This is the first installment of our free online aromatherapy class at GiveBestMassageEver.

To start, let’s talk about what is aromatherapy and what are essential oils.

Aromatherapy is really a very misleading term. It leads one to believe that aromatherapy only works through the olfactory senses, in the brain, making us feel good, making us feel relaxed, or even energized. But science has proven that aromatherapy is much more than this. Aromatherapy is becoming a comprehensive holistic science of mind and body, which makes it a perfect compliment to massage therapy.

Aromatherapy definition: The inhalation and bodily application of essential oils from aromatic plants to relax, balance, rejuvenate, restore and enhance you mentally, emotionally, physically and physiologically.

So what are essential oils?

Essential oils are the very concentrated extracts of plants. They are the precious liquids that give plants their wonderful aroma. They reside in sacs and ducts in all parts of plants. They can come from any one, or a combination of the plant’s parts.

For example, jasmine, neroli and ylang ylang essential oils are extracted from flowers. Rosemary, lavender, rose and peppermint essential oils are distilled from the flowers and leaves. Geranium, patchouli and petitgrain are distilled from leaves and stems. Sandalwood and cedarwood from wood. Bergamot, orange and lemon from the rind of the fruit. Juniper from berries. Myrrh from resin. Vetivert from roots.

The special thing about essential oils is that all of them, to a greater or lesser extent, exhibit the following characteristics:

Antiseptic (prevents or combats infection locally)
Bactericide (kills bacteria)
Bacteriostatic (inhibits growth of bacteria)
Cytophylactic (promotes cell regeneration when applied to the skin)

But essential oils aren’t really magic potions. Although is fun to think that they are. Without knowing the science behind them, they truly do seem to work like magic. But their chemical makeup is what gives them their special transformative properties.

Below, read some of the major categories of chemicals found in essential oils:

Acids – kill bacteria
Alcohols – destroy bacterial and viral infections and are skin toners
Aldehydes – reduce inflammation and destroy bacterial infections
Coumarins – thin the blood and are calming and uplifting emotionally
Esters – soothe muscle spasms and irritated skin and kill fungal infections
Ester oxides – release lung congestion and mentally stimulating
Hydrocarbons – reduce bacterial infections, inflammation and intestinal gas
Ketones – promote wound healing and thin out bronchial and lung congestion
Phenols – stimulate blood flow, warm the skin and are powerful antibacterials

Now that we know what essential oils are capable of doing to help us with our health, in our next lesson we will learn some of the best essential oils to own and why. You will learn how to make your own essential oil first aid kit and how to determine a great quality oil.

Stay tuned. The next lesson will come by the end of this week.