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Aromatherapy
French cosmetic chemist Rene' Maurice Gattefosse in the year 1928 in his book first coined the word 'aromatherapy' . Similar to herbalism, aromatherapy uses plant substances too but unlike herbalism it uses highly concentrated, volatile, and expensive aromatic essential oils extracted from plants. These are often massaged into the skin, or inhaled or added to bath water. Sometimes they are also prescribed for internal use. René Maurice Gattefossé discovered the curative properties of herbs and plants by a fortunate disaster in his perfume laboratory. Gattefossé burnt his arm accidentally which forced him to |
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dip his arm into the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be a container of lavender oil. In an instant he noticed his pain reduce. The usual burn effects of blisters and scar and irritation were not there. The burn had healed astonishingly, with minimum distress and no scarring. Aromatheraphy treats a wide range of circulatory, respiratory, digestive and neuromuscular complaints. Remedies are always tailored to the patient. The aroma influence on the mind is such that it is capable of curing mental as well as physical ills.
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Essential Oils
Essential oils are concentrated liquid of the plants that are extracted by distillation through steam or water from the leaves,stems, flowers, bark, roots or other parts of a plant. Contrary to the use of the word “oil”, they are non-greasy and clear liquid except some like patchouli, orange and lemongrass are amber or yellow in color.
Essential oils contain the true essence of the plants and are found to be both psychologically and physically beneficial when used correctly and safely. There are over 90 essential oils. Absolutes, CO2 s and hydrosols are also commonly utilized in aromatherapy. Perfume oils used as fragrances are to be noted are not essential oils with therapeutic benefits. These contain unnatural chemicals and many companies improperly use aromatherapy on their products which may be misleading for those looking for the benefits of the essential oils.
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