Not so many years ago we used to call aromatherapy an alternative healing method. Now, more than 5,000 years after its first use, it is very much seen as a complementary holistic therapy for many people and a first choice therapy for millions of people around the world.

Discovered concurrently by the Ancient Chinese and Egyptians, infusion of oils from plants were used for medicinal and beauty purposes. From these two great civilisations the Greeks and then the Romans developed and added to the body of knowledge – a knowledge that exists and is trusted right up to the present.

Essential oils can be used in three main ways. The most popular method is massage which effectively combines the beneficial effects of the oils with that of the massage itself. Every week thousands of people make use of the next method, some not even realising that they are making use of an aromatherapy technique. The second method then is an aromatherapy bath, created by adding a few drops of the essential oil to a warm bath and often enjoyed with quiet candlelit relaxation. The third method is to experience the beneficial effects by inhaling the oils when they have been added to a bowl of warm water.

Aromatherapy oils can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies, health shops and some of the bigger supermarkets, but the majority of these products contain only very small amounts of the essential oils.

Qualified and registered aromatherapists will have access to a far wider and more concentrated range of oils from which they will mix the combination most suited to your requirements and then provide it within an appropriate carrier oil – usually almond or grapeseed – as part of a massage therapy. After the initial consultation sessions you should expect a series of weekly massage treatments costing between £20 and £40 a session, perhaps supported by baths or inhalations at home.

The Aromatherapy Consortium is the UK’s training and regulatory body, ensuring that qualified therapists have had at least 180 hours of training and it is the professional approach that the organisation has provided that ensures responsible advice and service to its clients. It is not uncommon for therapists to work directly with GPs to provide the best complementary package of holistic and modern medical advice. For more information about their services just check out their web site.

More and more scientific research is confirming the place and effectiveness of this therapy alongside other holistic methods in modern treatment methods. Whether you use the most well–known oils such as tea tree or camomile – or research further and try the more unusual neroli or vetiver oils, you are guaranteed a safe natural and innervating experience. Aromatherapy blends perfectly with our twenty first century desire to live in harmony with the planet in a non-damaging sustainable way.
With essential oils, skincare lotions, scented candles, vaporisers, hydrosols and more all being easily available from just a few pounds, isn’t it time you tracked down your local stockist and treated yourself?