Currently Browsing: Special
Aromatherapy lasts test of time
.
Written by Stormy Kage, Editor-in-Chief
Around the holidays, Bath and Body Works, Victoria Secret, and Macy’s are filled with customers buying perfumes and colognes for gifts.
According to learningpartnership.org, in the United States, $12 billion is spent yearly on perfume, and this obsession is nothing new.
Nearly 6 thousand years ago, ancient Chinese and Egyptians experimented with fragrance. According to Life123.com, just like today, these fragrant oils would be made of leaves, stems, bark, and flower petals. However, back then, perfume would only be worn by the rich and elite. Now, anyone is able to make or purchase the scent of their choice.
The scent of choice is a matter of personal taste. According to bankrate.com, there are six main types of fragrance. Single floral, which captures the essence of one flower, and floral bouquet which blends a mixture of plants, are the most popular of young women today. Citrus, Oriental, Green, Chypre, and Fougere are among the rest.
According to totalbeauty.com, each scent reveals a certain personality. Senior Gina Xiong, who said she prefers a “sweet, innocent, and enlightened” scent, differs from sophomore Alia Taylor who would buy a fragrance that had a “sexy, calm, and playful” smell.
Aside from knowing what smell is appealing, on altmed.creighton.edu a list of studies show certain smells can also be healing. Known as aromatherapy, it is the use of fragrance to alter a person’s mood, behavior, and sometimes cure illness.
For instance, lavender is used for muscle relief, itching, burning, and headaches. It is also used to make a person sleepy. Chamomile treats tooth and stomach aches, acne, and fevers. Ginger helps with cleansing out the body and sinuses, while grapefruit controls weight loss.
According to essortment.com, 20 of the most essential scents will not be effective in the perfumes and colognes people buy at department stores. Aromatherapy uses natural oils that come directly from the plant and have not been diluted by water and alcohol like the fragrances people wear.
With that, the cost of these natural oils will vary depending on the rarity of the plant. But, aromatherapy.suite101.com reveals many places that sell certain aromas may be overpriced. It is important to learn about the fragrance before buying it.
While rose is the most expensive, since it takes 60,000 petals to make one ounce of oil, this fragrance has 300 substitute components that could pass as the original. This makes it easier for people to create a scent that is similar, but artificial, and charge a high price for a decoy.
Peppermint, rosemary, and orange are generally inexpensive.
Also, many spas who offer aromatherapy, may or may not use the plant in its purest form, and alter their prices.
After purchasing the oil, knowing how to properly use it will determine how it will affect the body.
By using it physically and rubbing it on the affected area, it is supposed to cure irritation within a short period of time. However, the most powerful treatment comes from inhalation. According to naha.org, this is because the oil molecules immediately enter the brain.
The oils activate glands, sending messages to all areas of the body, instead of just one.
Since smell is a direct target to the brain, it will also affect the memory. A less medical alternative to aromatherapy has less to do with plants and more with personal experience.
If one has a favorite food and suddenly smells it cooking in the distance, this person is more likely to have a better mood than before. Sophomore Tamaiya Black said she likes the smell of chocolate chip cookies because it reminds her of her mom baking them.
“If you are having a bad day it cheers you up,” Black said.
With the fascination of perfumes, essential oils, and aromatherapy growing, it is no wonder that so much money is spent yearly on fragrance.
“When people smell something good, their spirits are lifted,” senior Jermany Rogers said.
Email This Post
Print This Post
Leave a Reply