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Aromatherapy

Published by Bupa's health information team, May 2009.

This factsheet is for people who are planning to have aromatherapy, or who would like information about it.

Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy based on the use of concentrated essential plant oils. Aromatherapy is used to reduce the symptoms of a range of conditions and is believed to work both physiologically and psychologically, although there is no definite scientific evidence to prove these effects.

Your care will be adapted to meet your individual needs and may differ from what is described here. So it's important that you follow your aromatherapist's advice.

• About aromatherapy
• Where can I find an aromatherapist?
• About the procedure
• Is aromatherapy effective?
• What are the risks?
• Using essential oils at home
• Questions and answers
• Related topics
• Further information
• Sources

About aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils therapeutically. Plant oils have been used for therapy and cosmetics for thousands of years with records going back to ancient Egypt, China and India.

The essential oils that aromatherapists use to treat conditions are complex substances containing many chemical components. The oils aren't concentrated from whole plant parts - unlike most herbal medicines - but are extracted from flowers, leaves, roots, peel, resin or bark.

Essential oils are either absorbed through your skin using massage or through a cream, lotion or compress to which they have been added. Some people claim this may act as an antiseptic or a painkiller, although there is limited evidence for this. Alternatively the oils can be inhaled and some of the oil components enter your body. It's not known exactly how aromatherapy works - in particular, whether the massage or the smell (or both) has an effect.

When you inhale essential oils, this stimulates your olfactory system - the part of the brain connected to smell. A signal is transferred to your brain's limbic system that controls emotions and stores and retrieves learned memories. This triggers chemicals to be released.

These are thought to have different effects, causing you to feel relaxed or stimulated. In addition, the gentle massage often used to apply the diluted oils to your skin is likely to have a relaxing effect.

Some of the conditions aromatherapy is used for include:

• anxiety, stress or insomnia
• muscular aches and pains
• headaches
• digestive problems
• menstrual or menopausal problems

You can choose to be treated by an aromatherapist, or you can buy certain oils at pharmacies and health shops and carry out the treatment yourself.

If you visit an aromatherapist, he or she is likely to give you a massage using essential oils that have been diluted in a vegetable oil or a lotion.

Where can I find an aromatherapist?

You can check on the Aromatherapy Council website whether or not your aromatherapist belongs to a professional body. The website can supply a list of members and training establishments, along with more information about aromatherapy. A practitioner should have some training in anatomy and physiology, as well as in the use of essential oils and massage. However, currently the title of aromatherapist isn't protected. This means that anyone can call him or herself an aromatherapist regardless of what training he or she has done.

Aromatherapy is widely available. In particular, some nurses in hospices and nursing homes use it. Many health clubs, sports centres, beauty clinics and complementary therapy centres now offer aromatherapy massage. It may also be possible to find a private practitioner who will come to your home.

About the procedure

If you decide to visit an aromatherapist, you will first have a detailed consultation. The aromatherapist will ask you questions about your medical history, diet, lifestyle and health problems. He or she may ask for your permission to inform your GP that you're receiving aromatherapy treatment. You can also ask any questions you might have. Your therapist shouldn't make a medical diagnosis as he or she isn't trained to do so. However, your therapist can advise you on a course of aromatherapy treatment. You may also be given advice about home treatments.

Aromatherapists claim to practise holistically (treating the whole person) and try to find treatments and oils that suit you physically and mentally. He or she may recommend a single oil or a blend of two or three. If you're having a massage, your aromatherapist will mix the chosen oils with what is called a carrier oil. These light oils, mainly obtained from nuts or seeds such as almond or grapeseed, 'carry' the essential oils and provide lubrication for massage. It's important to tell your therapist if you have a nut or other allergy.

Your first session may last up to two hours because of the initial consultation. You may find that one session is enough or decide to continue with regular treatments at intervals of one to four weeks. Each of these will probably last about an hour to an hour and a half.

Is aromatherapy effective?

Research on whether aromatherapy can improve or alleviate health problems is scarce and results are conflicting. Although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to support the use of aromatherapy, there is little scientific evidence.

Several studies have looked at the outcomes of different oils and aromatherapy techniques on a variety of diseases and conditions. Some of these have been controlled studies and may have involved using a placebo (dummy) treatment to see how it compares with aromatherapy. Others are less rigorous and therefore less reliable as evidence. The results of these experiments aren't conclusive and have led to conflicting views over how aromatherapy actually works and even if it works at all.

Claims from studies include:

• aromatherapy has mild and short-lasting anti-anxiety effects
• aromatherapy may help to reduce the feeling of agitation in patients with dementia
• aromatherapy may improve the quality of life of cancer patients

However, much of this work has been inconclusive and more research is needed.

What are the risks?

Before using aromatherapy, you need to bear in mind that in their concentrated form the oils might be poisonous. You should handle them carefully and always dilute them according to the product instructions.

Aromatherapy may not be appropriate for everyone. Take extra care if you have conditions including:

• allergies
• hay fever
• asthma
• eczema
• sensitive skin

Aromatherapy oils can have side-effects. Side-effects are the unwanted, but mostly mild and temporary effects of a treatment. Side-effects of aromatherapy may include:

• feeling sick
• headaches
• allergic reactions

Some oils, including citrus ones such as orange, grapefruit and bergamot, react with ultraviolet light and can cause your skin to burn more easily in sunlight.

Don't use essential oils neat on your skin. Exceptions are lavender oil and tea tree oil but only in small amounts and not for long periods. Applying lavender and tea tree oils to the skin over a long period of time has been linked to breast enlargement in boys who haven't yet reached puberty. This is thought to be because the oils may act in a similar way to the female sex hormone, oestrogen.

Don't use essential oils on broken skin. It's important not to swallow oils or apply them directly inside your body (for example, inside your nostril or ear).

Aromatherapy isn't suitable if:

• you have epilepsy
• your blood pressure is high
• you have deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in your leg)
• you're (or may be) pregnant or breastfeeding

Some essential oils may either reduce or enhance the effects of certain conventional medicines. If you're taking any medication, always check with your GP before using aromatherapy.

Using essential oils at home

It's important to get advice from your GP or a registered aromatherapist before using essential oils at home as they can have harmful effects.

If you do decide to use aromatherapy at home, it's important that you dilute the oils. Some of the ways you can use them include:

• putting a few drops in your bath
• adding them to steaming water for an inhalation
• using them in an incense burner to give fragrance to a room
• adding them to unperfumed creams, shower gels, lotions and shampoos

Always refer to the guidelines on products. These will tell you how essential oils should be used, giving recommended dilutions where necessary.

Make sure you buy essential oils from a reputable source and only in small amounts (5 to 10ml). Always store the oils in tightly-sealed containers in a cool, dark place. Treat them as you would conventional medicines and keep them out of the reach of children.

Related topics

• Cancer - a general overview
• Dementia
• Food allergy

Further information

• Aromatherapy Council
  www.aromatherapycouncil.co.uk
• Aromatherapy Trade Council
  01473 603630
  www.a-t-c.org.uk

Sources

• Questions and answers about aromatherapy. National Cancer Institute. www.cancer.gov, 23 May 2008
• Aromatherapy for pain in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Trust. www.mstrust.org.uk, accessed 19 January 2009
• Kim JT, Ren CJ, Fielding GA et al. Treatment with lavender aromatherapy in the post-anesthesia care unit reduces opioid requirements of morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Obes Surg 2007; 17(7):920-25
• Moon T, Wilkinson JM, Cavanagh HMA. Antibacterial activity of essential oils, hydrosols and plant extracts from Australian grown Lavandula spp. Intern J Aromather 2006; 16(1):9-14
• Aromatherapy. Cancer Research UK. www.cancerresearch.org.uk, accessed 20 August 2008
• Core curriculum: Training standards for the UK aromatherapy profession. Aromatherapy Council. www.aromatherapycouncil.co.uk, November 2006
• About aromatherapy. Aromatherapy Council. www.aromatherapycouncil.co.uk, accessed 19 January 2009
• Cooke B, Ernst E. Aromatherapy: a systematic review. Br J Gen Pract 2000; 50(455):493-96
• Aromatherapy for agitation in severe dementia. Bandolier. www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier, July 2003
• Nguyen QA, Paton C. The use of aromatherapy to treat behavioural problems in dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008; 23(4):337-46
• Warnke PH, Sherry E, Russo PAJ, et al. Antibacterial essential oils in malodorous cancer patients: clinical observations in 30 patients. Phytomedicine 2006; 13(7):463-67
• The nature of oils. Aromatherapy Trade Council. www.a-t-c.org.uk, accessed 20 January 2009
• Pharmacists - the scientists in the high street: Aromatherapy and essential oils. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. www.rpsgb.org, accessed 20 January 2009
• Safety measures. Aromatherapy Trade Council. www.a-t-c.org.uk, accessed 20 January 2009

This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Publication date: May 2009