All plants contain a wide range of chemicals, from water, to inorganic salts, sugars, and carbohydrates, and to very complex proteins and alkaloids. I will focus mainly on the chemical, which acts medicinally, with special emphasis involving aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is the art and science of using botanical essential oils to create a sense of well being through a physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social balance. Essential oils are really not even oils at all. They are the volatile and fragrant part of the plants that are kept in a sac on the surface of the leaves, or in the bark, flowers, seeds, and stems. These oils are also known as volatile oils.

Volatile oils, if collected and extracted correctly, contain some of nature's most precious gifts. See, these oils are responsible for the antibiotic properties to protect the plant. These volatile oils also protect the plant by repelling insects. Some even stimulate blooming. So, in turn, imagine the strength and power of each volatile oil when extracted. It is now 75 to 100 times more powerful, than say, dried herbs.

Volatile oils, or essential oils, are very easily transported and distributed throughout the entire body. Not only will they act locally, where applied, but they will also act on the whole body. Whether they are taken internally, or applied externally, they will soon show up in the urinary system, the lungs, and possibly in the secretions of your sweat, tears, and saliva. Essential oils can even make their way through the placenta into the foetus. Essential oils, besides being antiseptic, also stimulate the production of white blood cells, thus increasing your body's own natural defence system. Their ease of distribution is how they can affect the entire body once they enter it.

When essential oils are applied externally, part of their effect is from the nose. See, all essential oils, or volatile oils, are aromatic, meaning they have a smell. The nose is the only sense, which connects directly with the outside world. Ever noticed how you can smell something, somewhere, and your mood, or body's feeling can change almost instantaneously? This is because the nerve endings in your nose, the olfactory nerves, pick up the scent molecules from the essential oils, and transport them directly to the brain. This is where the reaction begins.

The effects of the pure essential oils will depend on the particular essential oil. For example, lavender is an excellent aroma for relaxing. It is not really known for it's antibiotic properties. The story goes during the Middle Ages, the town of Grasse in France was spared the hardships and misery of the plague because it was the center of the perfume industry. There were many acres of lavender fields, which surrounded the town. The distilleries filled the air with the lavender molecules, and the antiseptic, antibiotic, and antimicrobial properties of the lavender are what saved the people of the town of Grasse. Think they were believers?

There are many different pure essential oils, all of which can affect your body's reaction in some way. It is best to be very educated, and do your research on what essential oil you would need for your condition. Aromatherapy can be very beneficial in one's life for enhancement and improvement. Ensure you only buy top quality oils, from reputable suppliers. You should easily be able to find out the following 4 details: what is the country of origin, botanical species, what part of the plant was distilled, and how was the oil produced? If you cannot find out the answers to these questions, go somewhere else. Aromatherapy works, but only if you have good oils and a little knowledge.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Aromatherapy
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