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The rising popularity of alternative or holistic
therapy can be gauged from the fact that today the sense of
smell is also being used as a therapy to treat an amazing
variety of ailments including stress.
Flowers, plants,
herbs and spices, everyday items in our gardens or
even our food, are natural antidotes to variety of
ailments. Preventive treatments like aromatherapy
are using a combination of modern science and
ancient wisdom
to produce curatives, which also double as
cosmetic aids. In fact, the |
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recuperative and soothing effects of flowers, plants and herbs
have been known for centuries.
Rose
petals were considered the secret of Empress Noor Jehan’s
fabled beauty. Incense used in religious rituals also
possessed the properties to soothe the mind, as did Indian
myrrh and dhup made from juniper shrubs, used extensively in
temples. All these performed a dual role – religious and
therapeutic.
Now, with a growing demand for natural cures
and remedies, aromatherapy is flowering again, this time
packaged in attractive tubes and bottles and promising to cure
everything from rheumatism to diabetes and psychological
problems.
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing process for
the body and mind. The basis lies in the essential oils
contained in plant materials. These can be found in leaves,
flowers, roots, seeds, bark and resin. These oils are highly
concentrated and when extracted, can either be used in a pure
form or diluted / blended with other oils to produce the
required strength. Essential oils are medicinal and fragrant
and travel through the bloodstream reacting with hormones and
enzymes. Physiologically, the oils sedate or stimulate the
system. When the fragrance is inhaled, the nerve – ends in the
nose transmit pleasurable signals to the brain which reacts to
the positive power of the fragrant aroma inducing pleasant
memorizes, restoring emotional balance and encouraging
relaxation and energisation. Many of these fragrant oils have
antiseptic and antitoxic qualities and often act as an
antidote to viral infection, to inflammation, aches and
pains.
In India, Ayurveda embraced herbs and aromatics
as an important part of the philosophy of healing, using fresh
herbs, dried herbs such s tea, or herbs compounded into pills,
using fresh plant juices. In early times essential oil
extraction involved pounding and grinding of fresh or dried
herb and subsequent extraction to the essential
oil.
Trade and wars brought many new herbs to India
from the Far East, the Middle East, Egypt and Africa.
Distillation expertise from Arabia allowed for the making of
attars, using a co distillation method in which a very light
volatile essential component, such as jasmine, could be
distilled with a very heavy essential oil component like
sandalwood, where the heavier component trapped the light
flowery aroma. Today essential oil production continues to be
an important industry in many small villages where
distillation apparatus designs have not changed for 3,000
years.
Aromatherapy has regained popularity only two
decades back. Various products based on essential oils and
natural ingredients are available designed to alter or enhance
moods and treat a range of ailments from migraine to
hypertension and, arthritis.
At various beauty saloons a
variety of creams, conditioners and moisturizers made from
essential oils are used in beauty treatments.
For
further information please contact us
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