Aromatherapy & Essential Oil Basics


First and foremost, aromatherapy is not intended as a substitute for traditional medical treatment. More accurately, its an extension of a long-established practice of treating medical conditions with plants found in nature. Today’s aspirin evolved from experiments with the byproduct of the spirea plant at the Bayer & Co dye factory.

Aromatherapy, like all healing, is both a science and an art, providing a fascinating but sometimes overwhelming study. Basically, essential oils are aromatic molecules removed from plant material – petals, leaves, twigs, seeds, needles, wood, resin and rind. Knowing the basic jargon of aromatherapy is the first step in understanding the remarkable way essential oils are used to treat ‘whatever ails you,’ physically, cosmetically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Following are basic terms and concepts to help wade through a plethora of botanical and pharmacological data, which at times might seem confusing and contradictory.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *