Aromatherapy: Therapy basics

256 Pages·2007·3.68 MB·English

by  McGuinness H.

AROMATHERAPY
Therapy Basics
second edition
HELEN McGUINNESS
Orders: please contact Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4SB. Telephone: [phone].
Fax: [phone]. Lines are open from 9.00–5.00, Monday to Saturday, with a 24 hour message answering service.
You can also order through our website www.hodderheadline.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
ISBN-10: 0 340 876808
ISBN-13: 978 0 340 87680 0
First edition published 1997
This edition published 2003
Impression number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
Year 2007 2006
Copyright © Helen McGuinness
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the
Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright
Licensing Agency Limited, of 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP.
Cover photo from Photodisc
Typeset by Fakenham Photosetting, Fakenham, Norfolk.
Printed in India for Hodder Arnold, an imprint of Hodder Education, a member of the Hodder Headline Group, 338 Euston Road, London
NW13BH
Contents
Acknowledgements vi
Introduction vii
Introduction to Aromatherapy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction to Aromatherapy 1
The History of Aromatherapy 2
Aromatherapy in its Diversity of Care 4
Research and Funding 4
Safety in Aromatherapy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Safety in Aromatherapy 7
Contra-indications and Cautions for Aromatherapy Massage 8
Toxicity 12
Irritation 14
Sensitisation 15
Safety Precautions When Using Essential Oils 17
Safe Handling and Storing 17
The Extraction of an Essential Oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Extraction of an Essential Oil 23
Storage Factors Associated with Essential Oils 24
Methods of Extraction 25
Adulteration of Essential Oils 29
Factors to Consider when Purchasing Essential Oils 29
The Essential Oils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Essential Oils 37
Basic Chemistry for Aromatherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Basic Chemistry for Aromatherapy 101
The Biosynthesis Pathway of Essential Oils 102
Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry 103
Chemical Structure of Essential Oils 103
Oxygenated Compounds 105
Chemical Compounds and Therapeutic Properties of Essential Oils 108
Chemotypes 108
iii
Aromatherapy: Therapy Basics Second Edition
Techniques used in Essential Oil Analysis 109
Essential Oils and a Question of Purity 111
The Physiology of Aromatherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Physiology of Aromatherapy 115
The Absorption of Essential Oils into the Bloodstream 115
The Theory of Olfaction 120
The Limbic System 122
The Circulatory System 123
The Lymphatic System 123
The Endocrine System 124
The Nervous System 125
The Musculo-skeletal System 127
The Aromatherapy Consultation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Aromatherapy Consultation 131
The Purpose of a Consultation 131
The Consultation Form 133
Record Keeping 134
Guidelines for Case Studies 140
Blending in Aromatherapy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Blending in Aromatherapy 143
Synergy 143
Blending 144
Properties and Uses of Carrier Oils 147
Common Carrier Oils used in Aromatherapy 148
How to Blend Oils for Aromatherapy Massage 156
Energy-based Concepts in Aromatherapy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Energy-based Concepts in Aromatherapy 160
Yin and Yang 160
Meridians 162
Chakras 175
Aromatherapy Massage and Other Forms of Treatment . . . . . . . . . 10
Aromatherapy Massage and Other Forms of Treatment 183
Aromatherapy Massage Techniques 183
Preparing for the Aromatherapy Massage 187
Health, Safety and Hygiene 189
Relaxation Techniques 190
iv
Contents
Aromatherapy Massage Procedure 192
Other Forms of Treatment 195
Basic Business Skills for the Aromatherapist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Basic Business Skills for the Aromatherapist 202
Maintaining Employment Standards 203
Business Planning 209
Marketing 215
Professional Ethics 219
Professional Associations 221
Insurance 221
Legal Requirements 222
Research in Aromatherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Research in Aromatherapy 232
Getting Started 232
Turning the Research Idea into a Proposal 233
Seeking Funding 234
Glossary 236
Bibliography 237
Useful Addresses 238
Index 241
v
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my thanks to my father, Roy, for his great skill in producing the illustrations for this
book, and to my mother, Valerie, for her patience in checking the text for grammar, and especially for her
encouragement. My thanks also goes to my husband, Mark, who has provided considerable help, love and
support throughout the development of this book.
My grateful thanks also extends to the following people:
Deirdre Moynihan and Stephanie Mealey of AVCS for their technical help in checking the accuracy of the
text and for their valued contributions; John Marks for his technical help with the aroma chemistry chapter;
Chris Ockendon of New Horizon Aromatics for his valued contributions to the text; Berni Hephrun of
Butterbur and Sage for supplying information regarding the quality of essential oils; Alan Harris, the secretary
of the ATC for providing me with valuable information. I would also like to express my gratitude to the AOC
(Aromatherapy Organisations Council) for their valuable information on research; to Pamela Trodd and Karen
Harrisson for their valued feedback on the first edition of this book. My sincere thanks to Nicole Cameron (a
student at the Holistic Training Centre) for kindly granting use of her case study. Finally, thanks are due to all
my students at the Holistic Training Centre, Southampton, for their support and encouragement in the
development of the book and for their valued contributions.
For the reproduction of photographs the publisher would like to thank the following:
Photos 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 courtesy
of The Holt Studios Photographic Library; Photos 2, 5 , 11, 26, 26, 27, 29, 33, 37, 38 courtesy of The Garden
Picture Library; and Photos 39, 40, 41 courtesy of Getty Images.
vi
Introduction
Aromatherapy has grown in popularity over the past ten years to become recognised as a complementary
therapy, and for those interested in holistic health care, it offers a very rewarding career.
This workbook is intended for those undertaking a professional course of training in aromatherapy or for
qualified aromatherapists who want to update and extend their knowledge of the subject. It meets the
underpinning knowledge requirements of the NVQ Level III in Aromatherapy Massage, but also covers the
knowledge requirements of more traditional diploma courses.
The material contained within the book has been designed to be interactive. Each chapter has tasks and self-
assessment questions to complete, in order to assess overall understanding of the individual subject areas.
As well as providing a comprehensive knowledge of aromatherapy, the aim of the workbook is to help
candidates to generate portfolio evidence of underpinning knowledge for their NVQ qualification.
vii
This page intentionally left blank
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the art of using essential oils to help restore balance in the
body, and is a form of natural healing that is more than 8,000 years old. Today
it represents one of the fastest growing complementary therapies in
the UK.
❃ A competent aromatherapist needs to be able to understand aromatherapy as a holistic therapy, in order to
apply suitable treatments, and give accurate advice and guidance to clients.
Objectives
By the end of this chapter you will be able to relate the following
knowledge to your practical work carried out as an aromatherapist:
❃ how aromatherapy has developed
❃ uses of aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy can be defined as the systematic use of essential oils in holistic treatments to help improve
physical and emotional well-being.
Aromatherapy is a truly holistic therapy, as it aims to treat the whole person by taking account not only of their
physical state but also their emotions, which can have a profound effect on general well-being. It works on the
principle that the most effective way to promote health and prevent illness is to strengthen the body’s immune
system; in so doing, it helps to restore the harmony between mind and body.
The primary form of aromatherapy applications involves using essential oils in the following ways:
❃ topically to the skin via massage, diluted in a carrier oil
❃ inhalations
❃ compresses
❃ aromatic baths.
An essential oil is the highly concentated volatile substance obtained from various parts of the aromatic plant.
Disillusionment with orthodox medicine has caused many people to turn to the natural remedies that have
been part of our folklore for many thousands of years.
1