Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review

Summary & key facts

The authors looked through many scientific and online databases to collect what is known about essential oils used in aromatherapy. They describe how oils are made, the common ways people use them (breathing them in, putting them on the skin, or baths), and many conditions people say the oils help, like depression, headache, poor sleep, muscle pain and skin problems. The review pulls together a lot of reports but does not prove that aromatherapy works for these problems. The authors also note safety questions and say that oils seem more helpful when people also pay attention to diet and other parts of life.

Key facts:

• The paper is a review that gathered information from many sources, including PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and other electronic databases.
• Essential oils come from plant parts like flowers, bark, leaves, roots and fruit. Scientists extract them using different methods.
• Aromatherapy is usually done by inhaling the oils, putting them on the skin, or taking baths with them.
• The review reports that people use aromatherapy for many issues, including depression, indigestion, headache, poor sleep, muscle pain, breathing problems, skin conditions, swollen joints and some urinary problems.
• The authors say essential oils may work better when combined with healthy lifestyle and diet, but they do not claim the review proves the oils definitely treat these conditions.
• The paper notes safety and quality concerns and implies that the evidence in the literature varies, so more careful research is needed before making firm medical claims.

Abstract

Nowadays, use of alternative and complementary therapies with mainstream medicine has gained the momentum. Aromatherapy is one of the complementary therapies which use essential oils as the major therapeutic agents to treat several diseases. The essential or volatile oils are extracted from the flowers, barks, stem, leaves, roots, fruits and other parts of the plant by various methods. It came into existence after the scientists deciphered the antiseptic and skin permeability properties of essential oils. Inhalation, local application and baths are the major methods used in aromatherapy that utilize these oils to penetrate the human skin surface with marked aura. Once the oils are in the system, they remodulate themselves and work in a friendly manner at the site of malfunction or at the affected area. This type of therapy utilizes various permutation and combinations to get relief from numerous ailments like depression, indigestion, headache, insomnia, muscular pain, respiratory problems, skin ailments, swollen joints, urine associated complications etc. The essential oils are found to be more beneficial when other aspects of life and diet are given due consideration. This review explores the information available in the literature regarding therapeutic, medical, cosmetic, psychological, olfactory, massage aromatherapy, safety issues and different plants used in aromatherapy. All the available information was compiled from electronic databases such as Academic Journals, Ethnobotany, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and library search.

Topics

Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Categories

Life Sciences Neuroscience Sensory Systems

Tags

Alternative medicine Aromatherapy Medicine Pathology Traditional medicine

Substances

Other

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Chronic Pain Depression Sleep disorder Anxiety or worry Chronic pain Poor sleep Sadness or low mood