An Introduction to Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the use of plant essential oils as treatment for physical and mental conditions. Aromatherapy benefits the body and soul through the aroma of the plant's essential oil, through absorption of the oil into the skin and, in some cases, but only under treatment of a qualified aromatherapist, by ingestion of the essential oil in very dilute form. Aromatherapy is an age old system of health treatment.

Archaeological sites and written history confirm that plant oils have been used therapeutically through the ages. Possibly the best proof of their efficacy is that many modern drugs are derived from plants, aspirin and quinine to name just two. Unlike drugs, essential oils are not retained in the body, leaving no potential toxins behind. A growing body of scientific evidence supports the fact that aromatherapy has proven therapeutic value. Aromatherapy can be applied and enjoyed in many forms. Aside from direct application or inhaling, massage with Essential Oils is often particularly beneficial and soothing, with its incorporation of touch.

Essential oils are a combination of tens and even hundreds of component molecules, resulting in an extremely complex chemical compound. Components include terpenes, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones and phenols. Aromatherapy provides it's unique benefits to the body and mind through the absorption of these oils into the body, which occurs in numerous ways. The aroma of the essential oil is absorbed almost immediately through the aural receptors of the nose and this provides an immediate and powerful stimulus to the brain. The oil is also taken into the lungs from where it is distributed through the body. Or the oils may be absorbed into the skin. Essential oils are concentrated and highly potent, so for most aromatherapy applications Essential oils are added to carrier oils. Pure essentail oils for the most part, are not oily. When dropped on paper, they will impregnate it with smell, and then evaporate leaving no oily patch. This is a simple (but not foolproof) test for discerning whether an essential oil is pure or not.

Because of the complex chemical composition of essential oils, it is important to ensure that anything purporting to be aromatherapy uses pure, high quality essential oils. A synthesized fragrance may smell similar, but the chemical composition is isolated to one molecule with no healing properties. Amongst essential oils, not all essential oils are created equal. Just like wine, the quality of an essential oil is dependent on the interplay between, soil, climate, cultivar and the extraction process.

The majority of essential oils are extracted with the steam distillation process. In this process an oil-laden steam is formed which, on cooling, separates into the Pure Essential Oil and a Hydrosol. The essential oil may be collected in several batches or fractions. For example, Ylang-Ylang extra results from the first fraction, and is of a very high therapeutic quality, Ylang-Ylang 3 from the third and is best just used as a fragrance.  Another common process is cold expression, and is typically used for fleshy plants such as the Citrusses. Mechanical pressure is applied to the rind to squeeze out the Essential Oil. For the fine flower absolutes like rose and jasmine, where steam distillation would damage the delicate fragrances, solvent extraction is commonly used. A solvent extracts the oils from the blossoms, and is then distilled to leave a concrete. The concrete is then treated with alcohol to leave the essential oil. Oil prices vary dramatically, depending on the yield of the plants, the extraction process and the number of presses. It takes 60,000 Rose blossoms and 230,000 Jasmine blossoms to produce one ounce of each essential oil. In contrast it takes just 4-5 pounds of Lavender to produce 1 ounce of essential oil.

How and where a plant is cultivated plays a strong role in the oil quality. Cultivated crops are farmed in a traditional way, typically in the developed world. Pesticides and fertilizers may or may not be used. Organic crops are grown in the developed world, and are certified to have no pesticides and fertilizers applied. Wild-crafted crops are grown mostly in developing countries, where intensive farming techniques are not used. These crops are considered natural. Essential oils of the same type that are grown in two different regions may have subtle or even pronounced differences due to different crop strains, soil type, climate and farming method. Muti takes great care, working with our International suppliers, to source the finest quality oils from around the world.

The choice of Carrier oil is important too. Unlike most synthetic and mineral oils, natural vegetable and plant carrier oils are readily absorbed into the skin, ensuring the healing oils are delivered into the skin and leaving the skin truly moisturized. Muti uses Grapeseed Oil as our primary carrier oil as it is hypoallergenic, absorbs very readily and is rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Jojoba, which is not actually an oil is also a wonderful base for aromatherapy.

Everyone can benefit from the use of aromatherapy in one form or another. From Baby Massage to a personal spray to using a Diffuser in an office or clinic aromatherapy can be easily incorporated and enjoyed in daily life.