How does Aromatherapy work?
Discover how aromatherapy works to enhance daily wellbeing through your sense of smell and absorption of essential oils through your skin.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils to enhance our wellbeing, hence the potent concentration of essential oils blended within each and every formula of our products.
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How aromatherapy works is actually quiet simple and works on three levels - sense of smell to trigger emotional responses, inhalation and absorption of essential oils through the skin.
01
Sense of Smell - Triggers an emotional response.
As we breathe in any aroma, it can trigger emotional and even physical responses which allow vivid memory recall of people of places.
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When we breathe in aromatic molecules, they travel to the top of the nose and come in contact with specialised nerve cells called Olfactory cells.
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These cells have tiny hairs, each of which will only recognise a specific aroma. This process produces nerve impulses that travel to the limbic system - the part of the brain which is most concerned with survival, instincts and emotions.
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It is thought by scientists that the activity of the nerve signal passing through this region causes mood change by altering brain chemistry.
02
Inhalation - absorption through the nose.
Through inhalation of essential oils, they are absorbed inside the body within the respiratory system.
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The antibacterial and antiviral properties can make them ideal for maintaining a healthy respiratory system.
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And the scent may also help to relieve symptoms of seasonal sniffles and allergies.
03
Application on the body - absorption through the skin.
The molecules in the essential oils are small enough to allow them to penetrate through the skin.
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Travelling through the epidermis (the top layer of skin) and reaching the dermis (a deeper layer of skin) and to the blood vessels, this allows the essential oil molecules to circulate through to all body areas through the blood stream.
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Most essential oils have antibacterial properties; some are antiviral, anti-fungal and/or anti-inflammatory. Essential oils also contain antioxidants which help to prevent cell damage and protect against the build up of toxic waste in skin cells, thereby helping reduce signs of aging.
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The majority of essential oil constituents leave the body within hours, mainly through excretion via the kidneys, although their effects can last much longer within the tissues.
