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Is All the Hype About Aromatherapy True?
This is a question I have received many times,
however the answer does depend on the claims that you have personally
heard.
So many products, often incorrectly, use the term
aromatherapy on their products. Some media reporters and
vendors even refer to aromatherapy as a "new discovery"
thus giving a false sense of hype to aromatherapy and promoting
inaccurate information about aromatherapy.
The practice of aromatherapy is the use of volatile
plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical
well-being. Holistic aromatherapy does not include the use of fragrance
oils or unnatural products. Unfortunately, many sellers of so-called
aromatherapy products just use the term aromatherapy to sell
their pleasant-smelling product and sometimes even go so far as
to "hype" unfounded claims.
Below are a few common questions and answers that
will help clarify what aromatherapy can and can't do.
If you expect or hope that aromatherapy will
in itself cure a major illness or actually cure "stress,"
you will probably be in for a disappointment. But if you expect
that aromatherapy can help with a physical condition, can help
with symptoms, can effect your mood, or help alleviate or temporarily
eliminate stress or other psychological factors, you may be delighted
with the results that you experience.
For example, aromatherapy will not cure serious
illness such as cancer or AIDS. Aromatherapy when practiced safely,
however, can help enhance a cancer patient's quality of life by
enhancing the patient's mood, calming fear and can help ease nausea
during chemotherapy treatments. For AIDS patients, aromatherapy
can also help enhance the patient's quality of life psychologically
and essential oils can help improve one's immune system and thus
potentially assist an AIDS patient that way.
Aromatherapy is a complementary alternative
health modality. Its current use is not intended to replace standard
medical care, but is meant to complement it. Aromatherapy can
offer an alternative choice to taking prescription or over-the-counter
chemical drugs. Aromatherapy can offer practical benefit for a
variety of common ailments or symptoms such as assisting with
cuts, wounds, bruises, inflammation, indigestion, acne, skincare,
haircare, hygiene, PMS, menstruation, and for providing mental
and emotional assistance with such issues as stress, fatigue,
anxiety, fear, and the list goes on and on!
The very first aromatherapy blend that I ever
attempted to create and try was for arthritis. I have arthritis
in my knees and it can get extremely painful. I wasn't sure what
to expect of this very first blend that I had made. To my skeptical
amazement, I had relief. The relief did not occur instantaneously,
nor was the relief permanent. Regular use of the blend, however,
did – and still does – help to a large degree. This
story is merely one example of the realistic results that you
may experience by introducing aromatherapy into your lifestyle.
I use the word "may" because everyone is different
and everyone's experiences can vary.
Aromatherapy does have valid and extraordinary
uses. It can improve one's lifestyle tremendously. But, as with
anything in life, sensibility comes into play. Do not fall prey
to any claims that aromatherapy can cure major illnesses or can
cause miracles to happen. Aromatherapy can be play a beneficial
role in assisting with major illnesses, but it cannot be
depended upon as a cure for serious issues.
Aspects of aromatherapy has indeed been in existence
for thousands of years. The term aromatherapy, however, was only
introduced earlier in the 20th century. I believe the surge in
awareness of aromatherapy is threefold:
(1) Society today is more health conscious and
is now more receptive to natural alternative health modalities
including aromatherapy. The media has been actively covering the
trends in increased health awareness and alternative medicine.
The media has made a point to include the aromatherapy
"buzzword."
(2) The Internet has made it easier for individuals
to access and share aromatherapy information. This ability to
network has had a positive effect on the growth of aromatherapy
and aromatherapy businesses.
(3) Lifestyles of today are now more hectic
and stressful. Since aromatherapy can assist in reducing the symptoms
of stress and help one energize or relax, society is taking notice.
If you go to many stores that sell any kind of candles, bath or
beauty products, you'll most likely see products labeled with
the word "aromatherapy." In my personal experience,
most times I see the word "aromatherapy" on products
not sold by reputable aromatherapy retailers, the word is used
incorrectly. So, the surge in awareness of aromatherapy is both
positive and negative. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation
about aromatherapy and mislabeled products around.
The above comments are not based on fact;
they are my theories to this surge in popularity in aromatherapy.
Essential oils are concentrated liquids and
are very powerful substances. They should not be consumed internally
without personal counsel from a trained aromatherapist and should
not be applied undiluted on the skin because they can be extremely
irritating in full concentration. I speculate that companies that
claim you can use oils undiluted are making this claim so that
you use your oils up faster thus increasing your need to buy more
for them.
If you don't believe that you should not use
essential oils undiluted on the skin, read several
books and notice the frequent warnings about undiluted usage.
Who has more to gain, the authors of the books that you read and
who will not profit from your oil purchases or the companies that
want you to use up your oils faster so you can purchase more?
For more information, be sure to read the array
of other articles contained within AromaWeb's Article
Archive section.
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