Is aromatherapy old hat? and mumbo jumbo?
Yes, but I mean seriously old hat - in fact centuries old....
.
Sadly, skin care products with newer names are currently in vogue such as spa, botanical and plant extracts. The reason I find this slightly upsetting, is that all these products are plant based, the same as aromatherapy essential oils.
I adore aromatherapy essential oils as they're highly concentrated plant extracts. A lot of plant extract material is needed for each of those small 10ml bottles of oil that you've seen.
I also believe there is a lack of understanding regarding aromatherapy which isn't helped by its 'new age' image. Many shops selling 'new age' products also sell aromatherapy essential oils and I find a lot of people believe that aromatherapy essential oils are simply about a nice smell.
- This is not true.
- Aromatherapy is a real science.
- There shouldn't be any mumbo jumbo.
- Plants are made up of a host of different chemicals many of which are beneficial to the body.
- Traditional medicine e.g. your prescription from the GP contain plant derivatives, but these are in the most synthetically produced.
I believe the gap between traditional western medicine and aromatherapy essential oils is not that great and fantastic studies are currently being carried out looking at this overlap. One example is the use of aromatherapy essential oils to treat cancer patients.
Did you know that qualified aromatherapist firstly studies anatomy, physiology and massage to 'A' level standard? Only after qualifying are they able to study aromatherapy. Unfortunately, aromatherapy is an area where many people dabble - without being qualified which can be extremely dangerous. Equally there are a lot of synthetic or fake essential oils on the market which don't have any beneficial properties.
I qualified in 1996 and below is a link to the syllabus I studied.
I strongly believe in the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy essential oils in skin care, particularly when considering the damage free radicals cause and the anti-oxidant properties of many aromatherapy essential oils. This passion I have was the focus for creating our aromatherapy skin care company INSKIN.
I found very few companies which are aromatherapy based with a qualified aromatherapist at the helm.
Interesting and perhaps a little worrying?
Interesting and perhaps a little worrying?
Many thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and if you've found it interesting I'd be delighted if you'd ask your friends to take a look.
Many thanks
ITEC Certified Aromatherapist Graduate 1996
If you would like to test any of our products here at INSKIN skincare - please click on the INSKIN link: http://www.aromatherapy-skincare.co.uk/inskin-testers/
