Aroma healing interest on the rise
Campus Times
April 23, 1999
Freshman Andreis Karafotas experiences "The Hands of an Angel"
at Beauty Solutions in Fullerton. "The hands" belong to cosmetologist,
Sylvia Castillo. She is currently practicing in Fullerton. Some of Castillo's
treatments involve relaxing methods such as scented lotions and oils. They
are also incorporated with soothing music and massages.
Of all the human senses, perhaps the most underrated is the sense of
smell. But recently, people have realized that this sense could be the means
to alleviate different physical and psychological disturbances such as stress,
headaches and anxiety.
Rare enough, this therapy has existed for thousands of years, but it
seemed to be hidden from the American people until recently.
Aromatherapy has risen as an impacting, effective way of alternative
medicine that has become popular in the last few years.
Now, people who once relied exclusively on conventional medicine are
looking for different choices to solve their malaises.
"Nowadays people are beginning to realize how good plants and herbs
are for your health," said Sylvia Castillo, a cosmetologist who runs
a business called Beauty Solutions in Brea and uses aromatherapy as part
of her services.
Aromatherapy consists of the use of aromatic substances, which in most
cases are essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being.
The basic elements of aromatherapy are the essential oils. They differ
from perfume oils because they contain the essence of the plant from which
they are derived. This is why essential oils are expensive to produce. For
instance, 2,000 kilograms of rose petals make only one kilogram of oil.
"Although it requires large amounts of a given plant to obtain
a little oil out of it, the prices of the oils are kept low," Castillo
said. "Most people can afford to pay for the oils they need."
Methods to achieve the best results usually involve the inhalation or
the application of the oil on the skin for absorption.
"Aromatherapy is an interesting option for people who suffer from
stress, or whose energy is down and are seeking for a solution," Castillo
said.
Through aromatherapy, patients have shown improvements on their mood
disorders, according to Castillo.
"Aromatherapy is a stress-reliever and has the advantage that the
effect lasts even longer than most other medicinal treatment," she
said.
The technique used the most consists of applying the oils on the body
followed by a soft massage to relax the muscles and help the oil penetrate
the skin.
Aromatherapy also provides an alternative for people who suffer from
cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure.
"These people can't get a regular massage due to their health problems,"
Castillo said.
"For instance, if a person has cancer and gets a massage, the infected
cells might get spread all over the particular part of the body," she
said.
"What we do with these people is a different treatment of acupressure."
Castillo also commented on how people are not aware of easy remedies
to lighten frequent uneasinesses.
She said lavender oil is good to prevent sinus allergies and as an anti-inflammatory.
Eucalyptus oil increases oxygen intake, improving respiration as well.
Ylang Ylang, cedarwood and lemongrass are essential oils that, when
combined, help to detoxify both the skin and the internal organs. A revitalizer
is produced by mixing bois de rose, orange oil and geranium oil. This also
promotes blood circulation.
It was the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse who in 1937 published
a book to explain the results of his studies on the healing powers of essential
oils. He introduced the term aromatherapy.
Jean Valnet, a medical doctor, and Margaret Maury, biochemist, both
French, combined their techniques to create the form of aromatherapy currently
used around the world.
The actual use of aromatherapy began before then. Egyptians began using
it at least 6,000 years ago. They were accustomed to being massaged with
aromatic oils after bathing.
Greeks, Romans and Arabs also joined in the use of aromas and oils.
But not only the old world civilizations knew of the benefits of aromatherapy.
Europeans, were amazed to find the wealth of medicinal remedies the
Aztecs had developed out of plants.
