Can Aromatherapy Heal
Aromatherapy can stimulate a memory or invoke a place in your past. Occasionally, it can even help you recall a past life . But can it heal? Medical communities and alternative medicine practitioners have been at odds for decades over this question, but more and more scientific research has found that certain essential oils do help patients heal faster.
Credibility Issue Aromatherapy credibility is at all time high. I like that the consciousness level is being raised, but buying manufactured products that are gimmicky can put the purity level into question," says Karen Ollis, a decade-long user of
aromatherapy treatments to help alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Clearly, developing credibility--and maintaining it--is the key to a successful product.
Beyond AromatherapyHowever, as pointed out in its "Beyond Aromatherapy" report, establishing credibility is becoming more difficult as the market becomes saturated with new products seeking to profit from the aromatherapy name. Most aromatherapy markets continue to grow, but there is a lack of growth in the mass market, primarily caused by consumer disillusionment.
Inferior Products For Aromatheraphy
"If something says it has certain ingredients, then they had better be in there," says Moller. He gets incensed when mentioning companies that flood the market with inferior products for aromatheraphy, pronouncing flatly: "It's unfair business practice."
Scrutiny BY FDA He doesn't deny the
therapeutic qualities of essential oils, but he's hesitant to make claims that could potentially put his products under more intense scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cosmetics and drugs are both under the FDA's jurisdiction, but the legal requirements applying to them differ. For this reason, compaines only make beauty claims.
Self-Regulating? The assertion that an aroma makes a person feel more attractive, in general, is a cosmetic claim that does not require FDA approval before a product is sold. Moller and others don't want to see essential oils become classified as prescription drugs, but they do believe the industry needs to be self-regulating.
Testing Aromatherapy
"I'm happy we have a certain freedom," says Christa Obuchowski, a certified aromatherapist, author, and spa development consultant. "But I think a good company has its oils tested. It has to start with the company, so that by the time it comes down to consumers, they don't have to worry about anything anymore."
Quality Products
"I will not sell anything that isn't true aromatherapy," says Debbie Harlan Aromatherapy. Harlan, a licensed massage therapist who began blending oils and lotions for her clients in the mid-1990s, now has a thriving online business that experienced a 45 percent increase in sales over the last year. "I'm developing loyal customers who know they are getting good quality. They don't want to buy inferior products, especially when they're using them on their body."
Hospital Use
Aromatherapy is used more extensively in hospitals and medical practices in France and England than in the United States. Here they have been mainly used in the beauty industry, and in massage therapy, having only become popular for use by practitioners since the early 1980s.
Aromatherapy And Our Mood Aromatherapy can bring about positive responses and change our attitudes or moods. Some therapists believe that there is a universal reaction to certain essential oil scents that evoke calmness or joy, are energizing or relieve stress, or impact our emotions in several ways. Studies on aromatherapy such as lavender, thyme, and sage have been most significant, and as positive results are revealed, more and more cosmetic and toiletry companies are jumping on the aromatherapy bandwagon.
Sense Of Well Being In Japan, for example, certain places of business use diffusers with essential oils such as lemon to energize workers and promote a sense of well-being among clients or customers. In European hospitals, aromatherapy is often part of the patient's treatment and used in massage oils or in diffusers to improve the patients' attitudes and, thereby, their potential to get well.
Un-Forbidden Pleasure
Aromatherapy is a un-forbidden pleasure. Using essential oils can be a very pleasurable experience. It feels good when you
pamper yourself in a therapeutic way. As you become more aware of what your body needs, you may discover that you are improving how you take care of yourself in other areas, as well. Catch the sensation!