reason a bit of education in oils is beneficial, as they can be harmful if not used correctly, in the right amounts, or in the right ways.

For instance, we have all seen so many products on the market that smell very nice and claim to be aromatherapy. This, unfortunately, is incorrect. Many times companies simply put synthetic perfume oils and other un-natural ingredients in their products and label them aromatherapy. These products do not provide even a fraction of the benefits that the natural products can supply you.

Being the fact that nearly 900 ingredients found in 98% of skin care products on the market in the US today are toxic, one must beware of what they put on their skin! A general rule-of-thumb is to be wary of products that do not list their ingredients and those that do not boast of having pure essential oils Look for products that contain pure essential oils on their ingredient list and avoid those that have words like fragrance.

We are bombarded with synthetics and fakes everywhere we look, from our skincare to our medicines, even most of the food we eat really isn't 'real'. Give up the excuse of not having time to treat yourself to a truely natural break...pencil it in your date book as a 'wholeness' treatment for your body, mind, and soul, one that you need on a regular basis, too!