Aromatherapy can be defined as the art of using naturally extracted aromatic essences (or essential oils) from plants and trees to balance, harmonize and promote the health of the body, mind and spirit.

Aromatherapy is a natural, non-invasive treatment system designed to affect the whole person not just the symptom or disease and to assist the bodyÂ’s natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself. It does this by enhancing the individualÂ’s innate healing process with the correct use of essential oils.

The term “aromatherapie�?was named by Rene Maurice Gattefosse in 1928. He used this word to imply the therapeutic use of aromatic essences (essential oils). Since the beginning of Aromatherapy, the practice has encompassed human pathology and the treatment of different conditions (emotional and physical) with essential oils.

Aromatic essences or essential oils are highly concentrated substances that are extracted from various parts of aromatic plants and trees. The chemistry of aromatherapy and essential oils is complex but due to their tiny molecular structure, essential oils that are applied to the skin or inhaled can be absorbed or entered into the bloodstream very rapidly. Once in the bloodstream, the aromatic molecules work by interacting with the bodyÂ’s chemistry.

Whether absorbed through the skin or inhaled, once the aromatherapy oils are in the bloodstream and body fluids, the essence may have a pharmacological effect even though the amount absorbed is minute. Gattefosse asserts that essential oils are diluted to a degree at which no longer have any effect on living cultures in the laboratory still has a clear, rapid and extremely beneficial action on the human body. This therefore indicates that essential oils are immuno-stimulants or bio catalysts to heal and restore homeostasis in the body.

Another healing ability of the essential oils can be attributed to their properties. All essential oils have antiseptic properties to some degree or other. Many are also anti rheumatic as well as ‘cicatrizing�? which means they have the effect of stimulating the growth of healthy skin cells. It is the property which gives aromatherapy one of its healing abilities. A renowned cicatrisant oil is Lavender which is a marvelous healing agent for things like burns, wounds, ulcers and scar tissue.

Virtually all essential oils are antiseptic and therefore helpful in cleansing and treating wounds, but some are more noticeably so. Several of them also help to promote healing and kill pain, so obviously a combination of these properties is a good oil for treating wounds. Lavender has been used for centuries for this purpose as has Myrrh and Tea Tree. Other well known oils that promote healing are Bergamot, Chamomile, Rosemary and Eucalyptus.

The efficacy of Aromatherapy treatment is due to the fact that the treatments are given once or twice weekly over a period of not less than one month, thereby repeatedly stimulating the bodyÂ’s self healing processes.