Aromatherapy Massage Oil

Massage Table Outlet — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:53:44 -0700

Aromatherapy Massage Oil

Though aromatherapy massage oil has become a household term, it is not Glade Bathroom Freshener, as TV would lead you to believe. Aromatherapy massage oil is the science of using pure, unadulterated botanical oils to affect the physiology and the emotions. Pure essential massage oils can balance emotions, clarify the mind, energize the body and connect us to well-being. When properly used, aromatherapy massage oil profoundly promotes health.

A brief history

Although the term "aromatherapy" is relatively new, the use of essential oils can be traced back 6,000 years to ceremonies in the ancient Vedic and Egyptian traditions. In Egypt plant extracts were used in ointments, cosmetics, healing balms and religious practices. Aromatic oils were widely used in Greece, Mesopotamia, and Rome. Hippocrates hailed, "The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and massage everyday." For centuries, oils continued to be used for their healing and balancing properties until the advent of modern science. Almost
overnight natural remedies were ignored and forgotten, aroma therapy massage oils were used only in the fragrance industry, and synthetics ruled supreme.

In 1928, French chemist Rene Gattefosse stumbled upon the healing property of lavender while researching botanical essences. He knocked over a bunsen burner, badly burned his hand, and immediately applied lavender oil. He was amazed at how it relieved the pain and healed his hand with no scarring. This was the advent of modern aromatherapy massage oil as we know it.

What are essential oils?

Essential aromatherapy massage oils are tiny droplets that form in a sac or gland on the surface of a flower, leaf, bark, stem, or root, which give the plant its signature fragrance. It has been said that the essential aromatherapy massage oil of a plant is its very essence or spirit, a miraculous gift from Mother Nature. Christoph Streicher, local founder of Amrita Aromatherapy massage oil, explains, "When you smell a true essential aromatherapy massage oil, you are inhaling the consciousness of the plant. It is vital that these precious and tender essences are produced with utmost care." An essential oil is most commonly extracted using a steam distillation method that produces a highly fragrant and volatile substance, 75-100 times more potent than the plant itself. For example, it takes approximately 4,000 pounds of handpicked rose petals to make one pound of Bulgarian Rose Oil, making it one of the most expensive aromatherapy massage oils on the market today.

Choosing the real thing

It is absolutely essential to know the quality of aromatherapy massage oil that you are buying. According to master aromatherapist and author Valerie Cooksley, It is futile to purchase a synthetic or adulterated fragrance no matter how charming because reconstituted or chemical copies simply don't work for therapeutic purposes." If an oil is labeled "perfume essential oil" or "fragrance essential oil," then it is a synthetic compound. If all the oils in a line of aromas are priced identically, then the oils have been diluted with synthetic oils or vegetable oils to make them more cost effective. Cooksley reminds us that "Only nature can produce whole essential oils." To find essential oils that are 100% pure and natural, look for organic or wildcrafted oils from a reputable producer or distributor, one that offers on-site testing to ensure purity. Gas Chromatography is a highly technical process that takes a fingerprint of an essential oil. It is then necessary to have a trained chemist on hand to interpret the fingerprint. Is it genuine or adulterated in some manner? If it is authentic, are the chemical constituents present in the proper proportions necessary for a truly exceptional aromatherapy massage oil? The fact is the higher the quality, the greater the therapeutic value.