What is Aromatherapy? Uses, benefits and side effects ..

Nina Wongsuratrakul
Feb 17
4 min read

If you're looking to address health issues ranging from anxiety to insomnia, you might want to try aromatherapy. This treatment involves using plant extracts known as essential oils, which can be inhaled or applied to your skin. Some individuals apply the oils during a massage or while taking a bath.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are derived from various parts of flowers, herbs, and trees, such as bark, roots, peels, and petals. The cells responsible for a plant's fragrant aroma are known as its "essence." Once this essence is extracted, it becomes an essential oil. Producing essential oils requires a significant amount of plant material. For instance, over 200 pounds of lavender flowers are needed to produce just 1 pound of lavender essential oil.

Not all products containing plant essence are considered essential oils. Genuine essential oils are not mixed with other chemicals or fragrances. They are produced using a specific method that preserves the plant's natural chemistry. Lemon, orange, chamomile, lavender, cedarwood, and bergamot are some of the essential oils commonly used in aromatherapy.

How Aromatherapy Works

Specialists believe that aromatherapy engages smell receptors in your nose, which relay messages through your nervous system to your brain.

The oils might stimulate specific regions of your brain, such as the limbic system, which is involved in emotions and memories. Scents trigger activity in your hypothalamus, prompting the brain to release mood-enhancing brainchemicals like serotonin.

Some specialists suggest that applying essential oils to your skin may provoke a response in your skin and other parts of your body, including your joints.

What Is Aromatherapy Used For?

Aromatherapy should not replace your standard medical care. However, studies indicate that it can offer health benefits for certain conditions. It may:

Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression
Enhance relaxation
Improve sleep
Enhance the quality of life for individuals with chronic health conditions such as dementia
Alleviate certain types of pain, including pain from kidney stones and osteoarthritis of the knee
Combat bacteria when applied to the skin
Alleviate some side effects of cancer treatment, such as nausea and pain

Is It Safe?

It is typically safe, but essential oils can have side effects. Some may irritate your eyes, skin, or mucous membranes in your nose, and they can also trigger mild allergic reactions.

Ingesting certain essential oils can harm your kidneys or liver. It's uncommon for people to consume essential oils orally, and you should only do so if advised by your doctor.

If you're new to aromatherapy, consult an aromatherapist or your doctor. Remember that essential oils are not regulated by the FDA, meaning the agency does not verify their safety or efficacy as it does with drugs.

Over 90 varieties of essential oils exist, each possessing a distinct aroma and possible health advantages. Here is a list of well-known essential oils that we choose at our clinic, along with the health benefits they are claimed to offer:

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus Essential Oil is probably most well known for its wonderful benefits for respiratory applications including helping to ease congestion and pressure, colds, flu, fever and bronchitis. It's also a great essential oil to use in massage or other topical blends to ease muscular pain and arthritis
Peppermint: Peppermint Essential Oil contains menthol. Menthol induces a cooling sensation, and use of Peppermint Oil (at low dilution) in a body mist or even in the diffuser can help to cool you down.
Menthol is also known to help ease tension headaches and muscular aches and pains
Lavender: Lavender Oil has a beautiful, versatile aroma. It is anti-bacterial and is a must-have for your first-aid kit. Its calming and sedative properties make Lavender Essential Oil a wonderful oil to help relax, fight stress and to promote sleep. And when properly diluted, it's amongst the safest of essential oils
Jasmine: Jasmine has an exquisitely floral aroma that is uniquely its own.
Jasmine blossoms cannot be effectively steam distilled, so they are extracted by solvent to create a highly concentrated absolute. A tiny bit goes a very long way. Jasmine has been used to help combat depression, exhaustion, reducing pain, and increase energy levels

Lemongrass: Lemongrass essential oil comes from the lemongrass plant, which grows in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The oil can be bright or pale yellow with a thin consistency and a lemony scent.
People have used lemongrass in traditional medicine for pain relief, stomach problems, and fevers. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may also used to aid digestion, stress, headaches, and balance your mood
Orange or Yuzu: Orange essential oil has a bright, uplifting aroma that cleanses and refreshes the air when diffused. Its aroma also relieves digestive discomfort, encourages relaxation and the orange essential oil can uplift your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and freshen the air.