Exploring aromatherapy: The power of scent

Aromatiques is an introduction to the art of aromatherapy. Eva-Marie Lind, an expert aromatologist writes about the power and pleasure of essential oils appealing not only to our sense of smell, but also to our sight, touch, and imagination. In the past, the division between food, medicine, and botanicals did not exist. People used aromatic botanicals not only for their fragrance but also for their medicinal and curative properties.
“Technology has thrown us into an era in which we depend more on what is conceived, concocted, and made readily and conveniently available to us than on what the earth provides for us. Essential oils and aromatherapy have been part of our cultural heritage for thousands of years, and although their mysteries have lain dormant in many respects, we are once again beginning to realize their potential.”
An essential oil is a concentrated and volatile oil extracted from parts of a plant such as the flowers, the leaves or the roots; it also possesses the fragrance and other characteristic properties of the plant.
An aromatic essential oil lies in specialized glands within its botanical host. These glands are found in roots, rhizomes, stems and stalks, bark as well as wood, gums and resins, peel, seeds, fruits, nuts or even berries, twigs, leaves and most of all in flowers.
The composition of an essential oil depends on the part of the plant that has been harvested and distilled. For instance, bitter orange produces three kinds of aromatic oils: neroli from its blossoms, petit grain from its leaves, and bitter orange from its peel.
“Theoretically, what an essential oil is able to extend to us in health support can be compared to what it affords its botanical host.” The oil’s therapeutic properties depend on its individual molecular components and can include analgesic, antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, bactericidal, fungicidal, digestive, heat diuretic, regenerative, sedative, stimulant and tonic properties to name but a few.
The quality and the characteristics of an essential oil depend on the nature of the plant, the richness of the soil in which the plant was grown, the climate as well as the time and method of harvest. The majority of essential oils are obtained by a distillation method.
However, some flowers are very fragile and their fragrance can be damaged by heat therefore their essential oil is captured through “solvent extraction”. This technique produces semisolid materials called “concretes” which are valued by perfumers. It is interesting to know that when concretes undergo a further refining process, they are known as “absolutes”. You can recognize absolutes, such as jasmine, rose or violet leaf, by their small quantities measured in grams and their high prices.
It is interesting to know that it takes 2000 rose petals to make 1 drop of essential oil, 150 to 250 pounds of lavender tops to make 1 pound of essential oil and 2500 to 4500 pounds of jasmine blooms to make 1 pound of jasmine absolute.
Make sure you buy only essential oils that are labeled “pure aromatherapy grade” and are conditioned in colored glass bottles generally amber, cobalt blue, or violet and without droppers.
To smell the oil, place a drop on a tissue rather than smelling directly from an open bottle. The best way to experience the fragrance of an essential oil is after it has been exposed to the air.
An essential oil can be described according to its classification, its characteristics and its notes. The classifications of essential oils help us identify the scents they remind us of. For example some essential oils are classified as citrus. This category refers to a fresh, tangy quality that embodies at the same time a light crispness and sweetness. Lemon, lime and bergamot enter this category. Sandalwood and cedar wood remind us of the odor of wooden stalks and twigs so they are considered woody while patchouli, vetiver, and oak moss are described as earthy. The popular lavender scent is known as herbaceous; it emits a green, pungent, wood like scent.
Essential oils have different characteristics, they can be depicted as balanced which means that no components outshine the others. A diffusive essence is one that permeates the atmosphere as soon as the lid is removed. This is the case with geranium. Ylang ylang is considered heavy because it has such a powerful scent. The rose essence is qualified as warm because it triggers passion.
Finally, we define the aromatic levels of a fragrance in notes thus borrowing from the language of music. Notes refer to the impressions left by the essence and they are based on its evaporation rate and how intensely the essence affects the nose. There are three categories of notes: top, middle and base.
A top note is the first scent that you smell and it leaves the most powerful impression for about 30 minutes. Top notes include eucalyptus, lemon, mandarin, peppermint, rosemary and tea tree. These essential oils are most difficult to reproduce synthetically.
A middle note can hardly be detected when it is used alone but when several middle notes are used together they dominate the fragrance. They are detected after about half an hour and make up the bulk of a blend of essential oils that is 50 to 70 percent. They mature with time, appearing after one to three hours and can often still be present for two days.
Middle notes include black pepper, cardamom, roman chamomile, sage, geranium and lavender. Oils that bridge the octave from middle note to base notes include jasmine, frankincense, ginger, rose, vanilla, and violet leaf.
Base notes such as cedar wood, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, and ylang ylang, are the heaviest. They resonate strongly even after five hours and they can last up to 24 hours. In other words, they are the last notes to fade.
Inhalation is one of the simplest ways to experience the healing power of essential oils. It is in fact the fastest form of absorption into the body. When you inhale a scent, it triggers a neurochemical response in the brain, it gets into the small air sacs in the lungs, and it is passed almost immediately into the bloodstream. Essential oils have chemical structures that allow them to heal our bodies and they also possess beautiful aromas that move us.
Lavender oil, despite the mauve colors of its flowers, is pale yellow and it is very popular because of its versatility. Lavender is considered an antibiotic oil. It can also help lower blood pressure and balance the blood sugar. Lavender also inhibits the growth of bacteria on the skin while stimulating the growth of healthy cells which is beneficial for wound care.
It is impossible to mention all the available essential oils but it is worth mentioning vanilla whose splendid yellow orchid blossoms are without scent. Its incomparable fragrance comes from its pod.
Finally, Eva-Marie Lind describes lemon essence as “bottled sunshine”. Its fragrance reminds us of the peel, it is bright, sharp, crisp and with a characteristic tang of citrus. In ancient Europe, lemons were considered useful to cure many infectious diseases. Until today, lemon is used to stimulate the immune system since it activates both red and white blood cell formation. It can also help lower blood pressure, aid digestion and even detoxify vital eliminatory organs.
This book is an ode to aromatic oils. The author introduces us with an infectious enthusiasm to the wonders and benefits of aromatherapy which ultimately enhance our quality of life. At the end of the book you are ready to ”find a way to wonder at the moon, sing to the sun, listen to the stars, and dance with the wind.”