By Anna Stenning
Aromatherapy oils have been around for over 3,000 years, with perfumed water and fragrant wax being the first kinds of early perfumes. These have also been believed to have had healing powers and properties for minor ailments and health conditions.
Aromatherapy itself has been around for approximately 6,000 years or more, dating back to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. Imhotep, an Egyptian physician had used aromatherapy oils and fragrance waters for bathing and healing purposes. The oils were also used for embalming dead bodies.
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, had used aromatherapy fragrances and oils to rid Athens from the plague, through aromatherapy fumigation in the air. He would also often recommend herbal baths and aromatherapy treatments to heal the sick and promote general cleanliness.
The Romans would use the oils and aromatherapy fragrances for their public bathhouses. Often the rich and wealthy were privileged enough to use these fragrances to keep the body perfumed well.
Aromatherapy, unlike essential oils were seen as a luxury and used for cosmetic purposes. Essential oils were used mainly for health and medicinal purposes. However, aromatherapy has also played a very important part in improving the health, which essential oils are always used for aromatherapy.
The French chemist in 1920, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, first coined this term. In the incident whereby he had, accidently caught his arm on fire; he had reacted by immersing it very quickly into a vat of cold lavender oil.
To his surprise his arm had healed very quickly without any residual scars, thus his decision to practise aromatherapy to treat gangrene during the First World War had begun. Over the years this became more widely appreciated and many more people adopted the aromatherapy healing techniques.
Aromatherapy oils are commonly used for use in massage and treating small ailments. The word 'aromatherapy' derives from the words 'aroma' meaning smell and 'therapy' meaning healing or treating. Aromatherapy now is used more in spa treatment and beauty products.
Many sceptics have disputed the use of aromatherapy oils and its healing properties. What many are unaware of is that these were the first known uses of medicine, when antibiotics and prescription drugs were not created.
These were the only method of treating minor and serious illnesses, often these consisted of continual use to feel the effects of its healing properties. Some essential oils have proven to work well with certain skin and hair conditions, in which many cosmetic and beauty products use them for its affective results.
Herbal remedies such as Lavender oil, Chamomile, Peppermint, and Almond Oils have been commonly added to various products. Eucalyptus, Fennel and Peppermint are still in wide use for relieving common colds and flues.
These are also good properties for treating stomach discomfort and headaches. Fragranced oils are still available for use of perfuming the body; however, these have developed into water and alcohol based perfumes, which are extremely popular amongst famous designers.
Many street brand products have also accommodated the natural benefits of using aromatherapy oils for skin care and general well-being.
The idea that the smell of a fragrant herb or flower is good for health and relaxation has continued to stay strong in the consumer product industry and is evident in many celebrity endorsed products. This is something that will continue to live on as a basic healing component and play a strong part in health well-being.
Anna Stenning is an expert on aromatherapy oils as she believes that these simple and basic herbs work well for improving health.
Article Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/129074/how-aromatherapy-benefits-your-health.htm
Showing posts with label aromatherapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aromatherapy. Show all posts
Essential Oils - Methods of Extraction
The way in which oils are extracted from plants is important because some processes use solvents that can destroy the therapeutic properties.
The usual method of extraction is through steam distillation. After extraction, the properties of a good quality essential oil should be as close as possible to the "essence" of the original plant. The key to a 'good' essential oil is through low pressure and low temperature processing.
High temperatures, rapid processing and the use of solvents alter the molecular structure, will destroy the therapeutic value and alter the fragrance. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction.
They are used in perfumes and cosmetics, for flavoring food and drink, and for scenting incense and household cleaning products. There are many ways in which essential oils are extracted. The vast majority of true essential oils are produced by distillation.
Distillation is a method of separating chemical substances based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture.
The mixture of water and essential oil is collected in the "essencier" where the two elements decant and separate due to their different densities - the essential oil is lighter and rises to the top, floating above the aromatic water.
Steam distillation uses an outside source of steam which pipes the steam into the distillation unit, sometimes at high pressure. The steam passes through the aromatic material, and exits into the condenser. Another method is essential oil extraction is Pomades.
Pomades are produced using a process known as enfleurage, which is seldom done today. Various essential oils have been used medicinally at different periods in history.
Medical applications proposed by those who sell medicinal oils vary from skin treatments to remedies for cancer, and are often based on historical use of these oils for these purposes. Such claims are now subject to regulation in most countries, and have grown correspondingly more vague, to stay within these regulations.
Essential oils are extracted from many different parts of their plants. For example, Lavender is extracted from its flowers, Orange from the rind of its fruit, Frankincense from the resin of its tree, Cinnamon from its bark, Pine from its needles, and so on.
Pressing is a simple method of squeezing out literally, essential oils from the rinds and peel off ripe fruit such as orange and lemon into a sponge.
Solvent extraction is used in combination with distillation. A hydrocarbon solvent is put in with the plant material and dissolves the essential oil. The resulting solution is then filtered and put through a distillation process that concentrates the oil to produce a resin, or resinoid.
Essential Oil Extraction - Enfleurage
This is the method by which flower essences such as Jasmine, Rose, which are more delicate and difficult to obtain are extracted. Flowers or petals are crushed between wooden framed, glass trays smeared with a greasy animal fat until the fat is saturated with their perfume.
Essential Oil Extraction - Pressing
This is a simple method of squeezing out literally, essential oils from the rinds and peel off ripe fruit such as orange and lemon into a sponge.
source: www.makeup-artists.org
The usual method of extraction is through steam distillation. After extraction, the properties of a good quality essential oil should be as close as possible to the "essence" of the original plant. The key to a 'good' essential oil is through low pressure and low temperature processing.
High temperatures, rapid processing and the use of solvents alter the molecular structure, will destroy the therapeutic value and alter the fragrance. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction.
They are used in perfumes and cosmetics, for flavoring food and drink, and for scenting incense and household cleaning products. There are many ways in which essential oils are extracted. The vast majority of true essential oils are produced by distillation.
Distillation is a method of separating chemical substances based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture.
The mixture of water and essential oil is collected in the "essencier" where the two elements decant and separate due to their different densities - the essential oil is lighter and rises to the top, floating above the aromatic water.
Steam distillation uses an outside source of steam which pipes the steam into the distillation unit, sometimes at high pressure. The steam passes through the aromatic material, and exits into the condenser. Another method is essential oil extraction is Pomades.
Pomades are produced using a process known as enfleurage, which is seldom done today. Various essential oils have been used medicinally at different periods in history.
Medical applications proposed by those who sell medicinal oils vary from skin treatments to remedies for cancer, and are often based on historical use of these oils for these purposes. Such claims are now subject to regulation in most countries, and have grown correspondingly more vague, to stay within these regulations.
Essential oils are extracted from many different parts of their plants. For example, Lavender is extracted from its flowers, Orange from the rind of its fruit, Frankincense from the resin of its tree, Cinnamon from its bark, Pine from its needles, and so on.
Pressing is a simple method of squeezing out literally, essential oils from the rinds and peel off ripe fruit such as orange and lemon into a sponge.
Solvent extraction is used in combination with distillation. A hydrocarbon solvent is put in with the plant material and dissolves the essential oil. The resulting solution is then filtered and put through a distillation process that concentrates the oil to produce a resin, or resinoid.
Essential Oil Extraction - Enfleurage
This is the method by which flower essences such as Jasmine, Rose, which are more delicate and difficult to obtain are extracted. Flowers or petals are crushed between wooden framed, glass trays smeared with a greasy animal fat until the fat is saturated with their perfume.
Essential Oil Extraction - Pressing
This is a simple method of squeezing out literally, essential oils from the rinds and peel off ripe fruit such as orange and lemon into a sponge.
source: www.makeup-artists.org
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