Certification is not needed in the United States to be an Aromatherapist. It is often required in the European countries, but not necessary here. The basic idea of the practice of aromatherapy is to strengthen self-healing and stimulating our immune system.

Aromatherapy dates from before written history. There are early documents that tell of the uses of aromatherapy in Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians were known to use oils from plants and flowers for massage oils, embalming preparations, perfumes and cosmetics, and skin care products. The oldest surviving medical book in China contains information on more than 300 different plants and what they were used for. The book is called “Chinese Yellow Emperor Book of Internal Medicine” and was thought to be writing around 2697 BC! The Greek and Roman civilizations adopted the use of essential oils for both cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Many of these same cures are still used today were found in a book written more than 2000 years ago by a Greek doctor.
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Lavender is only one of the most versatile essential oils in the world today. It is extracted from the lilac colored flowers of a tall plant. Lavender has an effect on mind, emotions, and the body. It’s also often used as a disinfectant, treatment of insect bites, and used to repel insects. This versatile essential oil is a product you should always have on hand if you use aromatherapy. English Lavender is a perennial plant favorite in gardens and loves dry soil and much sunshine.

It blooms from July through September and fills your garden with a beautiful soothing scent. The color is a brownish lilac and when the essential oils are distilled, it turns into a yellow thin liquid. The botanical name is Lavendula Officinalis and is extracted through steam distillation. The scent is fresh, sweet, floral, and slightly fruity. A book titled “Essential Oils” will give you safety instructions before using lavender and never use undiluted essential oils.
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Aromatherapy is the use of scented essential oils that are distilled from plant materials. These materials can include the leaves, bark, berries, fruit or flowers. These essential oils are then used to promote improved health plus physical and mental well-being. They can be used in a variety of ways from inhalation to bathing. One of the most popular uses is through massage.

Aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years. It is believed that Hippocrates himself used scented massage. Much later, in the 1930s Rene Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, came up with the word aromatherapy to explain the use of essential oils in therapy. He became inspired by their use after burning his hand and using lavender oil to treat it. It was a treatment that left him with no scars. During the Second World War essential oils were used as antiseptics. But it was years later still that Madame Marguerite Maury began to promote their use in massage therapy.
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Infused oils are another type of oil used in aromatherapy. Infusion is an extraction process that does not involve boiling. Rather, an ingredient, usually an herb, is steeped or soaked for a period of time in some type of liquid so that its active ingredients or soluble elements can be removed. A gentle heat source is needed, such as the sun. When steeped or soaked in oil, the end result is infused oils.

Infused oils can be used several different ways. They can be added into ointments, creams, lotions, shampoos and other personal care products that are applied topically. In aromatherapy, infused oils are commonly mixed into essential oils or carrier oils. Some people prefer to use infused oils without first mixing them into other ingredients. Unlike essential oils, infused oils are not nearly as concentrated, making them safe to use alone.
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