“Essential oils are chemically classified as alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, amines, amides, phenols, and heterocyclics. They are predominantly terpenes (about 80%), and over three hundred low molecular weight volatile compounds have been identified, which could have beneficial properties. The beneficial characteristics of essential oils sometimes involve different chemical elements of the compounds”.
These gifts of nature are constructed for plants and organisms to defend them selves and hold huge medical properties that should not be taken lightly, and so understanding there qualities if planing to use them on the body is vital, as they should be treated as medicine and applied correctly, your massage therapist should only be using essential oils if they have been trained in Aromatherapy.
Essential oils have antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and more. Their uses are extensive and vary; from relaxation, nervous system response, muscle aches, breathing support, circulation, to blood pressure change- these little gifts are POWERFUL and should be treated that way.
Furthermore, in addition to their physiological abilities, essential oils affect our sense of smell. Olfaction is the sense directly connected with emotional areas in the brain and directly related to memory. 1. “It holds an emotional primacy in perception and its role in sampling the real physical world. olfactory stimuli can evoke autobiographical memories with more emotional and vivid experiences. Smells are handled by the olfactory bulb, the structure in the front of the brain that sends information to the other areas of the body’s central command for further processing. Odours take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory. The olfactory signals very quickly get to the limbic system. The close anatomic relations between the systems deployed for olfaction and for emotion account for the important links found between these two functions. “
As found in the systemic review of essential oil in aromatherapy “Aromatherapy is natural and noninvasive gift of nature for humans. It’s not only the disease symptoms which are eradicated, but the whole body is rejuvenated by the use of aroma. Aromatherapy regulates the physiological, spiritual and psychological upliftment for the new phase of life. This therapy is not only preventive but also can be used in the acute and chronic stages of disease. Pharmaceutical industries are trying for environmentally friendly, alternative and natural medicine for diseases associated with pathogens and metabolism. There may be a possibility of enhancing the rate of reaction and bioavailability of drugs from the use of these essential oils.
If properly studied, these volatile oils may have a synergistic effect with the drugs used in the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Moreover, the time at which the plant contains the maximum amount of volatile oil with various chemical constituents also is a matter of discussion. Essential oils can be a useful non-medicinal option or can also be combined with conventional care for some health conditions, provided safety and quality issues are considered. The tilt of the scientific community towards complementary and alternative medicine has given new hope to reduce the unwanted effects of modern medicine by these essential oils, and if properly explored to their full potential, this therapy can be a boon not only to the patients but also to the common man.”2.
Safe receiving starts with education!
1. Olfactory system and emotion: Common substrates; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anorl.2010.09.007
2 . Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systematic review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007