Oils From Aromatic Plants example essay topic

Can you remember some smell from your childhood? How about the smell of the homemade chocolate chip cookies that your mother used to make? Or maybe, the scent of your very first love's perfume or cologne? Isn't it funny that these scents instantly bring back memories from your childhood? Have you ever wondered why that is? Scent is the most enduring of all of our senses.

It has the power to heal our bodies and transform our emotions. One of the most powerful ways to stimulate your sense of smell is through the art of aromatherapy. In order to understand how this ancient art works, it is important to know its history and the many uses that it has today. With origins dating back 5,000 years, aromatherapy is one of the oldest forms of healing. It began with the Egyptians, who used a method called infusion to extract the oils from aromatic plants. These oils were used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, as well as for embalming their dead.

At a similar time, the Chinese were using aromatic plant oils in religious ceremonies by burning woods and incense to show respect for their Gods. Eventually the Greeks discovered the affects of aromatherapy. They discovered that the scent of some flowers, such as lavender and chamomile, were relaxing and soothing, while others, such as orange blossom and ginger, made them feel energized and rejuvenated. Soon the Romans, too, were using aromatherapy. They became well known for scented baths followed by massages with aromatic oils. During the time of the bubonic plague and during the Middle Ages, it was discovered that certain plant oils helped to prevent the spread of infection, and others, such as cedar and pine, were burnt to fumigate homes and streets.

It wasn't until 1937 that aromatherapy actually got it's name, when a French chemist, Rene Maurice Gattefoose' burnt his arm and, frantic with pain, plunged his arm in the nearest cold liquid, a bowl of lavender oil. He immediately was relieved from his pain and the burn healed miraculously fast. Gattefoose' devoted the rest of his life to studying plant oils and coined the term aromatherapy from "Aroma" meaning scent and "Therapy" meaning treatment. After Gattefooses' discovery there were many reported successes of treating black widow spider bites with lavender oil.

Also, during World War II, army surgeons were using plant oils to successfully to treat battlefield wounds and infections when penicillin was running low. The treatment was so effective that one of the surgeons, Dr. Jean Valet, wrote a book titled Aromatherapy that is used today as the field's most basic medicinal text. As you can see, aromatherapy has been used for many years. (Now let's look at how it's used today) Although it has been practiced for many years, aromatherapy has only recently become popular in our culture. More and more people are recognizing the importance of combining the mind, body, and spirit to achieve optimum health and wellness.

With the growing health care costs of conventional medicine, we have turned to alternative medicines that were once viewed with skepticism. Aromatherapy has proven to be a very powerful form of alternative medicine. It is showing up everywhere, from supermarkets to the most prestigious salons and spas. Aromatherapy today comes in many different forms. Virtually all of the bath and body care products we use contain some form of aromatic oil.

The benefits of Aromatherapy can also be achieved by burning candles, incense, or using something called an aromatic diffuser that lightly scents the air, which I have an example of right here: One of the most popular ways that aromatherapy is used today is a relaxing massage at a spa where they rub you down with aromatic oils to soothe your muscles and relax your mind. Some of the most popular oils used today are Orange and ginger which are best known for their uplifting and reviving properties, Eucalyptus and Spearmint which have clarifying and relaxing effects, and lavender and vanilla which promote tranquility and sleep. I have a chart that demonstrates some of the different aromatic oils and what they remedy: Unfortunately, the methods used to extract the oil are very expensive and time consuming. The oils are found in different parts of the plant, such as the flower, twigs, leaves, bark, or the rind of the fruit where they are then squeezed through a machine that extracts the oils. Large quantities of plant material are required to make pure aromatic oils. In fact it takes 220 lbs. of rose petals to produce only 4 or 5 teaspoonful of oil!

Although they do not have the healing power of the natural oils, synthetic oils are available at a lesser price. I hope that now you understand the history of aromatherapy and the many uses that it has today. The next time that you smell a familiar scent that brings back memories from your childhood, or that makes you feel a certain way, remember that you are experiencing a form of aromatherapy.