Everywhere you look these days’ aromatherapy products, or what purports to be aromatherapy products abound. Aromatherapy is used to promote everything from dish washing soaps to flea collars. So what is aromatherapy? How do I go about finding good aromatherapy information? One of the first pieces of information to understand is that not all aromatherapy products are created equal.
The most important part of any aromatherapy product is an essential oil. The oil will have been derived from whatever plant aroma is being used. So the first piece of information you need to know is that the quality and effectiveness of the product is going depend on the quality of the essential oil. How and where it is grown, how it was handled post-harvest and very importantly, how the oil was extracted. Oils can be produced by a distillation process of the entire plant or of specific parts of the plant and usually distillation of the leaves or flowers produce a much stronger and more pure extract of the essential oils.
Other important factors to be considered are the pressure and temperature used in the extraction process. Dr Gary Young of Young Living Oils, for example, has developed a low temperature and pressure method that retains the maximum of the value of the essential oil. It takes longer and costs more, but the increase in quality and effectiveness is worth it. Dr Young is also very particular about his raw materials. He grows a large proportion of the herbs he uses, all organically, and is very exacting when obtaining the rest.
Another method of producing oils used in many of the less expensive type of products is to squeeze the oils from the plants. According to aromatherapy information this method produces oils that cost less, but provide less benefit as well as aroma. However, it is claimed that this method makes aromatherapy more affordable and provides benefits, although limited, to those on a stricter budget.
Aromatherapy Information Can Be Mixed
Depending on its intended use, aromatherapy can receive mixed reviews, as some who use it simply for the scent swear by how burning an aromatherapy candle can help them relax or feel less stressed. Those who use the method for massage claim the scent alone does not produce the desired effects. To achieve the full effects of aromatherapy, the oils need to be massaged into the skin while the olfactory nerves pick up and scent and join in a two-pronged approach to relieve tension.
A bit of research into aromatherapy information will reveal that the strength and purity of an essential oil affects the quantity of oil used in a particular product as well as how well it is made a part of that product. If the oil is weak, more of it will be required for a similar result. Obviously a much better and stronger oil is produced by distillation, (especially low temperature and pressure distillation as produced by Young Living Oils), than the squeezing process.
The effects of aromatherapy, as the skeptics will point out, cannot be explained and quantified scientifically, but then neither can love! Aromatherapy information has been gathered and written about over millennia. How effective it is will depend on the individual being treated, the quality of the essential oil and how it is applied.
For more information, there is a very good book I can recommend that is packed with aromatherapy information. It is called “Aromatherapy – Learn The Power Of Aromatherapy” by Rachel Adams. It is very affordable and you can get it HERE. Aromatherapy information explained. Use it to enhance your life with aromatherapy.
