The Scent of Authenticity
Of all the places to find anything to do with ‘Aromatherapy’ but in an Ace Hardware store. Obviously, aromatherapy products were not why I went in; nonetheless, there they were …. BAM … just as I walked in the door. To make it even more intriguing was the fact that these were household cleaning products with the word, ‘Aromatherapeutic’ written in bold above everything else with such fragrances as: lemon verbena, lavender, basil, geranium and apple (of all things). I immediately grabbed a bottle to venture a whiff, and sure enough, not one of them contained real essential oils let alone therapeutic botanicals. Let’s just say, I was mildly entertained.
It didn’t take long for a sales clerk to stop and explain to me just how great this product is especially for being real (her word). I could not contain myself, and because she was as friendly as she was, it felt appropriate to gently point out that they were in fact, not authentic as far as the ‘aromatherapeutic’ part was concerned. I must say, she did take it in stride and with the biggest smile on her face, she says, ‘You’re kidding?’.
I briefly explained my background and expertise level justifying my response. She was incredibly open and wanted to know more. The discussion went on for a while before she said to me, ‘Well that explains why it’s such a good product! It doesn’t have all that hippie stuff in it.’ This was really too funny and a brilliant segue into packaging, marketing as well as quality. In that moment, she represented a collective belief system: in order for something to be of quality, it’s got to be synthetic; not to mention that ‘we’ don’t really understand where all this ‘hippie stuff’ comes from. By the time we were finished, she expressed appreciation for ‘teaching’ her something new and swore it was information she would never forget.
I also realized that today was a day I could share with so many others. Let’s be honest, the general population does not get what Aromatherapy truly is. I even had a man come up and sniff me today because he knows my title; however, when it comes to discussing how I practice, there is no getting a word in edge wise. It’s all about the sniffing and aromas; I mean, why else call it ‘Aromatherapy’, right?
However, my experience at Ace (actually both experiences) opened my eyes to what’s really missing. This, of course, led to my insight on the most effective way to serve the public if I want to raise the standard practice of Aromatherapy to a higher level and that is provide educational information for people to consider.
With this said, Aromatherapy IS NOT just about using plant aromas to scent a room or product for relaxation or stimulation. It definitely has nothing to do with using fragrance oils, either. Yes, aromas have the ability to foster good memories; however, this is only a small component of what it means to be therapeutic. In calling something therapeutic, we’re talking about facilitating health and wellbeing. Memory is only a fraction of this equation. For an essential oil to be beneficial, we need a complete molecule. Researchers have isolated the components of these molecules responsible for the individual aromas and are able to extract them to produce fragrance oils. These are what are known as ‘perfume grade’ oils.
On the other hand, when we work with a therapeutic grade essential oil, we’re utilizing the entire particle and the selections as well as application are determined by the client’s need. Now, each oil does have a specific purpose for which it works well; however, when we follow a holistic practice, we’re treating an entire system, so the choice of oil may change depending on what is presented.
So, it stands to reason that you want to be sure of your source in order to assure the quality of essential oil you’re purchasing; and, the best way to do this is with a chromatogram (a mapping that demonstrates a complete molecule). For many reasons, this is not easy to obtain, so your next option is to deal directly with an Aromatherapist and if all else is impossible, pay attention to the packaging!! This is what caught the attention of my sales clerk today.
The bottles were a translucent white plastic. This happens to be the biggest ‘no-no’ for bottling essential oils. Anything with pure botanical essences in it needs to be in a dark glass bottle, which has nothing to do with using expensive containers to jack the price AND everything to do with maintaining the integrity of the oils within. You see, essential oils breakdown plastic compromising it’s quality, and when exposed to light as these were due to the translucency, the integrity becomes compromised even further rendering it therapeutically useless.
Bottom line, if you’re truly interested in Aromatherapy then know your source. The proof is in the packaging; there is no hiding the real deal.
About the Author
I’m an Aromatherapist, Researcher and advocate for integrative healthcare. With a background in pharmacology, herbology, nutrition, and dentistry, I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when an individual utilizes a variety of modalities. This makes sense considering when we are all uniquely different. Why not employ individualized healing practices that best suit the individual needs. My intent with this work is to raise the standard of healthcare around the world in order to assist people with restoring harmony to body, mind and spirit.
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