What is Aromatherapy? If you have ever walked through a field of lavender or crushed a sprig of mint between your fingers you would immediately recognise the aromatic scent that these plants give off. But what is it that gives them their distinctive scent? What gives the rose its lovely perfume or the orange its tangy smell?

The answer is in the essential oils contained within them. Aromatherapy is the use of these essential oils to enhance health and promote well being. Each essential oil has its own characteristic aroma and its own distinct profile of medicinal properties. Some oils, like lavender, have a soothing and relaxing effect; others, like rosemary are more stimulating and invigorating.

They are very concentrated so it may take the petals of around 30 specially cultivated roses to make one drop of rose essential oil and many kilos of lavender to produce a small bottle of essential oil of lavender. This is true of most flower-based essential oils, whereas in a citrus fruit such as an orange, the oils are there are there in such profusion that they may actually spray into the atmosphere when peeled.

History
It was a Frenchman, Rene Gatefosse, who first coined the term “Aromatherapy”. He was a chemist who was working for his family owned perfumery business when he had a mishap and burned his hand, he immersed his hand in the nearest bowl of cold liquid, which happened to be essential oil of lavender. His wound healed with great speed and left almost no scarring.

He became fascinated by the healing properties of other oils and subsequently researched into their therapeutic effects. Although Gatefosse was first to came up with the term Aromatherapy, the first literary evidence of the use of essential oils as medicinal substances comes from Indian vedic literature over 4000 years ago. Mention is made of the therapeutic effects of many oils including Cinnamon, Ginger, Spikenard and Sandalwood. The ancient Egyptians left us records of their use of oils in the form of papyrus manuscripts, and also in the form of mummies on which traces of Cedar and Myrrh can still be detected today. These oils would have been used in the embalming process and also in the religious ceremonies surrounding rites of passage. Indeed many Egyptian tombs contained a variety of oils unguents and balsams stored in decorative jars.

Probably the best-documented use of essential oils comes from the bible where the gospels tell us that gifts of Frankincense and Myrrh, exotic oils from the east, were offered to Jesus at his birth. Essential oils have been used in almost every civilisation and culture down through the ages.

Today Aromatherapy is gaining popularity as a credible alternative therapy and is used by thousands of people from all walks of life to obtain relief for their suffering.

Essential oils are not often used neat on the skin, but are blended into a carrier oil. Extra virgin cold pressed oils should be used. These are oils obtained from the first pressing, later pressings rely on heat or solvents to extract the oil and so the quality is inferior.

The healing properties of these oils are usually increased when they are combined with each other in formulas specially selected to help with specific conditions. They act synergistically. Each blend being greater than the sum of its parts.

Barefoot Botanicals has from day one recognized the potent therapeutic properties of essential oils and they form a very important part of the formulas, as well as providing the inimitable aromas that delight our customers.