History of aromatherapy
In ancient times, the high costs of raw materials reserved the use of perfumes for the upper classes, and generally on rare occasions, such as religious ceremonies.
The introduction of modern synthetic substances, with consequent lowering of production costs, has extended the use of perfumes to a greater number of people; at the same time, aesthetic needs have increased significantly, so that the smells emanating from both people and environments are increasingly tolerated.
The long-term effects of these odorous substances on our psyche are still unknown, and we are rarely aware of the fragrances we inhale; however, this is not a sufficient reason to ignore this aspect of our daily life.
In the last decade studies and research on this topic have intensified and the results are starting to arrive, validating or refuting hypotheses and empirical experiments done in the past. Recently, three clinical centers for the study of taste and smell disorders have been activated by the United States "National Institute of Health"; a similar center also arose at the "Warwick University" in Dover. We are also experimenting with the use of perfumes (or better, olfactory stimulations) to help people who suffer from mild depressions and nervous breakdowns, as well as for appetite regulation. These clinical applications of olfactory perception are indicated by the term osmotherapy and, although still at the beginning, have aroused interest, above all for the possibility of modifying the mood without resorting to the administration of psychotropic drugs.
Autogenic training and perfumed fragrances
What do relaxation techniques have to do with the influence of odorous essences on the human psyche? Very much, because the use of certain odorous essences during the training session not only facilitates relaxation, but also evokes images, awakens memories, triggers emotions, playing a key role in the healing process.
Each of us has its own baggage of olfactory reminiscences capable of evoking pleasant or even unpleasant emotions and sensations; what is called "Proust phenomenon", from the famous work of the French writer "In search of lost time", where the smell of the "madeline" dipped in tea brought back to the artist's mind streams of memories of his safe and protected childhood.
Precisely because of the idiosyncratic qualities of the smells, finding a universal evocative fragrance is practically impossible; however there are particular fragrances, such as the smell of sea breeze, which are particularly rich in evocative properties in the popular imagination (something analogous to the "universal archetypes" of Jung's collective unconscious).
During a guided relaxation session, the most efficient external suggestions are those that bypass the critical interference of the conscious and rational mind; this is precisely what the fragrances do: heading directly to the innermost part of the brain.
This part corresponds to a primitive structure at the center of the brain, called the limbic system. The limbic system is the portion of the brain that controls emotions, moods and is closely integrated with the olfactory endings; our nose can therefore be considered a sort of "emotional antenna" directly in contact with the outside world.
Which diseases are targeted by aromatherapy
It is possible to turn to an aromatherapist for a variety of problems, however among the most common problems we find:
- anxiety
- arthritis
- asthma
- backache
- constipation
- depression
- water retention
- migraine
- hypertension
- insomnia
- irritable bowel syndrome
- menopause syndrome
- premenstrual syndrome
- muscle contractures
- bad circulation
- stress-related disorders
Fragrances with sedative activity
The following table shows a subdivision between sedative and stimulating essential oils, also reporting the experimental confirmations performed by tests and confirmations given by Japanese researchers.
Evidently, we cannot define precise limits between the two calming and stimulating neurotropic actions, and this not only for the complexity of composition of essential oils (which more often than not contain different types of functional groups and different classes of components), but, also, due to their particular type of general physiological action, which Kobert defined in the same way stimulating and calming. In fact, while in some essences they play functional factors of exciting or sedative prevalence, in others (and they are the majority) the two neurotropic pharmacological actions are closely connected, so much so that, depending on the dosages, a certain essential oil can have effects stimulants rather than soothing. It is also interesting the action of certain essential oils defined by aromatherapists particularly "euphoric", therefore suitable in case of depression: for example, the essential oil of sage, jasmine, ylang-ylang, bergamot and grapefruit.
Fragrances with neurotropic activity
| Neurotropic effect | Functional groups | Essences and fragrances |
| Calming effect | Functional alcoholic groups (borneol, linalol, menthol, terpineol etc.) Keton functional groups (camphor, jonone, etc.) Terpenic esters (bornyl acetate, linalyl, geranyl, terpenyl etc.) | Orange blossom, Lily of the valley, Magnolia, Lilac, Violette, Oregano, Tiglio |
| Stimulating effect | Aldehyde functions (citral, citroneal etc.) Phenolic functions (eugenol, thymol, etc.) Fatty and aromatic acids (benzyl and amyl acetate, etc.) | Gelsomino, Garofano |
| anxiolytics | Terpenic alcohols Terpenic esters Terpenic ketones | Bergamot, cypress, helichrysum italic, lavender, mint, myrtle, mugo, neroli, petit-grain, rose, sage, valerian |
| Antidepressants | Terpene aldehydes Phenols Fatty and aromatic esters | Sweet orange, basil, cinnamon, citronella, eucalyptus, jasmine, lemon, rosemary, sassafras, verbena, ylang-ylang |
Possible pharmacological activities of fragrances
| Hypnotics (sleep adjuvants) | Essences of: cypress, bitter orange flowers (neroli), lemon balm, mint crispa, rose, linden |
| Antisonno | Essences of: citronella, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, niaouli, thyme, verbena |
| Anorectics (appetite reducers) | Essences of: camphor artemisia, cajeput, myrtle |
| Appetizers (appetite stimulating) | Essences of: basil, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, oregano, sage |
| anti-migraine | Essences of: sweet orange, bergamot, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, peppermint and sylvan, |
| Antinausea, Antiemetics, Antisvenimento | Essences of: citronella, eucalyptus, lemon, lemon balm, peppermint and aquatic, rosemary, verbena |
| Herogenes (adjuvants of aphrodisiac stimulation) | Essences of: amber, cinnamon, costus, ladbano, musk, patchoult, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang-ylang |
| Antierogeni | Essences of: agnocasto, camphor sagebrush, camphor, eucalyptus, myrtle, rosemary |
