Valerie Robitaille, MS

Williamsport Nutrition Examiner

Many chemicals are not only toxic and sometimes carcinogenic, but can be totally unnecessary in any way, shape or form for the quality of our lives. Nevertheless, they are produced and marketed as being essential to our modern lifestyle by the cosmetic companies that manufacture them. Why is this you might ask? Because synthetic chemicals are cheap and easy to come by. There was a time when a person actually had to wait until a food or ingredient was in season to obtain it. Not anymore. I know of a lab nearby that mixes together any combination of chemicals (sometimes a listing of more than 200 of them) to produce a single ‘fragrance' or ‘flavor'. They proudly boast "give us anything and we can make it taste like filet mignon or smell like a cucumber."

Aromatherapy is a popular practice that uses scents for their therapeutic value. However, there is a difference between fragrance oils and the pure essential oils that are used in aromatherapy practices. Whereas a fragrance oil is made up of synthetic man-made chemicals (sometimes hundreds of chemicals to make it smell like a mango, or a strawberry or a whatever), an essential oil is obtained by a process dating back thousands of years whereby the scent, or ‘essence,' of a plant is extracted by cold pressing or steam distillation.

Our sense of smell is extremely sensitive and responsive, and is directly connected to the most primitive part of the brain called the limbic system which controls the following processes:

• Emotional Responses
• Hormonal Secretions
• Memory
• Mood
• Motivation
• Pain and Pleasure Sensations

Every cell in the body has a membrane which selectively filters its environment. Essential oils have a similar chemical structure as the cells which make up our tissues and organs, enabling the plant's "essence" to be readily identified and accepted by the body. When an essential oil from a plant is inhaled it is transmitted directly to the limbic system, and influences the various human functions mentioned above.

Every plant‘s essential oil has it's own unique therapeutic qualities. Familiarizing yourself with these scents and their properties is a powerful way to experience the benefits of aromatherapy as it resonates with you, and helps you heal from the outside in! For example, Lavender is known to aid in relaxation but also enhances mental acuity and is wonderful when applied directly to burns. Peppermint is refreshing and invigorating, and second to none in masking stubborn pet odors. But beware of the advertised "aromatherapy" products that have about 1 drop of essential oil in them, and countless chemicals that simply do not give the same effects.