AROMATHERAPY
Historic
Essential and natural oils catering to beauty and health Aromatherapy: A somewhat strange-sounding term fusing two Greek words that, however, belies an ancient method of employing essential oils for the maintenance and improvement of one's health and beauty.
This age-old tradition with the mystical name has existed since the time when Pharaohs ruled ancient Egypt. It has been enriched over the centuries through acquired knowledge, experience, and lately, modern technology. Today, aromatherapy in the western world is at its peak, as the demand for natural and organic products is growing rapidly. Contemporary lifestyles often necessitate a harmony existing between beauty and health. Aromatic herbs such as cloves, jasmine, basil, orange blossoms, cinnamon, bergamot, incense, cedar wood, rosewood, cypress and eucalyptus, according to aromatherapy's proponents, achieve this harmony.
Each of the essential oils produced by aromatic herbs can purportedly perform up to 200 chemical reactions, which explains the wide variety of properties that nature has bestowed upon essential oils, as they can be used as beauty products, while practitioners of aromatherapy also point to the herbs as antiseptics and as antibacterial agents.
Even before 2000 BC, the ancient Egyptians used vegetable and natural oils for healing purposes while similar uses are also mentioned in the Bible. The Chinese were familiar with the secrets of aromatherapy and their knowledge was passed on to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Galinos, the father of pharmacy and also a personal physician to several Roman emperors, was a faithful advocate of aromatherapy. In fact, essential oils must have been used during prehistoric times - primitive distillation flasks have been found during various excavations.
In medieval times, certain historical sources claimed that natural oil producers never suffered from infectious diseases such as cholera and the plague. Many perfume-makers in London, for example, weren't among the numerous victims of the bubonic plague that hit the city in the mid-17th century.
Meanwhile, with the rapid scientific development of chemistry during the 19th century, aromatherapy advanced in its wake. In fact, some scientists began to systematically research aromatherapy at various universities and institutions, especially after its impressive results in the treatment of wounds and burns during both world wars.
Essential oils are found in condensed forms in various parts of plants, such as their blossoms, leaves, stems and roots. Due to their ability to penetrate easily, essential or natural oils are absorbed by the skin and the rest of the body, even reaching the bloodstream.
According to the Apivita firm, which introduced aromatherapy onto the Greek market in 1991, because essential oils are volatile (meaning they evaporate quickly) they are the fastest way to reach the various sections of the human brain, where the oils can supposedly influence hormone secretion. In medicine, for instance, aromatherapy is used for therapeutic purposes either externally (in the form of creams and ointments) or internally (in the form of capsules, syrups etc).
Aromatherapy, however, is primarily used in cosmetics. For example, a few drops of geranium, lavender or sandalwood oil in bath water relaxes and relieves tension. About five to 10 drops of essential oils in a bowl of hot water clears and scents the air, while drops of eucalyptus and juniper are enough to bring outdoor scents into a closed room. Medicinal uses include inhaling eight to 12 drops of eucalyptus to ease respiration, gargling a few drops of bergamot mixed with water to fight bad breath, while lavender compresses rejuvenate fatigued skin. Finally, essential oils mixed with alcohol create natural perfumes with a personal touch.
One needs to be cautious. The essential oils used must be of the best quality, come from healthy plants and not be tainted. Authentic essential oils are comprised of pure natural substances that don't cause side effects, since the human body recognises them and uses as many as are needed, excreting the rest. Tainted oils mixed with chemical substances are recognised as foreign substances and are handled by the body as germs, causing allergic reactions and side effects.
Aromatherapy can be ideal in battling certain health problems in a natural and safe way, especially in certain cases when medical observation is necessary. When doubts arise, however, or the specific patient has a questionable medical history, then one must seek a doctor's advice. Let's not forget that aromatherapy is supplementary and reacts much slower than conventional medicine.
With regards to natural oils, there are no side effects or allergic reactions. In fact, natural oils have been in existence since ancient times and were known for their beneficial qualities, as well as their cosmetic and therapeutic uses. Natural oils are derived from the natural "juices" found in every plant and are extracted with infusion and compression methods. They are considered an essential supplement in skin care and hair treatment. In addition, they are rich in vitamins and are considered ideal for body and facial massage.
Among them are achillea, jojoba, primrose, almond, laurel, apricot, avocado, balsam, wheatgerm, camomile and calendula oil. According to Orestis Davias, author of the book "Aphrodisiac Herbs," in ancient Paphos on Cyprus there was a sacred garden filled with flowers and trees which served the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, with its fragrances and special features. Among these flowers and trees were myrtle, quince trees, wild roses and pomegranate trees, symbols of love for centuries.
Incense, an Orthodox Christian symbol of worship, was present at all of Aphrodite's temples. In addition, there is mint, whose aromatic leaves are used in cooking, perfumery and pharmaceutics. In ancient Greece a strong concoction of the plant's dried leaves supposedly strengthened men's desire for women. Such was its fame that Alexander the Great, acting on his mentor Aristotle's advice, forbade his soldiers from drinking mint tea during their expeditions. For the same reason, the Macedonian warrior king forbade the use of thyme and rosemary.
Thyme, a widespread herb of Greece, is one of the richest in essential oils, so are the essential oils of oregano, lavender, mint, rosemary, laurel and sage.
We may have forgotten the importance that fragrances have in the transmission of messages and as a way of communicating successfully - which are characteristic of all mammals. Aromas, however, remind us. Also, new discoveries concerning their uses, for instance, as antioxidants, enrich their traditional uses spices, decoctions etc. The bare Mediterranean landscape, fragrant in exotic scents, such as myrtle, spearmint and rosemary, all of which grow without much rainfall or fertile soil under a hot summer sun.
Today in Greece, there are numerous teams that are active in the research and application of aromatic plants and their by-products. New prospects are therefore opening up for further knowledge and utilisation of a natural wealth Greece possesses in abundance.
