Aromatherapy:
The Subtle, Sensuous Medicines

Massage therapists are no strangers to aromatherapy, the two therapies coming together more often than not to enhance the power of each other. But my first aromatherapy teacher was my Aunt Robbie who began making "aromatherapy projects" for our family back in 1960. For the past 47 years she has never failed to lovingly produce some concoction for a birthday present, graduation gift, or "just to share the latest experiment" with a new scent or botanical. Robbie is one of those creative, free spirit types; the kind of woman who will greet you at the door wearing her latest chamomile/basil red clay hydrating mask and a billowing orange caftan without a moment of self-consciousness. Growing up with Robbie was a little like being related to Mary Poppins; she was always making something creative, was never shy about drawing others into the adventure.

Robbie and my mom were best friends. When both women tragically lost their husbands they took up sewing to make ends meet. I spent much of the first 9 years of life listening to these two women, polar opposites, talk for hours a day. When Robbie would talk about her latest relief from a lavender foot soak or an arnica cardamom salve she'd concocted, my mom-the first person in her family to graduate from college and a consummate scientific thinker-would, without fail, say, "oh Robbie, that works because you want it to work". If the reply "just you wait, Babe; somebody will prove I'm right one day" didn't follow on the tail of that placebo effect accusation, it meant Robbie had left the room.

Today many of the "concoctions" Robbie has created are receiving empirical confirmation through studies in botanical sciences and complimentary medicine studies around the world. Whenever I see a study like this I send it to Robbie. In return I get giddy "I-told-you-so" emails proclaiming the soundness of the use of botanicals through the millennia. Ironically, some of the research is also indicating that the meaning we ascribe to a scent does indeed influence its effectiveness, as well.

Aromatherapy-as the word was originally intended-is the use of botanicals-usually the essential oils extracted from plant matter-for health and well-being.

Essential oils are produced in one of two ways: by pressing the plant material to extract its oils or through distillation (usually using steam)-a process you can see at some of the lavender farms here on the Peninsula. One of my earliest memories was a weekend Aunt Robbie and her kids came to our house to babysit. We spent the entire two days harvesting the leaves, berries, and bark from the eucalyptus trees surrounding our house. Then, once gathered, she enlisted us all-kids from age 4 through 9-in attempts to extract the oil from our woody collection. The moral of the story: do not try this at home, friends; this is a job for professionals!

Explaining their importance in mind/body medicine, essential oils have an immediate effect on the limbic system-the parts of the brain responsible for memory, emotion, and motivation-through the sense of smell. As such, their initial impact is typically psychological: calming, soothing, invigorating, focusing, etc.

But this idea of aromatherapy being related just to the sense of smell is an unfortunate result of using a term with the word "aroma" in it. They are also easily absorbed through the skin and once in the system essential oils can have several positive effects on the body as well. Some oils can promote wound healing for example. Others can help with digestion, or sooth painful joints and muscles-to name just a few of their many possible benefits.

Used to their fullest capacity, essential oils carry a double effect. Applied to the warm skin their scent is released immediately, influencing one's mood. Then, absorbed through the skin, they effect physiological change as well. For instance, the oil of sweet marjoram-named by the ancient Greeks, marjoram translates "joy of the mountains"-first has a psychologically calming effect, then over the next several hours its chemical characteristics work to ease muscle stiffness and pain.

Too strong to be used on their own, essential oils are most often used with a "carrier" of some kind, which also dilutes the oils. Essential oils are oil-soluble so vegetable oils (such as sunflower, almond, or jojoba), butters, and salves are the most common carriers for them. Massage is probably the preferred mode of aromatherapy. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a massage therapist! In addition to its health benefits, massage maximizes the absorption of essential oils and aids in their work through the circulatory system.

Another powerful carrier of essential oils is mineral salts because they don't just "carry" the oil. Like massage, they have their own complementary effectiveness as well. Typically used for soaking, mineral salts are rich in magnesium and sulfates, both of which are difficult to absorb through the digestive track, yet relatively easily absorbed through the skin. Magnesium ensures proper muscle, nerve, and enzyme function, decreases inflammation, and soothes pain (especially muscle and joint pain). Sulfates help detoxify the body of residues from environmental contaminates, improve the absorption of other nutrients, and in some cases can prevent or ease migraine headaches.

Essential oils are also alcohol-solvent. So they are well used in atomizers that allow them to be sprayed-as air fresheners, disinfectants, personal scents, clothing and bedding fresheners, and countless other aromatherapeutic purposes.

Though essential oils should typically not be taken internally, you may have had some for breakfast today. The most popular tea in the United States, Earl Grey, gets its distinctive flavor from the essential oil of bergamot. It's no wonder Americans love this tea for its uplifting character as well as the aromatic thrill it imparts as the first splash of boiling water hits the leaves. The essential oil of bergamot, like other citrus essential oils, has demonstrated the ability to refresh and lift the spirits.

Science may be clarifying the effectiveness of essential oils, but their best use remains an art as well as a science. Since the oils have unique effects-lowering blood pressure or raising blood pressure, for instance--mixing them is a complex endeavor. Creating blends that work together both in their effect AND in their scent is truly an art. Early in her life as an aromatherapist, Aunt Robbie worked to help a neighbor-a flight attendant-with terrible athletes' foot. She created a salve including all the oils she could obtain that were antifungal. In the tube this concoction smelled bad, but once on the warm foot, it was, as it turned out, intolerable. Unfortunately, Robbie's friend tried the salve for the first time just before boarding her usual trans-Pacific run. Much to the passengers' discomfort the horrific smell of Robbie's concoction was re-circulated throughout the cabin hundreds of times in the course of the long flight. The attendant's shoes were never to be worn again.

Fortunately, more recently research informs us that many essential oils are most potent in small amounts and the art of perfumery has improved the blending of essential oils. Here we've learned about the value of creating blends that include oils with high, medium, and low "notes" to create full, complex scents. Other influences include the use of the core foundations of essential oils. Some are woodsy, others are spicy, or floral. Some widely favored scents are citrusy. Creating blends that highlight these characteristics or combining complementary scent characteristics make aromatherapy an art that is boundless.

Few of us are so lucky to have an Aunt Robbie. But, go on, whether you have a flourish for art, a keen love of science, or a renaissance-sensibility for both, aromatherapy is your territory. Explore boldly!