M1 - History, basics of aromatherapy and Eo's Flashcards
What is aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the art and science of using natural extracted aromatic essences to balance and promote health in the mind, body and spirit.
Who coined the term aromatherapy?
Rene maurice Gattefossé dans les années 30
3 modes of action of essential oils: ( 3p’s)
Pharmacological, physiological and psycological
Pharmacological effet:
Chemical changes that occur after the Eo enters the blood stream or brain
Physiological effect:
The way the Eo affects the system. Ex: sedated or stimulated
Psychological effect:
In resoonse to the smell of the Eo and it’s effect of the limbic( memory/ emotion) part of the brain
To be considered Eo’s the extraction methods are:
natural aromatic essences extracted by physical means such as steam/hydro distillation and expression in the case of citrus oils. other plant extracts such as absolutes and co2s are technically not Eo’s
What is an Eo
volatile, non-oily aromatic liquids occuring naturally in various plant parts, herbs flowers, roots, wood, spices. all Eo’s are naturally antiseptic and anti bacterial.
Chemical makeup of Eo’s
most oils are comprised of 100 and 600 naturally occuring chemical components.
What is used in aromatherapy
aromatherapy uses the healing powers of the plant world like herbalism, however only the volatile oils are used rather than the whole plant
what is the % of plants containing Eo’s
15% of flowering plants contain Eo’s, only 10% of plants containing Eo’s are made available commercially. out of 3000 plants containing Eo’s only aprox 300 are available commercially
the 11 points that influence quality of the EO
1- age of the plant 2- Altitude 3- Climate 4- genetics 5- geography 6- duration of distillation 7- temp of distillation 8- # of time the EO is distilled 9- soil type 10- time of harvest (day, season) 11- use of fertilizers and pesticides
Information to look for on Eo labels
common name latin name plant part origin extraction method culture (organic etc) pure/diluted quantity *plant family *main chemical components
The study of how eo’s are absobed and excreted
pharmacokinetics
The four way eo components are absorbed
1- topical (external application): ie through the skin including massage compresses, mists and baths
2- inhalation: direct or indirect inhalation of eo
3- internal: gargales, mouthwashes, douches, suppositories
4- oral: (ingestion) not approved in North america or covered by malpractice insurance
Topical application: description of principles
- most common method
- molecules pass through the skin and enter the circulatory system
- molecules remain in our system from 4-10 hours on average
- 2 most important principles: penetration(initial entry, important for treating skin) and permeation (subsequent absorbtion, important for systemic treatment)
- concentration of 3% or less for a full body massage.
- typically used on areas where there is pain (heachache, muscles and joint pain, but also useful for respiratory and skin conditions
Inhalation:
- the olfactory epithelium seems to play the biggest role in our sense of smell
- it contains 6 million olfactory receptor neurons
- EO molecules penetrate the limbic system of the brain
- limbic system is responsable for our emotions and memories
- this causes the brain to release certain neuro chemicals
Internal:
This refers to internal uses such as douches, gargles and suppositories. suppositories are an effective way to treat a condition internally without ingesting Eo’s
ensure the Eo’s are properly diluted to avoid any irritation
Oral:
NOT APPOVED IN NORTH AMERICA
Route for acute conditions for a short period of time. Eo must be diluted and dosing requires an experienced professional as poisoning cases are almost all caused by too high doses or taking to much over time.
Initial absorbtion
Vapour: through nose and lungs
Liquid: through internal or external skin or through ingestion
Absorption and assimilation (Vapour)
After inhalation the Eo’s are absorbed into the bloodstream and the olfactory system
- from the olfactory system Eo’s pass to the limbic system/brain and subsequently to the nervous system, affecting emotions, memories and hormone release
- from the bloodstream, the molecules trigger hormone release and are transported to various organs and tissues
Absorption and assimilation (liquid)
- molecules pass through the skin and are absorbed into the bloodstream, triggering hormone release and affecting the various tissues and organs
- when ingesting the Eo’s pass through the stomach and small intestine before being absorbed into the blood
Excretion of Eo’s
Eo’s are excreted through the kidneys(urine), lungs (exhalation), skin(sweat, sebum) and in the case of ingestion through faeces.
4 basic areas of aromatherapy
medical: generally practiced in france by medical dotors and requires the ingestion of Eo’s to treat infections
Popular and esoteric: “feel good” aromatherapy that puts emphasis on touch and smell
Holistic: body, mind soul, aimed at treating the whole person using pharmacological, psycological and metaphysical effects of oils
Scientific study of fragrance: (Aromachology) the study of frangrance on human psychology and behaviour considering both natural and synthetic frangrances
Holistic Aromatherapy principles (6)
1- Phamacology: important to understand an consider, however, in Eo’s concentrating on only the active components would be to put aside the effect of the trace molecules that work in synergy with the main components
2- incorporation of holistic principles: treating the client as an individual (as in ayurveda)
3- massage: touch as part of the therapy
4- therapist/client relationship: empathy, confidence, mutual respect and responsability in the healing process
5- complexity of dis-ease and illness: looking at how imbalaces in the whole person affects their physical health
6- olfaction: how smells influence and affect us. on emotional, intellectual and physical levels
The different notes
top notes: usually sharp or spicy, often stimulating, stay in the system 2-3 hours
middle notes: “balancers” warm, smooth, can be either sedating or stimulating, 2-6 hours in the system
base notes: generally sedating they are fixatives, stay in the system up to 72 hours.
adaptogenes simply adapt to what the body needs.
