Contemporary healers, therapists, and marketing gurus are grabbing hold of a phenomenon that insects and animals instinctively understand: the power of aroma.
Scientists pursue aromachology (the study of scent and its ability to change human behavior) for its role in everything from medicine to marketing, migraines to memory loss, and relaxation to revitalization.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to treat ailments. These conditions range from physical conditions to emotional problems. From headaches to herpes. Dry skin to acne. Arthritis to asthma. The essential oils of aromatherapy are extracted from aromatic plants and herbs--from the flower, bark, root, twig, seed, berry, rhizome, or leaves--generally through a process of steam distillation. These oils may be inhaled or massaged into the skin, after combining with a vegetable, nut or seed oil.
Massage with essential oils is most commonly used to alleviate skin ailments and muscle pain or tension. Lavender, orange, marjoram, and chamomile are particularly effective aromas in the use of massage.
Essential oils can be inhaled with the help of a vaporizer, an electric diffuser or an aroma lamp.