Foundations of Aromatherapy

Lesson 5: The Basics of Essential Oils

Watch: The Basics of Essential Oils Part I with Jade Shutes

NOTE: Part Two is below in the section on GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Introduction

Holistic aromatherapy begins with the quality and authenticity of the essential oils to be utilized. Optimal therapeutic and safe applications can only truly be derived from the use of whole, genuine, authentic essential oils. The use of low-quality, cheap, or inexpensive adulterated essential oils increases the likelihood of an adverse response and/or reduced therapeutic activity. Companies selling a wide range of essential oils seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. An internet search on aromatherapy will produce over 10,000 links to this plethora of “aromatherapy” businesses. So how does one choose? What information should you look for? How do you know if it is adulterated? How should essential oils be stored? How safe are essential oils?

These are important questions, and by the end of this chapter you will be able to answer each one accurately with knowledge and experience.

ESSENTIAL OIL INFORMATION

When looking for essential oils to purchase and from what company, there are a number of factors to consider. Aromatherapy companies should provide uniform information on each essential oil they sell. This information is often found on the essential oil label and/or in their product catalog. This information should include:

➙ Common name

The common name is the most widely accepted name for a given plant species within a given culture or regional area. Common names, however, do not always correctly identify an exact botanical species because these names are often used generally for all hybrids or cultivars that belong to that species. Common names can also vary from region to region as well as in various countries throughout the world.

For aromatherapy purposes, one must be able to identify the exact essential oil being used. For instance, if one were to say “I used lavender in the blend”, almost everyone would think of the type of lavender they are familiar with. Each of these essential oils has a slightly different chemical composition and is applied for different therapeutic purposes. The common name is great for the general public, but for the practitioner, it is best to document and identify each essential oil used during a session by its Latin name.

➙ The Scientific Name: Exact Botanical Species

Aromatic medicine, like aromatherapy or herbal medicine, requires the practitioner to know the exact botanical species of the plant used to distill the essential oil. When referring to the botanical specificity of an essential oil, the Latin binomial, or scientific name, is used.

The Latin binomial is the internationally recognized identity of a specific plant, distinguished from all others.

The Latin name is made up of two parts: genus and species.

The genus refers to a group or category of plants that are similar in botanical structure. The genus name is the first word and is always italicized and capitalized: Lavandula.

The species name identifies the exact plant within a specific genus. Species has to do with direct characteristics of the plant, including leaf structure, flower structure, reproduction, and other characteristics within a family of plants. The species name is technically the full Latin binomial but is represented in the second part of the name: angustifolia. Species names are always italicized and in lower case. The full Latin binomial of lavender is Lavandula angustifolia.

To appreciate the importance of the Latin binomial, let’s have a look at the Eucalyptus species. There are over 250 species in the Eucalyptus genus, of which 8 are commonly found within the aromatherapy industry. These include Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus dives, Eucalyptus citriodora, Eucalyptus stageriana, Eucalyptus smitthi, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus polybractea and Eucalyptus radiata. Although they share some common therapeutic benefits, each species has its own unique chemistry and ‘personality’ and therefore unique therapeutic applications.

Like eucalyptus, several species of lavender are used in aromatherapy, including Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula latifolia syn. spika, and Lavandula stoechas.

The Chamomiles, on the other hand, are an example of a diverse genus within a family of plants. In this case, the family is Anthemideae. The Anthemideae family contains 3 genera commonly referred to as chamomiles, including Chamaemelum, Matricaria and Eriocephalus. The essential oils that are derived from these plants include Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Cape chamomile (Eriocephalus punctulatus).

Aromatic plants may be hybrids. A hybrid is the result of a cross-fertilization between two different plant species or two varieties within a species. Hybrids are symbolized with a multiplication sign (x). Lavandula x intermedia is a hybrid between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. The most common lavender hybrids available are Lavandula x intermedia and Lavandula x burnati.

Plants that are used to produce essential oils may be grown as cultivars. A cultivar is a plant that has been cultivated to display certain desirable characteristics in taste, aroma or appearance. The hybrid Lavandula x has two common cultivars, Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’ and Lavandula x intermedia ‘Abrialii’. (These cultivars are becoming less common as L. x burnati rises in availability). Not only are these plants cultivars, they are also hybrids as noted by the ‘x’.

When purchasing essential oils, formulating products, and documenting your work, specify the exact botanical species that you use.

➙ Morphological specificity: Part of plant used

Some plants produce essential oils from more than one part, such as from the seed and the root. The parts of the plant are known as morphological structures. The bitter orange tree, Citrus aurantium var. amara, yields essential oils from three different morphological structures: Petitgrain is extracted from the leaves, neroli from orange blossoms, and bitter orange from the zest of the fruit.

When a plant produces essential oils in more than one of its parts, differences in aroma and chemical composition occur. Petitgrain and neroli are both commonly used for their antidepressant and stress-relieving properties, but each has a unique aroma and a slightly different chemical composition.

Another example is the essential oils obtained from the cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Cinnamon bark essential oil has the characteristic cinnamon aroma, is rich in cinnamic aldehyde, and is a major skin irritant when used undiluted or in high dosages. Cinnamon leaf, on the other hand, has a cinnamon-clove aroma, is rich in the phenol eugenol, and is less irritating to the skin. Both oils have a wide range of antimicrobial activity. Cinnamon leaf is commonly employed by western or English aromatherapists, and cinnamon bark tends to be used internally (in oil-based capsules or suppositories) by aromatic medicine practitioners.

When purchasing essential oils, formulating products, and documenting your work, specify the part of the plant when it is relevant. (Some plants have only one part that is used to distill the essential oil; in these cases, the part does not need to be noted.)

The parts of a plant an essential oil can be extracted from include:

Parts of the Plant Essential Oils are Dervied From

Part of Plant	Essential Oils
Seeds	Angelica seed, Carrot seed, Caraway, Celery, Coriander, Dill, Fennel
Roots/Rhizomes	Vetiver, Spikenard/Jatamansi, Garlic, Angelica root
Wood/Bark	Cinnamon bark, Cedarwood, Sandalwood
Resin	Frankincense, Myrrh, Elemi, Benzoin
Leaves	Basil, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Tea tree, Thyme
Needles	Fir, Pine, Cypress
Buds	Clove
Grasses	Lemongrass, Gingergrass, Palmarosa
Fruit	Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Sweet Orange, Cardamom
Berries	Juniper berry
Flowers	Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Lavender, Roman chamomile, German chamomile

➙ Biochemical specificity

Biochemical specificity refers to the identification of a chemotype of a specific essential oil. Many factors influence the chemical composition of essential oils, including growing conditions of the plant, such as light, soil, temperature, moisture, climate, and altitude, as well as geographic area (country of origin). The term chemotype is used to describe an essential oil that has been extracted from one botanical species yet varies considerably from the norm in chemical composition. Catty defines a chemotype as follows:

“A chemotype occurs when a plant of a specific genus and species produces a particular chemical in a higher-than-normal amount because of geographic location, weather, altitude, insect and environmental interactions, and the like. A chemotype is not a different species or genus, nor is it a type of chemical; it is merely a chemical anomaly within the plant that occurs naturally.”

The term ‘chemotype’ was made an official designation in the European Union in 2006.
It is defined as a distinct chemical entity within the same species.

Not all essential oils have chemotypes, nor are all chemotypes available in the market. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) are the most common chemotypes available within the aromatherapy industry although more diverse essential oils enter the market. A chemotype will be noted with the abbreviation “ct.”, as in Rosemary ct. verbenone or Thyme ct. linalool.

When purchasing essential oils, formulating products, and documenting your work, specify the chemotype when relevant.

➙ How it is grown

Typically, an aromatherapy supply company should be able to tell you how the plant was grown.

There are four main types of ways a plant can be grown:

Ethical Wild-crafted: plants that have been collected in the wild or in their native environment. Ethically wild-crafted means that a company or individual has taken care to ensure that the “species can withstand harvesting and still proliferate.”
Cultivated: plants that are specifically grown to be distilled for essential oils
Traditional/Conventional: plants that have been grown with the use of pesticides
Organic: plants that have been grown without the use of pesticides and usually fulfill organic guidelines set out by independent agencies. Organic farming is not just the absence of pesticides but the presence of an agricultural system that protects croplands supports biodiversity and respects the balance of nature rather than attempting to control it with powerful, often toxic synthetic chemicals.

The Organic Trade Association defines organic agriculture as “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals, and people.”

➙ Batch number / GC/MS Report
Some aromatherapy companies supply a batch number. This batch number is used to identify a specific batch or drum of essential oil from a specific supplier during a specific year. This batch of essential oil will be accompanied by a specific independent GC/MS analysis for that batch.

➙ Standard safety warning on essential oils
The standard safety note on the vast majority of essential oils is Not for internal use. Keep away from children. The main reason for the “Not for Internal Use” is to protect the essential oil company from legal liability. There is growing education with regards to the Internal Use of Essential Oils and we highly recommend receiving training in this area if you are interested in learning more.

It is important to keep all essential oils out of reach of children as some can be highly toxic, especially if taken internally. Many aromatherapy companies will note in their catalog and/or on their website that caution should be taken when utilizing essential oils during pregnancy. This issue is addressed in the next lesson: Safety and Essential Oils.

➙ Size of bottle/essential oil content
Most essential oil companies use the metric system for describing the amount of essential oil within a bottle. The most common sizes found within aromatherapy are: 5 milliliters (mls) is the equivalent of 1/6 of an ounce.

10 mls is the equivalent of 1/3 of an ounce.
30 mls is equal to 1 ounce.
120 mls is equal to 4 ounces.
240 mls is equal to 8 ounces.

STORAGE INFORMATION

Essential oils have a general shelf life of two to five years depending on the individual oil and the manner in which they are stored. For instance, citrus oils tend to have a much shorter shelf life than more viscous essential oils such as vetiver or patchouli. It is wise to replace citrus essential oils every six to twelve months to avoid adverse reactions caused by oxidation of compounds found within them. Adhering to the following guidelines will enhance the longevity of essential oils.

➙ Essential oils are stored in amber or blue bottles.
Essential oils are volatile organic compounds that are sensitive to heat and light. It has been an accepted part of the aromatherapy industry that essential oils need to be in a dark-colored glass to protect them from ultraviolet rays from the sun and other similar light.

➙ Bottles must have an appropriate orifice reducer.
To reduce the impact of oxygen on essential oil degradation, all essential oil bottles must have an appropriate orifice reducer. This is a small dropper insert that fills the opening of the bottle. Eyedroppers should not be used as these are porous and hence allow oxygen to enter into the essential oil. Essential oils will also slowly dissolve the plastic on an eyedropper leading to plastic (rubber) in the essential oil as well as disintegration of the dropper.

Orifice reducers serve two other important purposes in addition to reducing oxidation. These purposes include:

to prevent excessive/large amounts of the oil coming from the bottle in case a child has gotten a hold of the oil and
to allow the practitioner to count the appropriate number of drops.

➙ Essential oils are best stored away from sunlight and direct heat.
Essential oils are susceptible to heat and light and hence are best stored in a relatively cool area and away from direct light. It is recommended that essential oils be stored in the refrigerator to increase shelf life. Some aromatherapists follow this guideline while others simply choose to store their essential oils in a cool area. The most important essential oils to refrigerate are the citrus oils and others rich in monoterpenes.

➙ Move essential oils to smaller bottles.
If you are purchasing essential oils in 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32-ounce sizes, then it is important to pour essential oils into a smaller container once a certain amount has been used. As you use an essential oil from a larger bottle, the headspace of air between the top of the bottle and the essential oil increases, which can increase oxidation of the oil. It is therefore prudent to pour the essential oil into a smaller bottle to decrease the headspace and thereby reduce to some extent the potential for oxidation.

How long should you keep your essential oils?

For monoterpene-rich essential oils, e.g. Citrus oils, conifers (pine, spruce, hemlock), frankincense as well as lemongrass, neroli, and tea tree: 1-2 years
For all other essential oils: 2-3 years
For viscous essential oils, e.g. vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood: 4-8+ years

Watch: The Basics of Essential Oils Part II with Jade Shutes

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils display a set of general physical characteristics that give them their identity. In general, essential oils are:

➙ Highly concentrated

This means that the therapeutic effect is considerably magnified. The fact that essential oils are highly concentrated makes them powerful agents, and often, due to their concentration, it is typically necessary to dilute them prior to use. Many aromatherapists believe that it is due to their incredibly high concentration that only a small amount is necessary to have therapeutic effects.

➙ Volatile substances

Volatility refers to the ability of an essential oil to turn from liquid to vapor. An essential oil as a whole is volatile, and individual chemical constituents within an essential oil will volatize more or less quickly than others. For example, lemon is more volatile than vetiver, and limonene (a hydrocarbon terpene) is more volatile than borneol (an oxygenated hydrocarbon alcohol).

➙ Light and non-greasy

The name essential oil can be deceptive. Essential oils are not vegetable or fatty oils, rather they are light, volatile substances that are referred to as “oils.” They have a consistency more like water (although they are insoluble in water) than oil and lack the oily texture of vegetable oils (with the exception of viscous essential oils, such as sandalwood, vetiver, and myrrh).

➙ Mostly clear in color

Most oils have a slight hint of color from clear to light yellow. A few essential oils do have some color, for example, German chamomile, tansy, and yarrow are all a deep rich blue; patchouli can be dark brown; and bergamot can have a light green tint. Absolutes tend to be richer in color due to the chlorophyll and other plant pigments drawn out by the solvent. Resinoids, such as benzoin, myrrh, and frankincense, tend to be dark in color unless they are distilled.

➙ Lipophilic

Essential oils are lipophilic substances, which means they are attracted to and soluble in fatty substances. Essential oils have a strong affinity for lipids and are therefore soluble in:

Vegetable oils: Sweet almond, Sunflower, Apricot kernel, etc.
Herbal oils: Calendula, St. John’s wort, Comfrey, and Arnica
Full fat milk, cream, or honey
Essential oils are also soluble in alcohol and ether.

➙ Viscosity

Viscosity is the measurement of an essential oil’s thickness. Viscous essential oils are less volatile than low-viscosity oils. The viscosity of an essential oil may slow down absorption through the skin. Viscous essential oils also tend to have a heavier aroma. For example, vetiver essential oil is very viscous compared to tangerine essential oil.

➙ Highly complex chemically

Essential oils are made up of different combinations of a variety of chemical constituents. Some essential oils are considered to be simple in their chemistry, such as wintergreen or birch, which contain up to 99 percent of one active constituent. Other essential oils are highly complex and contain over 100 different main constituents and hundreds more trace components. According to Schnaubelt, “the therapeutic potential of essential oils arises from the synergistic action of the complex mixture of all its components.”

➙ Dynamic substance that exhibits a wide range of therapeutic activity

Essential oils exhibit a wide range of therapeutic activities, including psychological, physiological, spiritual, and energetic. One of the most researched aspects of essential oils is their antimicrobial and antiseptic activity. It is beyond doubt that essential oils are effective antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial agents and that their natural aroma has an impact on our emotions, spirituality, perception, and behavior.

Lesson 4: Absolutes and CO2 Extracts

Watch About Absolutes and CO2 Extracts with Jade Shutes

EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES FOR ABSOLUTES AND CO2 EXTRACTS

Other methods that are used to produce other aromatic products include:

Enfleurage: produces absolutes.
Solvent Extraction: produces absolutes and resins.
CO2 Extraction: produces CO2 extracts.

The following methods of extraction, enfleurage, solvent extraction, and CO2 extraction, will only be briefly discussed. This course does not cover the therapeutic use of CO2 extracts or absolutes.

Enfleurage

Flowers were being processed via enfleurage in the Grasse region of Southern France long before the modern method of solvent extraction. In the early days of perfumery, many flower scents were extracted via enfleurage, now considered an ancient art that is passed down from father to son or from generation to generation.

Enfleurage is a cold-fat extraction process that is based upon the principles that fat possesses a high power of absorption, particularly animal fat. The fat used must be relatively stable against rancidity. It is a method used for flowers that continue developing and giving off their aroma even after harvesting (e.g., jasmine and tuberose). Today, Grasse continues to be one of the few areas in the world that continues to employ enfleurage as a method of extraction, although it is rare in the aromatherapy market due to the expense.

Solvent Extraction

Some plant material is too fragile to be distilled and an alternative method must be employed. Solvent extraction is the use of solvents, such as petroleum ether, methanol, ethanol, or hexane, to extract the odoriferous lipophilic material from the plant. The solvent will also pull out the chlorophyll and other plant tissue, resulting in a highly colored or thick/viscous extract. The first product made via solvent extraction is known as a concrete. A concrete is the concentrated extract that contains the waxes and/or fats as well as the odoriferous material from the plant. The concrete is then mixed with alcohol, which serves to extract the aromatic principle of the material. The final product is known as an absolute.

Solvent extraction is used for jasmine, tuberose, carnation, gardenia, jonquil, violet leaf, narcissus, mimosa, and other delicate flowers. Neroli and rose can be distilled or solvent-extracted. The name neroli typically implies the essential oil, whereas the name orange blossom is commonly used for the absolute or hydrosol of neroli. The name rose is used to describe either the essential oil or the absolute. Companies selling essential oils should clarify whether the product you are purchasing is an essential oil or absolute. This information should be on the label and in the product catalog.

After the solvent extraction process has been completed, the resulting absolute will have an extremely low concentration of solvent residue, approximately 5 to 10ppm (parts per million). According to Guba, the current European Union standards are for less than 10 parts per million solvent residues in a finished absolute. However, even with such a potentially small residue (less than .0001%), many aromatherapists disagree with the use of absolutes for individuals with a compromised immune system due to the potential effect of the residual pesticide.

However, absolutes do have therapeutic value and are often used for psychological purposes and for animals, particularly horses. Many therapists incorporate absolutes, such as rose absolute, jasmine, and tuberose, as a valuable part of their therapeutic applications of aromatherapy. Ultimately the decision to use absolutes is up to the practitioner and his/her own personal preferences.

Absolutes are highly concentrated aromatic substances and are obtained from delicate flowers by either enfleurage or solvent extraction. Absolutes will most often resemble the natural aroma of the plant and are normally more colored and viscous than essential oils. Absolutes are used extensively in the cosmetic and perfume industries due to their strong aromas. There are also different grades of absolutes. The top grade is the uncut, which can be a thick or semisolid substance, making them difficult to work with. Less expensive grades are diluted with alcohol to make them more user-friendly, although often the strength of aroma is slightly diminished.

CO2 Hypercritical Extraction

Hypercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction is a relatively new process used for the extraction of aromatic products. The basic concept is that CO2 under pressure will turn from a gas into a liquid that can then be used as an inert liquid solvent. This liquid solvent is able to diffuse throughout the plant material, thus extracting its aromatic constituents. CO2 extracts contain most of the same constituents as their essential oil counterparts, although they can contain some elements not found in essential oils.

For instance, the essential oil of ginger (Zingiber officinale) does not contain the bitter principles; however, the CO2 extract does. Also, the CO2 extract of frankincense (Boswellia carterii) has immune enhancing and anti-inflammatory activity not found in the essential oil. CO2 extracts are known for their strong similarity in aroma to the actual plant aroma.

Components of plants that can be extracted via CO2 extract include essential oil components, waxes, pigments, lipids, resins, and others.

What to look for when purchasing CO2

CO2 extracts are available as total extracts and select extracts.

Total extracts contain all the possible CO2-extracted components from the plant material, which is what can make them quite thick and a bit challenging to work with. The essential oil component content can vary between 3 to 50% of the total extract, with the remaining extract being composed of waxes, lipids, etc., depending on the plant material. Warming thick CO2 extracts helps with making them easier to use. Since total extracts contain the lipid components, there are some incredible CO2’s that act more like carriers or herbal oils than essential oils. Examples of these types of Total CO2 extract include calendula co2, arnica co2, rosehip co2, and sea buckthorn co2. We’ll be covering Calendula co2 extract in Part III.

Select extracts contain mostly the essential oil components, which can make up 35-95% of the extract. Select extracts are not viscous like total extracts and, hence, are easier to use.

Select CO2 extracts contain many of the same constituents as their essential oil counterparts, although they may also contain some components not found in essential oils. For instance, the essential oil of ginger (Zingiber officinale) does not contain the bitter principles (shogaol, gingerols); however, the CO2 extract does. Select CO2 extracts are known for their strong similarity in aroma to the actual plant aroma versus the essential oil, which can smell slightly different from the actual plant.

Note: According to Guba, the three main disadvantages of this process are cost, potential pesticide residue, and the lack of information regarding their safety and therapeutic benefits. With regard to pesticide residue, Guba comments that carbon dioxide extraction has been demonstrated to concentrate from 7 to 53 times more pesticide residues in the final extract. Therefore, it seems pertinent to only use organic plant material for CO2 extraction. Perhaps as more CO2 extracts become available and more practitioners use them, further details regarding their applications will become apparent. Two of the most common essential oils available via CO2 extraction include frankincense and ginger. More and more CO2 extracts are coming onto the market all the time.

ESSENTIAL OILS IN MODERN TIMES

Essential oils are produced for a variety of purposes, and they are distilled all over the world. They are utilized by a wide range of industries, including the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, tobacco, food and flavoring, and perfume industries. They are used as preservatives in cosmetics, flavors in food, insect repellants, fragrance compounds for perfumes and body care products, antimicrobial compounds in such products as mouthwashes, and masking agents for unpleasant odors. Essential oils and their isolated constituents have been the focus of research for their antimicrobial activity and other medicinal benefits. They offer a plethora of uses within the above industries as well as others.

This would lead one to wonder, are the essential oils used in all the above industries the same essential oils we use in aromatherapy? Most of the industries listed above are not necessarily concerned with the purity and wholeness of the essential oil, and in fact many will have fragrance oils made in a lab to maintain consistency in aroma or to reduce the cost of making a product. For genuine aromatherapy and effective applications, the purity and wholeness of the essential oil cannot be understated. We will be addressing this
issue in the next chapter.

In the words of Schnaubelt, “Genuine and authentic essential oils from plants are necessary conditions of wholistic aromatherapy. They are fundamentally different from the industrial, semi-natural oils which are commonly offered on the market. As semi-natural or synthetic oils are materially different from authentic oils, it is logical that their physiological effects are also different. Most importantly, authentic oils are much less allergenic and irritant than their industrial counterparts.”

Lesson 3: From Plant to Essential Oil

Watch From Plant to Essential Oil

Watch: Distilling Rosemary

METHODS OF EXTRACTION

Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic extracts that are distilled or expressed from a variety of aromatic plant material, including flowers, flowering tops, fruits/zests, grasses, leaves, needles and twigs, resins, roots, seeds, and woods.

It is common in the mass market to refer to just about anything that is liquid in a brown bottle and smells as an essential oil. Even within the aromatherapy profession, many call absolutes and CO2 extracts essential oils. Technically, however, only distilled or expressed substances are essential oils. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in their Vocabulary of Natural Materials (ISO/ D1S9235.2) defines an essential oil as a product made by distillation with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the water phase.

According to Dr. Brian Lawrence “for an essential oil to be a true essential oil, it must be isolated by physical means only. The physical methods used are distillation (steam, steam/water and water) or expression (also known as cold pressing, a unique feature for citrus peel oils). There is one other method of oil isolation specific to a very limited number of essential oil plants. This is a maceration/distillation. In the process, the plant material is macerated in warm water to release the enzyme-bound essential oil. Examples of oils produced by maceration are onion, garlic, wintergreen, bitter almond, etc.”

Another way of viewing what essential oils are is through the lenses of TCM or Ayurveda:

In Chinese terms, essential oils are medicines for the Shen, the spiritual essence that resides in the heart and governs consciousness. In Ayurvedic terms, they enhance the flow of prana (life force), nourish ojas (nutritional/immunological essence), and brighten tejas (mental luminosity).

– David Crow

NOTE: Gums and Resins
Resins, such as frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin, are very thick and sticky when extracted from the tree. In aromatherapy, resins such as frankincense and myrrh are distilled, resulting in an essential oil that is more fluid and easier to pour. Benzoin, although an uncommon oil, cannot be distilled and remains a thick resinoid.

Often benzoin will be diluted down with a perfume grade alcohol to make it more usable. Resins are most commonly used in perfumes as fixative agents to prolong the fragrant effects of perfumes. Frankincense and myrrh are the most commonly used resins for a wide range of therapeutic benefits in aromatherapy.

The two methods of extracting an essential oil include:

Distillation: produces essential oils and hydrosols (Hydrolat).
Expression: produces citrus oils, which can also be called essential oils.
Essential oil versus Essence: Some companies differentiate between the distilled essential oil by calling it an essence and the expressed by calling it the ‘essential oil’. E.g. Sweet orange essential oil (expressed) and Sweet orange essence (distilled). Be sure to check with your supplier to make sure you are ordering what you want.

The Practice of Distillation

Distillation appears to have been practiced throughout ancient times. According to Schnaubelt, “Based upon the current interpretation Paolo Rovesti’s discovery of an earthenware distillation apparatus, the production or extraction of aromatic oils by means of steam distillation, has been known for 5000 years”. During the fifth century AD, the famed writer, Zosimus of Panopolis, refers to the distilling of a divine water and panacea. Throughout the early Middle Ages and beyond, a crude form of distillation was known and was used primarily to prepare floral waters or distilled aromatic waters. These appear to have been used in perfumery, as digestive tonics, in cooking, and for trading.

Although an extensive trade of odoriferous material has been shown to have occurred in the ancient Orient and ancient Greece and Rome, the oils used were not essential oils, “rather they were obtained by placing flowers, roots, and other plant material into a fatty oil of best quality, submitting the glass bottles containing these mixtures to the warming influence of the sun and finally separating odoriferous oil from the solid constituents.” In 900 AD, Avicenna, the famous child prodigy from Arabia who wrote many documents on plants and their uses and also instructions for massage, was accredited with refining the process of distillation by improving the cooling system.

Today distillation is still the most common process of extracting essential oils from plants. The advantage of distillation is that the volatile components can be distilled at temperatures lower than the boiling points of their individual constituents and are easily separated from the condensed water.

Distillation as Alchemy

When we pick up an essential oil, we could say that we are holding a physical manifestation of Alchemy. We could describe this process of alchemy in the language of the five elements. As plant material (Earth) is placed inside a container (Ether/Space) with water (Water) and air (air) and then heated up (Fire) water will transform into vapor (air). All the elements combined releases now from the plant the quintessence, the fifth element, into the vapor. This vapor condenses down into a liquid where water can be separated from the quintessence and that’s now what you are holding in your hand – the fifth element.

Preparation of Plant Material

Some types of plant material require preparation prior to distillation. Since essences are stored in a variety of locations within the plant, such as glandular trichomes, oil cavities, ducts, and cells, it is sometimes necessary to crush, open, or in some other manner prepare the plant material in order for the plant to release its essence during the distillation process. Plants, such as those in the Lamiaceae/Labiatae family, tend not to need much preparation. However, woods, roots, and seeds do need preparation. Seeds are crushed to release their aromatic essence prior to distillation. Woods are often cut into shorter lengths in order to expose the oil glands.

The main purpose of preparing plant material is to allow easier access to the volatile constituents as the steam passes through the material. Immediately after the plant material has been prepared, it must be distilled. If the plant material is not distilled immediately, two things may occur: (1) the total quantity yielded will be reduced, and (2) the composition and, hence, the aroma will be altered by evaporation of some of the constituents. Once the plant material has been prepared, it then enters the distillation process.

The three types of distillation include:

Water Distillation
The plant material comes into direct contact with the water. This method is most often employed with flowers (rose and orange blossoms), as direct steam causes these flowers to clump together, making it difficult for steam to pass through.
Water and Steam
This method can be employed with herb and leaf material. During this process, the water remains below the plant material, which has been placed on a grate while the steam is introduced from outside the main still (indirect steam).
Steam Distillation
This method is the most commonly used. During this process, steam is injected into the still, usually at slightly higher pressures and temperatures than the above two methods.

Note on Boiling Point: The boiling point represents the temperature at which a liquid is converted to a gas at a specified pressure. The fundamental nature of steam distillation is that it enables a compound or mixture of compounds to be distilled (and subsequently recovered) at a temperature substantially below that of the boiling point(s) of the individual constituent(s). Essential oils contain substances with boiling points up to 200°C or higher, including some that are solids at normal temperatures. In the presence of steam or boiling water, however, these substances are volatilized at a temperature close to 100°C at atmospheric pressure.

The Distillation Process

During distillation, the plant material is placed upon a grid inside the still. Once inside, the still is sealed, and, depending upon the above methods, steam or water/steam slowly breaks through the plant material to remove its volatile constituents. These volatile constituents rise upward through a connecting pipe that leads them into a condenser. The condenser cools the rising vapor back into liquid form. The liquid is then collected in a vehicle below the condenser. Since water and essential oil do not mix, the essential oil will be found on the surface of the water, where it is siphoned off. Occasionally, an essential oil is heavier than water and is found on the bottom rather than the top, such as clove essential oil.

Percolation or Hydro-diffusion

This is a relatively recent method and is very similar to steam distillation, except that the steam comes in through the top rather than the bottom, and there is a shorter distillation time. It is useful in extracting essential oils from woody or tough material or seeds such as fennel and dill.

Expression

Expression, also referred to as cold pressing, is a method of extraction specific to citrus essential oils, such as tangerine, lemon, bergamot, sweet orange, and lime. In older times, expression was done in the form of sponge pressing, which was literally accomplished by hand. The zest or rind of the citrus would first be soaked in warm water to make the rind more receptive to the pressing process. A sponge would then be used to press the rind, thus breaking the essential oil cavities and absorbing the essential oil. Once the sponge was filled with the extraction, it would then be pressed over a collecting container, and there it would stand to allow for the separation of the essential oil and water/juice. The essential oil would finally be siphoned off.

A more modern method of extraction, and less labor-intensive, has been termed the ecuelle a piquer process that involves a prodding, pricking, sticking action to release the essential oil. During this process, the rind of the fruit is placed in a container having spikes that will puncture the peel while the device is rotated. The puncturing of the rind will release the essential oil that is then collected in a small area below the container. The end process is the same as above. The majority of modern expression techniques are accomplished by using machines using centrifugal force. The spinning in a centrifuge separates the majority of essential oil from the fruit juice.

Watch video on commercial expression: Citrus oil and juice extraction (see below)

What is the difference between expressed and distilled citrus oils?
Some aromatherapy companies sell both a distilled and an expressed citrus essential oil from the same species. The main differences between a distilled and an expressed citrus essential oil have to do with their toxicity, volatility, and aroma. Distilled citrus oils deteriorate more quickly and are considerably more unstable than the expressed oils.

Differences between Expressed and Distilled Citrus Essential Oils
Essential Oil	Distilled	Expressed
Lemon Citrus limon	Non-phototoxic	Phototoxic Aroma considered superior
Lime Citrus medix	Non-phototoxic Aroma considered superior	Phototoxic
Grapefruit Citrus paradisi	Low phototoxicity concern	Low phototoxicity concern
Bergamot Citrus bergamia	Phototoxic	Phototoxic Aroma considered superior
Blood Orange Citrus sinensis	Non-phototoxic	Non-phototoxic
Mandarin/Tangerine Citrus reticulata	Non-phototoxic	Non-phototoxic

VIDEOS

Lesson 2: Biological Role of Essential Oils

THE BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF ESSENTIAL OILS WITHIN PLANTS

Watch: The Biological Roles of Essential Oils with Jade Shutes

While essential oils are in the plant, they are constantly changing their chemical composition, helping the plant to adapt to the ever-changing internal and external environment. Recent scientific research has shown that plants produce essential oils for a variety of purposes, including:

➙ To attract pollinators and dispersal agents

Insects have been pollinating flowers for over 200 million years. Insects, like humans, are attracted to specific plants for one of three possible reasons: its aroma, its color, or its morphology or physical structure. According to Shawe, scent appears to be more ancient than flower color as an attractant to insects. Various insects, including bees, butterflies, and even beetles, are known to be attracted by the aroma of a plant.

➙ To play a role in allelopathy, a type of plant-to-plant competition

Allelopathy occurs when a plant releases chemicals to prevent competing vegetation from growing within its area or zone. An often-cited example is in southern California, home to the dominant shrubs Salvia leucophylla (sage bush) and Artemisia californica (a type of sage). Both species release allelopathic terpenoids, eucalyptol, and camphor into the surrounding area, which effectively prevents other plant species from growing around them. This is allelopathy. Chemicals that deter competing growth (terpenes, for example) are referred to as allelochemics.

➙ To serve as defense compounds against insects and other animals

Plants, like other living things, need to protect themselves from various types of predators. Plants use terpenoid compounds to deter insects and other animals from approaching them. Shawe pointed out that “insects are very rarely found on peppermint plants, and the presence of linalool in the peel of citrus fruits confers resistance to attack by the Caribbean fruit fly. The Douglas fir tree releases a complex mixture of volatile oils, or terpenes, from their needles to defend against the spruce budworm. Even more fascinating is that the Douglas fir trees will vary the composition and production of terpenes each year, thus decreasing the ability of the budworm to develop widespread immunity to specific compounds.

➙ To protect the plant by their antifungal and antibacterial nature

Resins and complex combinations of terpenes are released by some plants and trees, such as evergreens, to act as antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial agents against a wide range of organisms that may threaten the survival of the plants. Compounds such as sesquiterpene lactones found in plants such as feverfew, yarrow, and blessed thistle have been found to play a strong antimicrobial role as well as a protective role from herbivores.

THE STORAGE OF ESSENTIAL OIL WITHIN THE PLANT

Plants store essential oils either in external secretory structures, which are found on the surface of the plant, or internal secretory structures, which are found inside the plant material. Usually, with plants having external secretory structures, you just have to touch them lightly, and you will notice an aroma imparted to your skin. With plants having internal secretory structures, you may need to break the leaf or seed in order to get to the aroma/essential oil.

Watch: Secretory Structures with Jade Shutes

External Secretory Structures

Glandular trichomes

External secretory structures in plants are called glandular trichomes. They can be found on the surface of the plant (such as herbaceous leaves) and are thought to be responsible for the production of chemicals that deter or attract pests or pollinators. Glandular trichomes are most commonly found in the Lamiaceae (syn. Labiatae) family. The oil storage capacity varies from species to species and also between trichomes. Biochemical experiments have shown that these volatile oils are synthesized by highly refined enzyme reactions taking place within the plant. Common essential oils that have glandular trichomes: Basil, Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Spearmint.

Glandular trichome of Lavandula angustifolia

Internal Secretory Structures

Secretory cavities and ducts

Secretory cavities and ducts consist of large, intercellular spaces that are formed either by the separation of the walls of neighboring cells, or by the disintegration of cells.

Families containing secretory cavities include fruits and leaves of plants in the Citrus family (Rutaceae) as well as Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae). Secretory cavities are also present in the flower buds of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Myrtaceae), and in the elongated cavities in the bark of frankincense (Boswellia spp., Burseraceae).

Ducts are more elongated spaces and are most commonly seen in the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) as well as the families Asteraceae (Compositae), and Pinaceae.

Common essential oils with secretory cavities:

Rutaceae family: Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Tangerine/Mandarin, Lemon, Lime, Blood orange
Myrtaceae family: Clove bud, Eucalyptus, Tea tree
Burseraceae family: Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin

Common essential oils with secretory ducts:

Apiaceae family: Angelica, Caraway, Carrot seed, Dill, Fennel,
Asteraceae family: Yarrow, Roman and German chamomile, Tansy, Helichrysum, Inula
Pinaceae family: Fir, Cedar, Spruce, Pine

Essential oil secretory cells

Essential oil secretory cells are found within the plant tissue and are unique from other cells in content and size. This cell type is found in many different plant tissues, such as in the rhizome pith and cortex of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) and in the perisperm and embryo of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt., Myristicaceae).

Common essential oils with secretory cells:

Zingiberaceae family: Ginger
Myristicaceae family: Nutmeg

Secretory cell of Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Lesson 1: Medicinal Plants

INTRODUCTION

You may be wondering why, as aromatherapy students, you need to learn about plants. Aromatherapy depends upon pure, unadulterated, and genuine essential oils derived specifically from the living world of plants. You won’t have to become a botanist or anything of that sort, but many aromatherapists or individuals who utilize aromatherapy products may never actually interact with the plants they are derived from. It is, however, important to have an appreciation for the plant world since, without it, genuine and authentic aromatherapy would not be possible.

Genuine and authentic aromatherapy utilizes only essential oils derived directly from plants, avoiding, at all costs, the use of synthetics, reconstructions, perfumes, and other adulterated versions. The importance of this chapter is to develop an appreciation for our interconnected and symbiotic relationship with plants, how and why they produce essential oils, how essential oils are extracted, and how we put them to use once extracted.

WHAT IS A PLANT?

“Plants mean nothing in isolation; they are a life-form rooted in and identified by their community, by their relationships to and interactions with all other life on Earth.”
Stephen Harrod Buhner

Defining what a plant is has its difficulties. One could say that plants are green, have stems and roots, and normally produce flowers, resins, and/or fruits. However, this definition does not adequately define all plants, nor does it convey an idea of the variations found within the plant world. There are many kinds of plants, ranging from tiny mosses and ferns to giant sequoias and eucalyptus trees. In aromatherapy, we will be studying two groups within the plant kingdom: the angiosperms (Table 2.1), or flowering plants, which include the vast majority of essential oils, and the gymnosperms (Table 2.2), plants that lack flowers but produce seeds such as the conifers.

Table 1.1 Angiosperm/Flowering Plants Botanical Families and Essential Oils

Botanical Family	Aromatic Plant/s
Annonaceae	Ylang ylang
Apiaceae syn. Umbelliferae	Angelica, Caraway, Carrot seed, Celery, Dill, Fennel, Parsley
Asteraceae syn. Compositae	Roman chamomile, German chamomile, Helichrysum, Inula
Betulaceae	Birch
Burseraceae	Elemi, Frankincense, Myrrh
Geraniaceae	Geranium, Rose Geranium
Lamiaceae syn. Labiatae	Basil, Catnip, Clary sage, Hyssop, Lavender, Melissa, Oregano, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme
Lauraceae	Bay Laurel, Cinnamon, Ravensara, Rosewood
Myristicaceae	Nutmeg
Myrtaceae	Clove, Eucalyptus, Myrtle, Tea tree
Piperaceae	Black pepper
Poaceae syn. Gramineae	Lemongrass, Palmarosa
Rosaceae	Rose
Rutaceae	Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Sweet Orange, Blood Orange, Tangerine/Mandarin
Santalaceae	Sandalwood
Zingiberaceae	Cardamom, Ginger

Table 1.2 Gymnosperm Botanical Families and Essential Oils

Botanical Family	Aromatic Plants
Pinaceae	Fir, Cedar, Larch, Spruce, Pine, Douglas Fir, Hemlock
Cupressaceae	Cypress, Juniper, Thuja

Of the over 400,000 known species of plants, over half are members of the angiosperm group. The angiosperms and gymnosperms were the first groups in the plant kingdom to begin widespread production of essential oils. Early evolved plants, such as the bryophytes (e.g., mosses and liverworts) and seedless vascular plants (e.g., ferns), contained little to no essential oil. It is believed that as plant life evolved, they began producing secondary metabolites, such as essential oils, in response to an increasingly changing environment.

Plants are structured in a physical body, and they depend on the soil, water, air, and sunlight to sustain life and perform complex chemical activities. This complex chemical activity produces primary metabolites, meaning they are vital to the plant’s life, such as enzymes, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and chlorophyll, and secondary metabolites, constituents that are not considered necessary for life, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils.

Plants are photoautotrophs, which means they depend on the sun in order for photosynthesis to occur thereby producing complex organic compounds necessary to sustain life.

All plants need sunlight to grow, with the exception of parasitic plants that are able to grow with or without sunlight. Humans, on the other hand, are considered heterotrophs. Humans depend on the release of oxygen from plants to provide the necessary energy to sustain life. Plants are responsible for their own growth and molecules by utilizing carbon dioxide, water, and various nitrates, sulfates, and other minerals found on Earth and its atmosphere. Photoautotrophs are the only form of life that can transform radiant energy into chemical energy (photosynthesis).

PLANTS AS MEDICINE

In her widely acclaimed book, Green Pharmacy, Griggs reminds us that “there is virtually no people known to anthropology—however remote, isolated or primitive—in which some form of doctoring with plants was not practiced. Plants have been used throughout history for medicine, food, clothing, and shelter. Plants provide a variety of active components, including fatty acids, essential oils, gums, resins, alkaloids, and steroids, all of which have found their way into medicine.

One example of plant-based medicine would be the Eucalyptus species, which is used to isolate the active constituent eucalyptol (syn. 1,8 cineole) for its expectorating action. Eucalyptol is one of three essential oil compounds that make up the famed chest rub VicksTM VapoRub. The other compounds include camphor from rosemary or camphor tree and menthol from peppermint. All three oils are used for the treatment of muscular aches and pains as well. Another example is the active constituent of birch (Betula ssp.), methyl salicylate, used for its analgesic properties; it is the active ingredient in BenGayTM .

Other examples of important medicinal constituents from plants include the active compound salicin from the willow tree (Salix species), which is used as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic compound for treating headaches; the active compound digitoxin from foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), which is used to treat heart conditions; steroids from yams (Dioscorea species), which will be used to create cortisone, oral contraceptives, and hormone-based drugs; and morphine from the opium poppy (Papver somniferum).

Approximately 80 percent of the world’s population still depends on medicinal plants for their primary healthcare, and approximately 20 percent of modern drugs have either been extracted from plants or are synthetically reproduced based upon isolated chemicals from plants.

Our environment of plants is important. Indeed, humans and plants have a crucial symbiotic relationship based upon an interconnectedness and interdependence with the natural world. This relationship is crucial not only for our own survival but for the survival of the plant world. Exploring the biological role of essential oils within plants sheds light on some of the very same reasons humans use essential oils. Historically and in modern times, humans have utilized essential oils to attract and even repel other beings (consciously or unconsciously), to protect against microbial agents, to support respiration, and to defend against pests and insects such as mosquitoes.

We will explore this in the next lesson.

Lesson 4: The Art of Language

Watch The Art of Language

The Language Of Aroma

Aromatherapy is suffering from an identity crisis and has been since its rapid growth within the retail industry throughout the late 1980s and into the present time. The average consumer is confused as to what aromatherapy is and if there is a difference between synthetic fragrances and genuine essential oils.

In aromatherapy, language becomes crucial in defining the profession as well as providing a clear identity for its practice and growth within the public and private sectors. Language provides insight into a given subject and often defines a practice. The language we use in relation to the practice of aromatherapy is crucial in educating the general public on genuine aromatherapy. Since the vast majority of the public thinks of perfume when one uses the word ‘fragrance,’ I would like to put forth that aromatherapists begin to use a more specific language that more adequately describes aromatherapy as a holistic healing therapy.

The following words relate to and express genuine aromatherapy.

Aroma: an odor arising from spices, plants, cooking, etc. especially an agreeable odor
Aromatic: having an aroma; fragrant or sweet-scented; odoriferous
Aromaticity: the quality or state of being aromatic
Fragrant: having a pleasant scent or aroma
Scent: a word derived from the french “Sentir” which means to feel, smell. Also based on the Latin word ‘Sentire’ meaning to feel or perceive

However, many individuals, even aromatherapy practitioners, use the word ‘fragrance’ when describing an essential oil or an aroma. Essential oils and aromas both have a reference back to plants and to natural scents or odors. Fragrance, on the other hand, has a reference back to perfume and cologne, as can be seen in the definition of ‘fragrance’. It would seem that the use of the word ‘fragrance’ furthers the misconceptions of what aromatherapy is, particularly amongst the general public. Therefore, it may be prudent for each person who practices genuine aromatherapy to refrain from using the term ‘fragrance’ since it inadequately describes genuine aromatherapy and the essential oils (nature’s aromas) that have been derived from medicinal plants.

Fragrance: perfume, cologne, toilet water, or the like, the quality of being fragrant

(All definitions, except for scent, have been taken from Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. (1996). New Jersey; Random House.)

The language of aromas offers us a new vocabulary to work with. Although aromas contribute to our perception of the world and our own lives, we lack a true vocabulary for describing these individual aromas. This may be because aromas or odors do not get remembered as a word or even as a scent/odor, but rather, an aroma will be remembered by its meanings and memory-based associations. Describing an aroma is a highly individual experience, so we need a universal vocabulary to describe particular characteristics of an individual essential oil aroma. The following is a list of words gathered from a book, “Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin” by Stephan Arctander, which is considered to be a definitive guide to odor descriptions.

Language of Aromas
Balsamic	Intensely sweet	Rosy leafy
Balsamic-woody	Leafy-woody	Root like Smokey
Bitter – sweet	Light	Soft
Bitter	Meadow-like sweetness	Spicy
Camphoraceous	Medicinal, reminiscent of cough preparations	Spicy-herbaceous
Citrusy	Mild	Spicy-peppery
Clean	Minty	Sweet
Earthy	Musky animal-like	Sweet-fruity
Fresh	Penetrating	Sweet-spicy
Fresh-fruity	Peppery	Tea leaf-like
Floral	Pine-like	Tenacious
Floral-woody	Powerful	Turpentine like
Fruity – sweet	Pungent	Warm
Fruity-warm	Radiant	Woody-green
Grassy	Rancid	Woody-resinous
Green undertone	Reminiscent of……	Vanillin like
Hay-like	Resinous	Woody
Heavy	Rich and tenacious	Warm – woody
Herbaceous	Rosy sweet	Woody spice
Honey-like	Rosy

As you begin your studies of individual essential oils you may want to refer back to this list and use these words to help describe the aroma of a given essential oil.

Lesson 3: Holistic Health and Wellness

Watch Introduction to Aromatherapy as a Holistic Therapy with Jade Shutes

Aromatherapy As A Holistic Health Modality

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices differ from orthodox medicine in their philosophy and approach to health and healing. This difference in approach can be attributed to the belief that arises from philosophical and conceptual ideas regarding the role of the practitioner in supporting the client back to health and wellness. While traditional allopathic medicine focuses only on the disease, seeking out an agent (microbe) or malfunctioning organ to either kill or repair, holistic therapies focus on healing the patient by addressing the nature of the disease within the context of the whole person, including diet, lifestyle, exercise, stress levels, etc. that may be contributing to or potentially causing the disease or imbalance.

Holistic CAM therapies, such as Aromatherapy, foster a cooperative relationship between client and practitioner with the goal of attaining optimal physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, not simply the absence of disease. It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual, and lifestyle values.

As a holistic therapy, aromatherapy is clearly able to affect the body-mind-spirit (energy) aspects of the individual; however, it does not, in and of itself, create whole health or wellness. For that, we need to be sure to address diet, exercise, stress, and bodywork therapies, as well as be aware of potential genetic predispositions.

Aromatherapy can be used to treat acute and/or chronic health conditions and it can be used as a preventative approach to various disorders. Aromatherapy is, however, one aspect of holistic health and well-being.

Two potential additions to furthering the holistic practice of aromatherapy include even a basic understanding of Ayurveda and/or Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Let’s begin with a brief exploration of these two holistic medical systems.

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It originated in India more than 3,000 years ago and remains one of the country’s traditional health care systems. The word ‘Ayurveda’ is derived from two Sanskrit words: the root ‘ayus’, meaning “life”, and ‘veda’, meaning “knowledge”, Ayurveda is commonly translated as the “science of life” or the “knowledge of life”. Ayurveda advocates the total health of an individual through preventative, restorative, and curative measures that may include whole foods (healthy diet), herbs, meditation, Yoga, mantras, Pancha karma, aromatherapy, color therapy, music, and a healthy lifestyle.

Ayurveda, first and foremost, is the art of preventing illness with a healthy lifestyle. According to Dr. Tiwari, ‘Medicines and treatments are not the priority of Ayurveda. It first teaches how to achieve and maintain health with conduct, diet, and daily routines; only after that do we prescribe drugs. The treatment of disease is the secondary objective.’ This philosophy and the roles of doctors (aromatherapists) and patients are important distinguishing characteristics of sattvic medical systems. In doctor-patient interactions ruled by rajas and tamas, patients become unquestioning, passive recipients of treatments and medications; in a sattvic relationship, the physician (holistic practitioner) is primarily an educator who supports positive transformation by teaching self-care and responsibility for one’s health. Sattvic practitioners are spiritual friends on a shared journey toward well-being who elevate and empower their patients by assisting them in self-improvement.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), on the other hand, originated in ancient China and has evolved over thousands of years. TCM is rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism and dates back more than 2,500 years. TCM practitioners use herbal medicines and various mind and body practices, such as acupuncture and tai chi, to treat or prevent health problems. TCM encompasses many different practices, including acupuncture, moxibustion (burning an herb above the skin to apply heat to acupuncture points), Chinese herbal medicine, tui na (Chinese therapeutic massage), dietary therapy, and tai chi and qi gong (practices that combine specific movements or postures, coordinated breathing, and mental focus).

Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine embody the two oldest practices of medicine on the planet. At the heart of both of these great healing traditions is a worldview that sees man and nature as inextricably linked. The integration of aromatherapy or essential oils into these traditional systems of medicine is a relatively new phenomenon, as none of these systems have been known historically to have used essential oils as a treatment modality.

Our goal as a school is to inspire the integration of aromatherapy with such approaches as Ayurvedic or TCM in so far as they both support a deeper understanding of health by also looking at diet, nutrition, exercise, meditation, or spiritual practices, etc., so that we may begin to see the many contributing causes to ill health or health imbalances and to understand that often to achieve true holistic healing, multiple modalities may need to be utilized for an individual. Aromatherapy is one of these modalities that can support health and wellness while also treating disease. However, it is of equal importance to acknowledge the role of genetics, lifestyle, stress, diet/nutrition, exercise, meditation, herbs, etc., in supporting the individuals’ health and also within aromatherapy practice.

The aim of developing holistic principles for the practice of aromatherapy is to provide a basis for your therapeutic approach to addressing your client’s needs or to develop a product line based upon specific goals. With a holistic framework of principles, practitioners are able to act continuously and consistently through a particular mindset that guides them in their treatment approach and applications.

The majority of aromatherapy practitioners, as they have developed over the past 20-30 years, have professed certain philosophical themes which, when pulled together, provide the practitioner with a holistic framework for practice.

These themes include the ideas that Aromatherapy:

Stimulates and supports the body’s own natural healing abilities.
Encompasses the whole person
Attempts to address the underlying causes of an illness
Is about educating client and self on the nature of essential oils and their benefits
Is a preventative healthcare approach
Adopts the philosophy of Hippocrates: First do no harm

These common themes can be utilized to create 6 Philosophical Principles of Holistic Aromatherapy:

Stimulate and support the body’s own natural healing abilities
It is known that humans have an incredible ability and potential to facilitate self-healing. In Naturopathic medicine, this process is described as Vis Medicatrix Naturae, and it recognizes the individual’s capacity to ‘self-right’ or ‘self-heal.’ Aromatherapy, as a complementary therapy to other professions such as bodywork, esthetics, etc., can support and enhance the body’s natural healing abilities during acute and chronic stages of ‘dis’-‘ease’.
Encompasses the Whole (Individual) Person
Holistic therapies recognize that an individual is a whole made up of interdependent parts, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The integration of aromatherapy with bodywork and other hands-on practices creates a dynamic avenue that enables practitioners to work on each of these levels simultaneously. Aromatherapy recognizes the uniqueness of the individual on all levels of being, and treatment is customized according to individual needs and goals.
- Mental/Emotional
  Aromatherapy can affect an individual’s mental and emotional aspects via the power of touch and olfaction. Olfaction is capable of affecting emotions and nervous system activity via its impact on the limbic system (the emotional brain).
- Body (Physical)
  Aromatherapy can affect the physical body via dermal application and inhalation. The potential therapeutic activity of essential oils is extensive, including such activity as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic, expectorant, febrifuge, etc.)
- Spirit/Energy
  Aromatherapy, through the energetic functions of individual essential oils, is able to support an individual’s spiritual practices, be it meditation and/or prayer, etc., as well as to affect change in the subtle energetic body.
Addresses the Underlying Cause of Disease
Tolle causum is the Latin expression for addressing the underlying cause of disease. While orthodox medicine seeks a diseased organ or invasive microbe, holistic aromatherapy seeks to find the imbalances that led to the manifestation of the disease state. As Hippocrates once said, “I would rather know the person who has a disease than the disease a person has.” Aromatherapists seek to understand the potential contributing factors (diet, lifestyle, stress, etc.) of disharmony as well as the potential pathways for supporting the body-mind in reaching its optimal state of being.
Aromatherapist as Teacher
To be an aromatherapist, one must experience aromatherapy firsthand in all its therapeutic potential for healing. To teach is to share one’s knowledge and experience of using aromatherapy within one’s own life or within the lives of your clients, family members, and/or friends. To teach is to enhance and deepen one’s understanding and awareness of the amazing effectiveness of aromatics by applying it within one’s everyday life. The better your relationship is with aromatherapy, the better you will be able to apply it to other individuals. This idea is reflected in bodywork and massage therapy education, where the therapist is trained by both receiving and giving treatments to better understand the benefits and the feel of the bodywork and massage technique being learned.
Prevention
Aromatherapy can be used to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and/or prevent the manifestation of chronic degenerative disease when integrated into a whole healthy lifestyle. The use of aromatherapy for preventative measures often involves the reduction of stress, strengthening the immune system, and uplifting a client’s perception of their life, including empowering them to deal with stressors in a healthier manner. Essential oils can easily be incorporated into natural home cleaning products, too, as this would support immunity and health, for sure!
First, Do No Harm
The idea of First, Do No Harm is derived from the Hippocratic Oath of medicine. The idea is that the intervention used shall do more good than harm. In aromatherapy, this idea is expressed in our selection of essential oils, our understanding of their safety issues, and our understanding of the client’s constitution. You should always know about an essential oil prior to using it on a client. This way, you reduce the likelihood of an adverse reaction.

Adopting the above framework for the practice of aromatherapy would be of great benefit to practitioners as it allows aromatherapy to be viewed as a holistic complementary therapy rather than a ‘treatment’ approach to disease. It also keeps the practitioner from diagnosing and prescribing, which is outside the scope of practice for the aromatherapist. The holistic framework provides the therapist with a basis for a therapeutic approach that lays emphasis on supporting and enhancing the client’s ability to reach health and well-being through facilitation utilizing aromatherapy rather than through the treatment of a specific disease or illness.

Aromatherapy is indeed a dynamic profession with many potential applications in diverse settings. As this course unfolds, aromatherapy will be presented in a manner that is easy to understand and its application easy to integrate into any form of bodywork and massage therapy being practiced or as a stand-alone therapy, or into the creation of a therapeutic product line. I hope that this text inspires you to embrace genuine aromatherapy as a valuable complementary therapy that can deepen and expand your practice, wellness, and life.

As aromatherapy practitioners, we acknowledge that aromatherapy is a modality of healing and can serve as a complement to traditional or orthodox medicine. Aromatherapy practitioners are typically not qualified to diagnose unless they are an M.D. or N.D., and hence the practice of aromatherapy is considered to be a complementary therapy.

To learn more about language and aromatherapy, see Lesson 3: The Art of Language

Lesson 2: Introduction to Aromatherapy

Watch Introduction to Aromatherapy with Jade Shutes

Introduction

Aromatherapy is often a misunderstood and undervalued holistic therapy in the United States, possibly due to its commercial exploitation. Aromatherapy is, however, an incredible holistic and complementary therapy that is gaining recognition as more and more healthcare professionals incorporate it into their practice and more individuals incorporate essential oils into their daily lives for self-care as well as to care for family and friends.

This lesson is dedicated to shedding light on what genuine aromatherapy is, its history, modern development, and practice, and why the language we use in describing it is crucial for the professional development of the field and to cultivate a deeper appreciation of aromatherapy to the general public. The last section of this chapter will provide you with an understanding of the philosophy of holistic health and its importance in both ‘treating diseases’ as well as for preventative healthcare.

Defining Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the holistic therapeutic application of genuine and authentic plant-derived essential oils for enhancing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health of the individual.

“Is aromatherapy a nice smelling air freshener, a relaxing massage, a delightful beauty therapy, a useful home first aid tool, or a serious health care modality?” Aromatherapy continues to be one of the fastest-growing complementary healthcare modalities of the 21st century, and yet it continues to be one of the least understood not only among healthcare practitioners but particularly within the mainstream. Defining aromatherapy, on the other hand, is a complex task and one that requires sensitivity to the diverse practices and philosophies that are encompassed by different practitioners.

According to Sheen and Stevens, “the ‘misuse’ of the term aromatherapy in the wider society could be an indication of the misunderstanding of what aromatherapy is or an indication of aromatherapy’s lack of a clear definition.” Aromatherapy is practiced by a diverse set of lay people and practitioners, including naturopaths, nurses, massage therapists, independent aromatherapy consultants, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists, reflexologists, and, at times and in some countries, medical doctors.

Aromatherapy can be used to reduce anxiety and agitation, to heal skin ulcers, to reduce the impact of stress on the physical body, and to expectorate mucus from the lungs. Aromatherapy can be applied in hospice environments to increase quality of life, in maternity wards to support the delivery process and relieve postpartum stress, and in bodywork practices to enhance the therapeutic benefits of the bodywork technique itself. Aromatherapy has these therapeutic benefits and many more, as will be discovered throughout this text.

Perhaps the best place to begin our understanding of the term aromatherapy is to go back in history and to its modern birth and the actual coining of the word.

History Of Aromatic Plant Use

“…there is virtually no people known to anthropology – however remote, isolated, or primitive – in which some form of doctoring with plants was not practiced.”

-Barbara Griggs, The Green Pharmacy

When we discuss the history of Aromatherapy, we are really talking about the history of the use of aromatics or aromatic/herbal plants. Aromatherapy, as the profession we know today, is actually quite young and only has a short history. However, the history of medicinal and aromatic plants is indeed ancient, and aromatic plants did enjoy some similar uses as we have to this day, albeit in different forms. In this section, we are covering a very brief history of aromatic plant use. The history of herbal medicine is vast, and we recommend several herbal books at the end of this chapter for those who would like a more in-depth historical account of herbal and aromatic plant use.

The history of aromatic substances could place us as far back as the origins of humankind when he/ she put material onto a fire or ate particular plants. Remember, our sense of smell was quite powerful during these early stages of humanity. Primitive humans may have found the smoke, scents, and aromas affecting them in different ways. Some of the plant material would have made him/her feel restful, while others stimulated, and some would have gone to the chest, making breathing easier.

Primitive humans discovered that leaves, berries, roots, etc., made sick people better. Also, twigs thrown on the fire made people happy or excited, or they had spiritual experiences. Smudging or burning aromatic plant material to treat a patient is one of the earliest recorded forms of treatment with herbs, often used to drive out evil spirits or as a form of incense for protection and potential health benefits. Scents, inhaled through the nose or absorbed directly by the body, were considered important healing agents in antiquity.

Known written records about medicinal plants date back at least 5000 years to the Sumerians, who lived in the Mesopotamian civilization; the Babylonians, another Mesopotamian civilization, which dates to the second millennium B.C.; and the Egyptians, whose Nile river-based culture began to flourish around 3000 B.C.

Ancient India had a rich knowledge of medicinal plants. The Rigveda (5000BC) has recorded 67 medicinal plants, Yajurveda 81 species, Atharvaveda (4500 – 2500BC) lists 290 species. The famous Indian physician Charaka, who wrote the Charaka Samhita (700 BC), covers the uses and applications of over 600 medicinal plants. The development of systematic pharmacopeias dates back to 3000 BC when the Chinese were already using over 350 herbal remedies. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing is considered to be one of the first Chinese herbal medicine books. It is said to have been written sometime during the first or second century A.D.

The Ancient Egyptians (approx. 3500 BC), Greeks (1100 to 140 BC), and Romans (10th century BC to 1453AD) are well known for their use of aromatic plants and aromatic extracts. The Egyptians used balsams, perfumed oils, scented barks, and resins for medicine, food preservation, religious ceremonies, and embalming the dead. It is thought that the Greeks learned much of their aromatic knowledge from the Egyptians. Hippocrates, the renowned Greek physician, is often quoted as having said, “The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.” And, of course, the Romans are known to have popularized the use of the bathhouse as a place to use aromatic oils and other scented products for beautification and health.

Aromatics were also used during the Middle Ages (476 to 1453 AD) for defense against the bubonic plague. Aromatics were burned in the streets and in homes to ward off infection. It is commonly suspected that the perfumers and glove makers were mostly immune to the plague because they were constantly surrounded by aromatic plants/pomanders. “Those who stayed in town (during the plague) made sure to carry with them some olfactory prophylactic whenever they ventured outside. One of the most popular of such devices was the pomander – originally an orange stuck full of cloves and later any perforated container filled with scents and carried on the person. Otherwise, a cautious person might carry a bouquet of aromatic flowers or a handkerchief sprinkled with perfume.”

During the 18th Century, we began to find essential oils being used extensively, and much research was being carried out on their medicinal properties. Some apothecaries even had their own stills to produce essential oils. On the other hand, during this time, the growing specialization of medicine occurred, which would eventually attempt to take medicine out of the hands of laypeople.

In the 19th Century, the ‘family doctor’ was established. Oils of chamomile, cinnamon, fennel, bay, juniper, rosemary, and thyme are recorded as official essential oils in William Whitla’s Materia Medica (1882). In 1887, Chamberland published studies showing the anti-bacterial and antifungal properties of many essential oils. (E.g., lavender, juniper, sandalwood, thyme, cinnamon, and cedar wood)

In many ways, the history of aromatherapy is the history of herbal medicine that enjoys a long and abundant history throughout the world. Plants, specifically aromatic plants, have been employed for thousands of years and are still considered to be an important source of medicine. Aromatherapy, as it is known today, however, is a modern development of how aromatic plants were used by these early cultures. To understand modern aromatherapy, we shall turn to Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who coined the term in 1937.

Aromatherapie: Modern Development

This history has been compiled from the work of Marcel Gattefosse (1992) on writing about his father in the International Journal of Aromatherapy. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was born in the French region of Lyon in 1881. Gattefosse grew up around plants and aromas. His father, Louis Gattefosse, owned and operated the Gattefosse perfume business, which remains in business today. During Rene’s youth, perfumes were still created from a mixture of natural essential oils, alcohol extracts, flower pomades, and some synthetic products. Louis and his two sons, Abel and Rene-Maurice, worked closely together to define the conditions under which perfume compositions were prepared so as to achieve constant levels of strength and odor. In 1906, they published a book entitled “Formulaires de Parfumerie de Gattefosse.”

The Gattefosse family was active in many areas of the perfume business, from plant cultivation to formulating perfume compositions. In the early 1900s, the Gattefosses initiated a campaign to promote lavender as well as to support its distillation for essential oil production. This campaign was in response to the need to increase lavender trade to support local farmers’ economic conditions within various areas of France. During the early 1900s, Rene-Maurice assisted with the organization of mint and other herbs for culture in France. He also embarked on a systematic study of exotic essential oils and the creation of distillation units that would be easy to build on location.

Sometime between 1908 and 1910, Gattefosse joined forces with his younger brother, Jean, a botanist and chemist, to pursue his research of exotic plants. Jean and Rene-Maurice spent time in Morocco compiling a large selection of new plants and establishing distillation in North Africa. It was during his stay in Morocco that Rene-Maurice began to learn of the ways in which the peasants used essential oils as popular medicines. This intrigued Rene-Maurice so much that he set to work to discover the medicinal properties of these essential oils and understand their efficacy in healing the body. From the peasants of Morocco, he learned the incredible healing properties of lavender essential oil, including its antiseptic, prophylactic, and vulnerary properties.

It was in July of 1910, the day of the birth of his son, that Rene experienced an explosion in his work’s laboratory and was very badly burnt on the hand. Treated by conventional medicine, he soon developed gangrene, and as a last resort, he took off his bandages and tested lavender essential oil on his infected wounds. He soon noticed that he was feeling better; the wounds quickly healed, he felt less pain, and the inflammation decreased.

Motivated by this success, he decided to expand his research to other essential oils. During the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, he experimented in hospitals with an aromatic disinfectant that he called “Salvol,” which was made from a blend of essential oils and then pulverized.

The term “aromatherapie” was coined by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in 1937 with his publication of a book by that name. His book “Gattefosses Aromatherapy” contains early clinical findings for utilizing essential oils for a host of physiological ailments. It seems vital to understand what Gattefosse’s intention for coining the word was, as he clearly meant to distinguish the medicinal application of essential oils from their perfumery applications. Gattefosse was already a perfumer and, as such, had a love and passion for the aromas they imparted. However, by 1918, he had become deeply involved with the study and application of essential oils for medicinal purposes. He was to remain active throughout the 1930s, writing articles and working with hospitals and others to test the medicinal actions of essential oils.

Gattefosse was a prolific writer on the medicinal uses of essential oils, including the following studies:

1917 Culture and Industry of mountainous aromatic and medicinal plants
1919 Bactericidal properties of some essential oils
1924 The psychological role of perfumes
1925 Psychological actions of aromatic solutions
1926 The therapeutic value of lavender essence
1926 Therapeutic essences
1927 Rapid wound healing with essential oils
1932 Therapeutic use of lavender essence
1932 Pine essence and its bactericidal properties
1937 “Aromatherapie”

We can, therefore, interpret his coining of the word “Aromatherapie” to mean the therapeutic application or the medicinal use of aromatic substances (essential oils). Since its origin, Aromatherapy has implied a practice that encompasses human pathology and the treatment of different emotional and physical conditions with essential oils. As Aromatherapy developed into a practice, it adopted a more holistic approach encompassing the body, the mind, and the spirit (energy).

Watch Videos

R-M Gattefosse the founding of aromatherapy… by simpleappareil

Aromatherapy ‘Co-Founders’

The following individuals also contributed greatly to the shaping of modern aromatherapy.

Dr Jean Valnet (1920-1995)

Dr. Jean Valnet was trained as a traditional medical doctor at the University of Lyon in 1945. Valnet began his research into essential oils in 1953, and his focus was mainly on the best methods of application as well as dosage levels needed to attain maximum benefit without risk of side effects.

Jean Valnet was very interested in the study of the anti-infectious and antibiotic properties of essential oils. In 1960, he presided over congresses with university lecturers and members of the Academy of Medicine as assessors. In 1961, he became a collaborating member of ‘The International Centre of Biological Research’ in Geneva and of a number of scientific journals. The French and foreign press also regularly consecrated articles to him. Throughout 1964, Jean Valnet published, amongst other articles: ‘Different Medicines,’ ‘Phytotherapy: treatment of disease with plants,’ ‘Aromatherapy, a new medicine,’ ‘Phytotherapy and aromatherapy – how to heal infectious diseases with plants,’ and the ‘ABC of phytotherapy in infectious illnesses.’

In 1971, he founded the Association of Study and Research into Aromatherapy and Phytotherapy (A.E.R.P), the first of its type in France that he transformed in 1973 into the French Society of Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy (S.F.P.A). He abandoned the society in 1980, followed by all the members of the committee of honor due to the ambivalent attitude of several of its members and the scheming atmosphere that had developed. In 1981, he founded the College of Phyto-aromatherapy and French-speaking field doctors, which had the same aim as his first society, to regroup health professionals (doctors, pharmacists, vets, surgeons, biologists, etc.) carrying out research on phytotherapy and aromatherapy.

He created his own essential oil complexes, Tegarome (indicated for burns, insect bites, sunburn), Climarome (respiratory tract problems), and Flexarome (calming muscular tension). In 1985, he handed over the production of his preparations to the laboratory Cobionat, specialists in the fabrication and packaging of plant-based products. The laboratory continues to consecrate itself exclusively to Doctor Valnet’s aromatherapy, and the formulas have never been modified.

They also trained many student-doctors (Belaiche, Lapraz, Duraffourd d’Hervincourt, Morel) and were at the origin of the two main branches of modern aromatherapy: the French school with its scientific and clinical approach that joins the strong French medical tradition and the Anglo-Saxon school of thought, which originates from the work of Margaret Maury, who chose the more specialized route of well-being through the use of massage techniques.

Marguerite Maury (1895 – 1968)

Marguerite Maury deserves special attention as her work with essential oils led to the creation of holistic aromatherapy practice as we know it today. Born in Austria in 1895, Maury led an interesting and passionate life. She was trained as a Nurse and surgical assistant in Vienna and then moved to France, where she was given a book entitled “Les Grandes Possibilites par les Matieres Odoriferantes”. (Ryman, D., 1989) This book was to provide Maury with a lifelong passion for researching and educating others on the applications of aromatherapy. Together with her husband, Dr. Maury, they explored numerous healing therapies, including homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and others.

Marguerite Maury pioneered the dermal application of essential oils and the recognition of both the psychological and physiological benefits gained through this pathway into the body. The popular application of essential oils to the skin has been attributed to the seminal work of Marguerite Maury entitled The Secret of Life and Youth, published in France in 1961. In this book, Maury expands on her ideas about the secrets of staying young and shares her insights into using essential oil, which provided the seeds for the modern development of holistic aromatherapy.

Her many contributions to the development of aromatherapy include the following:

Integrated Massage and Aromatherapy
Maury states, “Massage of the conjunctive, neuromuscular or soft tissue paves the way admirably for the penetration of the odoriferous substances, and the resultant rejuvenation.” Maury not only pioneered the dermal application of essential oils but was one of the first to draw attention to the enhancing effects of essential oils on the already beneficial effects of massage itself. “We had to find a method capable both of influencing the muscular tonus, the quality, and aspect of the skin and the tissues and to obtain a better functioning and a normalization of the individual’s rhythm.”
Recognized the importance of a holistic approach
Throughout her book, the Secret of Life and Youth, Maury acknowledges the importance of maintaining health through nutrition, exercise, a healthy emotional & spiritual life, and massage or hydrotherapy. She draws on such philosophical traditions as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine in providing an understanding of different approaches to health, disease, and healing.
Emphasized the importance of the individual
Perhaps her greatest contribution to the evolution of aromatherapy was her clear commitment to and recognition of the importance of treating the individual. The idea of treating the individual is one of the core principles of holistic aromatherapy practice.

To reach the individual, we need an individual remedy. Each of us is a unique message. It is only the unique remedy that will suffice. We must, therefore, seek odoriferous substances that present affinities with the human being we intend to treat, those that will compensate for his deficiencies and those that will make his faculties blossom.

Recognized the dual effect of essential oils
Maury was keen to observe that essential oils applied to the skin not only had a physiological effect but also a corresponding psychological effect.

Applied to the skin, these essences regulate the activity of the capillaries and restore vitality to the tissues. …. But of the greatest interest is the effect (aroma) has on the psychic and mental state of the individual. Powers of perception become clearer and more acute……The use of odoriferous matter induces a true sentimental and mental liberation. ….. the essential oils free us from the (a challenging emotion) but leave our faculties unimpaired.

From these observations and applications, modern holistic aromatherapy was born. Based upon Maury’s contributions to the practice of aromatherapy, we can then define aromatherapy more comprehensively as:

Aromatherapy is the holistic therapeutic application of genuine essential oils for enhancing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health of the individual.

The Modern Practice Of Aromatherapy

The Aromatherapy industry is dynamic, diverse, and often divided in opinion and practice. This state of affairs is perhaps a reflection of the industry’s youth and seemingly constant growth. In general, aromatherapy can be used to enhance a client’s well-being and encourage positive states of health. Clinical or medical aromatherapy was born of the medical tradition in France; Holistic aromatherapy was born of the touch tradition in England and then throughout the world.

Holistic Aromatherapy, also known as traditional aromatherapy, was popularized in England, where the standard aromatherapy program includes the following core subjects: essential oil therapeutics, anatomy and physiology, Swedish massage, basic pathology, basic counseling skills, reflexology (both as a diagnostic tool as well as a treatment approach), Touch for Health, and basic nutrition.

Traditional aromatherapy is a hands-on approach to applying essential oils for stress reduction and other psychological benefits, as well as to enhance overall health and well-being. According to Harris, the typical aromatherapy client is female and in her middle years, and the top 10 reasons the average person in the United Kingdom (U.K.) goes to see aromatherapists are:

Stress/Anxiety
Headaches/Migraines
Insomnia
Musculoskeletal problems
Hormonal problems
Respiratory problems
Arthritis & rheumatism
Skin problems
Chronic fatigue
Sinus problems

Traditional Aromatherapy, as practiced in the U.K., has experienced many setbacks in its introduction and acceptance within the United States. The original introduction of aromatherapy into the U.S. mainstream was through the retail and gift industries rather than through the profession (such as occurred in England). With this original introduction came the additional problem of low-quality essential oils and synthetics being sold as the best and the purest. Today, there are more and more educated consumers and practitioners seeking high-quality essential oils for their therapeutic application and potential. Unfortunately, there remains a plethora of synthetic fragrances and adulterants in products posing as natural aromatherapy, and this underlies the continued importance of educating the public and healthcare professionals on the value of genuine aromatherapy.

Other areas where aromatherapy can be utilized include:

➙ Spa therapy: Essential oils are used in a variety of spa treatments and are commonly employed for general aromatherapy massage sessions, during hydrotherapy or balneotherapy, and for signature treatments.

➙ Palliative care: Aromatherapy is being introduced into complementary medicine for cancer patients to reduce stress, tension, anxiety, and fear, as well as for general comfort therapy. Aromatherapy is also being applied for its physiological benefits of healing radiation burns and reducing nausea.

➙ Hospice care: Aromatherapy is being used to reduce undesirable odors in the air, to enhance the quality of life and mood, to support family members, and as a general comfort therapy.

➙ Elderly care: Aromatherapy is used to enhance skin integrity, reduce stress, tension, anxiety, and fear, and enhance quality of life.

➙ Labor and Delivery: Aromatherapy is being used to help relax laboring mothers as well as to support the birthing process. Essential oils and/or hydrosols are also utilized for healing hemorrhoids and perineal/vaginal tears which occur during the delivery process.

Clinical research and experience-based initiatives by nurses, massage therapists, and aromatherapists are supporting the use and introduction of aromatherapy into hospital and hospice settings throughout the United States. According to leading nurse aromatherapist Jane Buckle, Ph.D., “Because health insurance is so expensive, one of the most acceptable ways of integrating aromatherapy into a hospital or health facility is to link research to reducing the cost of care.” Thanks to the dedication of individual nurses, massage therapists, and aromatherapists who utilize aromatherapy as a complementary therapy, hospitals and other healthcare centers are beginning to recognize that aromatherapy can be of great benefit.

Buckle reports that aromatherapy is increasingly being used in hospitals and other clinical environments to relieve post-surgical pain and anxiety, promote sleep, reduce stress, reduce chronic pain, heal skin ulcers, and relieve emotional distress.

Aromatherapy promises to be a valuable complementary therapy in a wide range of settings, including within the home, for self-care and care of one’s family.

Lesson 1: Getting Started with Foundations of Aromatherapy

Welcome from Director of Education: Jade Shutes

Welcome to the School for Aromatic Studies and our Foundations of Aromatherapy Certification Program.

The Foundations of Aromatherapy Certification Program has been designed as an entry level program covering what could be called ‘the foundation’ of knowledge for beginning your practice and/or business, as well as for integrating aromatherapy into your life and wellness. Aromatherapy is an incredible healing modality and we hope to shed light on this amazing and every expanding field of study.

Walk in Beauty, Jade Shutes

Details: Foundations of Aromatherapy Certification Program

Duration: 100 hours Certification: Upon successful completion of the program you will be awarded a Certificate in Foundations of Aromatherapy: 100 hrs.

Course Requirements:

Complete all modules and lessons.
Complete all review quizzes throughout course.
Complete all experiential exercises at the end of specific modules.

To receive certification, you will, addition to the above, need to:

Complete 5 case studies. *You can do your case studies on friends, yourself, family members, and/or existing clients. You will upload these to the completion section of the course. Complete Final Exam.

How to Navigate the Course Material

⇥ Modules

The Foundations certification program has 10 modules and a completion module. Each module contains a series of lessons based upon a specific topic, e.g. Plants and Essential Oils.

⇥ Lessons

Each lesson contains information about a specific subject and each lesson will contain one or more the following items:

ANNOUNCEMENT: We have moved PDF’s to the end of each module, instead of each individual lesson with the exception of Module 7 and 8. We trust you will find this helpful in your studies.

Learning Objectives: Each Lesson has a set of Learning Objectives. The Learning Objectives provide you with the main goals for that lesson. Be sure to check back on these after reading the lesson to ensure you have accomplished these learning objectives.
Videos: All video content is placed within the lesson so be sure to read through lesson online to see video content!
Experiential Work: This link will bring you to experiential exercises such as observing your sense of smell and keeping a journal for a week or to make a stress relieving product. This is an important part of interacting with the essential oils and other material to gain confidence in blending as well as to further your knowledge and understanding of the essential oils themselves via observation and use.
Visit Websites: This link is at the bottom of the lesson. It contains website links that further a specific topic contained within that lesson. We recommend reading these to enhance your knowledge, however you will not be tested on them.
Quizzes After some lessons and/or modules you will have a quiz to complete based upon the material covered in that lesson or module. You will need to complete each quiz and receive a grade of 75% or higher. All quizzes can be retaken, so please don’t worry!
Sprout: Some lessons have a special section entitled ‘Sprout’. The material in this section is designed to add to your knowledge base. Sometimes by simply sharing insights about a topic or to expand on a specific topic.

⇥ Student Forum

Share Your Experiences and Questions with Fellow Students and Instructors.

Our student forum is a place to connect with other students and staff members. The forum is housed on Facebook. To join please send an email to our Director of Student Services at StudentSupport@aromaticstudies.com

⇥ Completion

In the Completion section of the course you will find the final exam as well as a section that allows you to upload your case study files.

Upon successful completion, you will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement in: Foundations of Aromatherapy – 100 hours – from the School for Aromatic Studies. **This program also offers 40 CE hours for massage therapists (NCBTMB CE Hours).

⇥ Contact the School

We hope you enjoy our Foundations of Aromatherapy program and that it inspires you to incorporate essential oils into your life and/or practice!

During your studies if you have any questions please feel free to contact us at: studentsupport@aromaticstudies.com