What is Aromatherapy?

A growing contemporary interest in aromatherapy has meant that it has come to mean different things to different people.  To many professional aromatherapy practitioners, aromatherapy is a gentle art that can have profound effects on body and mind. To botanists and biochemistry experts, essential oils are complex packages of molecules.  To those with a scientific approach, aromatherapy is the subtle application of bio-active ingredients, and to a perfumer, essential oils are the building blocks of fragrances.  Aromatherapy is all of these things – it reflects aspects of art and science, perfume and psychology, biochemistry and botany.

More simply, aromatherapy can be split into two words – “aroma” and “therapy”.  “Aroma” clearly indicates a link to the sense of smell, which picks up and interprets chemical messages.  “Therapy” implies that the fragrance is applied to someone to achieve a particular beneficial effect. Aromatherapy can have an impact on mood, feelings and emotions, as well as physical problems such as muscular aches and pains.