Making Scents/Sense/Cents

courtesy RJ Buckle Associates LLC

Aromatherapy is often misunderstood.  SC Johnson/Glade's man-made chemicals have hijacked the scent market and our sense (and cents!) of smell has gone with it.  Consequently, the traditional and ancient practice of using essential oils ("eo") is subject to (false) assumptions, partial-at-best understandings and usually unreasonable expectations about the nature and action of these delicate (yet powerful) and sublime botanicals.

Many people simplistically think aromatherapy's value is that the smells are "nice".  This sometime truth is very partial.  Essential oils have a chemistry that acts on the olfactory system and goes directly to the brain through the nasal passages acting on the brain's various receptor sites (see above diagram). This impacts our memory center and the most basic, primal part of our brain, the limbic system.

Distillates from aromatic plants have been studied for centuries; the chemical breakdown of the plants have been isolated into groups that produce certain actions (ie: "Esters" are known for their relaxation and immune  moderating properties, "Sesquiterpenes" for their anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic effects, etc.)  Clinical-grade essential oils have gone through a thorough and complex analyzation process to ensure efficacy for a desired purpose.  If the smell is pleasing, it's considered an added bonus, but it is the chemistry of an essential oil that determines it's therapeutic property.

Nature's chemistry is different than man-made chemistry.  For example, taking a pharmaceutical for nausea usually works for 4-6 hours.  Inhaling Ginger (Zingiber officinale) or Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) periodically over the course of a bout of nausea will abate the symptom, but it's not a silver bullet, nor a one-time-deal, inhaling the eo periodically is usually necessary to keep the nausea at bay.  The upside is there are rarely side effects to inhaling eos (unlike ingesting pharm), and in using them, your body's nature resonates with the eo's nature.  Harmony: the rarely discussed value of working with rather than against nature.

Clients have eradicated their migraine headaches with one "dose" of True Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia,  (via inhalation tent), an effective and economical alternative to migraine meds (migraine meds are $7/dose; a True Lavender dose is literally cents). In addition, there are no side effects and you get a boost to your sense of well being to-boot.  Lavender being high in Esters, is a spirit fortifier.

Essential oils have been used for hosts of symptoms ranging from anxiety to arrythmia. They are not innocuous and one should be well informed about using them safely.

Following are some resources to get excellent clinical grade eos and more information on their use:


HERBARIUM Herbal and Nutritional Supplements including Bulk ...  (great! info & service)


Appalachian Valley Natural Products