A member of a group I belong to asked this simple, yet hard to explain in a nutshell just "what is aromatherapy? " Many of us think of aromatherapy when we think of candles, or beauty products that smell good, we naturally think aroma when we think aromatherapy. To explain this, first I should explain what "essential oils" are, as this is what aromatherapy is from.

Essential oils, taken from plants, usually by being distilled, or steamed, are the volatile liquid of the plant, be it a shrub, flower, trees, roots, bushes or seeds. This is the part of a plant that gives it it's unique smell, or scent. They are known as the " essence" of a plant. Contrary to the word "oil" essential oils are usually clear, and not "oily-feeling" at all. Essential oils can be used in several ways, but are most commonly used by inhaling them, but also through massage and ingestion. Read my next guide about essential oils versus fragrance oils for some more information on just what essential oils are.

The most common way people use essential oils is by smelling them, or inhaling them. Inhaling essential oils, usually by diffusing them into the air, is the most common way folks use them. The oil is heated in some way, usually with either a candle, or through an electrical "machine" so that the oils will evaporate into the air, so we can breath them in. The aroma of the oil stimulates the brain to trigger a reaction, while being drawn into our lungs and being absorbed into our bodies. Thus we are benefitting both psychologically and physically when we diffuse (disperse) oils into the air.


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Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other scented compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health. Essential oils differ in chemical composition from other herbal products because the distillation process only recovers the lighter phytomolecules. For this reason essential oils are rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, as well as other VOC substances (esters, aromatic compounds, non-terpene hydrocarbones, some organic sulfides etc.).

Aromatherapy is a generic term that refers to any of the various traditions that make use of essential oils sometimes in combination with other alternative medical practices and spiritual beliefs. It has a particularly Western currency and persuasion. Medical treatment involving aromatic scents may exist outside of the West, but may or may not be included in the term 'aromatherapy'.