What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy, is the medical use of aromatic oils (essential oils). it is a natural care medicine using essential oils .
Aromatherapy is a term that comes from the Greek “aroma” which means smell , aroma and “therapeia” which means care, cure .
Aromatherapy is a branch of herbal medicine which is classified as an alternative medicine.
In the history of medicine, at least until the 16th th
century, the history of aromatherapy is largely confused with that of herbal medicine. Plants, as a whole, formed the basis of the pharmacopoeia of ancient civilizations.
has been used for millennia in China, Egypt, Greece and India. It developed thanks to the improvement of extraction processes
, especially in the 19th century with the birth of extraction by steam distillation
There are mainly 2 ways to perform the extraction:
- By steam distillation
- By cold pressing of citrus peels
It was also during this period that researchers began to isolate the active ingredients from essential oils. But it is especially from the twentieth century that the chemist René Maurice GATTEFOSSÉ highlights the properties of essential oils and in particular those of lavender (healing and antiseptic) that he applied after having suffered a serious handling accident which caused severe burns.
This research was then taken up and enriched in the 1960s by Doctor Jean VALNET who published several reference works in modern aromatherapy
. It is to him in particular that we owe the recognition of essential oils and the widespread use of them by a certain number of doctors, naturopaths and pharmacists.
Nowadays, the use of aromatherapy is much more widespread, even if some professionals are resistant to it and it remains very controversial.
It is open-mindedness opposed to a narrow and cramped mind. The 2 practices (aromatherapy and traditional medicine can be practiced in complementarity with each other)
Operation and purpose
Aromatherapy allows, through personalized synergies and diffusions, to find a balance and a body / mind harmony to live better on a daily basis.
Aromatherapy is a great tool for taking care of yourself differently and on a daily basis , it goes well beyond essential oils, it is also and above all human </ strong >.
A natural and effective method, but far from gentle.
The first thing is to agree on the identity of the essential oil you are talking about. Always choose the appropriate essential oils as needed and select them carefully. Buy a quality essential oil taking into account the following information:
• Ensure that the essential oil is organic and check whether the harvest is carried out manually or with machines (the picking must be as less traumatic as possible for the plant)
• The common name but also the Latin name (which is important) must appear on the bottle.
•The chemotype, for its part, indicates the main molecule (s).
• The origin is also important because depending on the climate or the soil or other conditions (corresponding to the
biotope), the molecules secreted and therefore the chemotype change.
• Check the type of culture: the best type of culture is wild, then organic, and finally classic.
•Watch the chromatographic analysis of the essential oil (the distillation must be done at the lowest possible temperatures and pressures and for a period sufficient to
recover all of the aromatic molecules).
Warning:do not buy essential oils especially if they are extracted with solvents … Flee!
I am at your disposal and at your disposal to advise you at all stages of your process …