What is aromatherapy? Basically it is the use of highly volatile (ie easily evaporates) compounds derived from plants for a therapeutic action. Most commonly used through diffusion and inhalation but it can also include topical applications. The oils may come from a variety of different plants and plant parts including flowers, aromatic grasses, roots, wood resins, and spices. They have been used for thousands of years in many different cultures, for medicinal and spiritual uses, and were often considered very valuable (think Three Wise Men with frankincense, myrrh, and gold).

For me aromatherapy is just an extension of herbal medicine which I already incorporate in my treatments. The herbal formulas I prescribe will sometimes have the same plants used in aromatherapy but in their whole state, not the isolated essential oils. Some of my patients are familiar with topicals that I use which do make use of oils such as peppermint, cinnamon, and tea oil. The main difference is between traditional herbal medicine and aromatherapy is how they are used. Internal (taken as a tea or in capsules) versus inhaled (usually with a diffuser), with topical use being the main overlap.

In many instances essential oils just offer another option to herbal medicine. Some patients already take a lot of pills and don’t want to add one more, some know they are forgetful and won’t be good about remembering their doses. For these types of patients using an essential oil may be a better option. However, because they are predominantly used by diffusion/inhalation I believe essential oils offer a better option for the treatment of certain conditions. First and foremost of these would be any respiratory or sinus issue. Getting a therapeutic substance directly into the sinuses and lungs makes more sense then ingesting something that then has to be processed/metabolized in the body. Secondly is for emotional issues. Aromatherapy presents a good option because our sense of smell offers us a direct pathway to our central nervous system and has a strong association with our limbic system, the part of our brain that controls emotion. Therefore aromatherapy can be a great way to deal with stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc. and can be combined with acupuncture and herbal medicine for an even better effect. Essential oils also have a long history of use in various beauty products. If you are a “do-it-yourself-er” type then you can make your own products such as skin creams and bath salts (the kind you actually bathe in). Or you can add a drop or two of an oil to the products you already use. Essential oils also have a natural anti-microbial effect and can be used to make household cleaners and other products. Some of them can even be used as natural insect repellants! So as you can see aromatherapy offers many potential benefits and help me expand what I can offer to my patients.

The next big issue to tackle with aromatherapy is which oils to get? Obviously each oil has it’s specific functions but there is also a lot of overlap. So making that decision is a personal one and is merely about which smells you prefer. The biggest decision is actually about which brands to use. There are many essential oil companies out there and not all are created equal. Some companies buy their product on the world fragrance market, using big distributors instead of buying directly from the producers/distillers. These products may be less expensive, but they may contain adulterants or low quality oils. Price is not the sole indicator of quality, however. One of the most popular essential oil companies is Young Living. Their products are certainly of good quality, but are very expensive because they use a multi-level marketing (MLM) model for their business which inflates their prices. I have decided to carry and use a line of products called Floracopeia at my office. Floracopeia was started by an acupuncturist (clearly a plus in my book) and they support a lot of enviromental/ecological efforts for the plants that are used in aromatherapy as well as trying to support the small scale farmers/distillers (some of which come from a long line of essential oil producers). Floracopeia gets their oils direct from the source, instead of on the world market, which allows them to ensure quality. And since they aren’t a multi-level marketing company their prices are reasonable, often half the price of the Young Living oils. Another nice bonus is that Floracopeia offers tester sized bottles of their oils. So you can either buy a smaller bottle to try, or you can stop by my office and smell them before buying a full bottle.

If you are already familiar with aromatherapy and have a favorite oil you’d like to purchase you can go to www.floracopeia.com/discount and enter CaseyLewisLAc to receive 25% off your first order through the website.