Essential oils used in aromatherapy for therapeutic purposes (thereby being therapeutic grade) are made up of molecules so intricately and uniquely woven together that no two batches of essential oil are ever exactly alike. This is what makes essential oils so hard to duplicate and therefore, difficult for science to figure out. When I imagine how each essential oil molecule is put together by nature, I imagine a beautiful quilt made up of patches woven together with intentional purposes.
This leads to another important aspect of aromatherapy, recognizing that each person is a unique individual. This means, since we are each so different from one another, just like essential oils, no two people are exactly alike. Because each person is unique, each person, when seeking any type of help for whatever reason (physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual), should be treated according to their individual need. Wouldn’t you agree?
So, why are we so surprised when we buy a product that works in the beginning but later find that the effectiveness begins to wear out? Products are often made for immediate reactions, perhaps to assist a person who is suffering from symptoms with immediate relief. It can be complicated to figure out which product works best for you, and even when you find that one that does work, it may not last long.
A perfect example is a friend of mine, not finding success with over the counter allergy medications and annoyed by the side effects, came to me wanting a little vial of aromatherapy treatment to get rid of her seasonal allergy symptoms. Although I tried to explain that a thorough consultation should be done first, she seemed to think that it was not necessary and wanted “whatever you put together for me”. She spewed out her symptoms: nasal congestion, coughing, itchy nose, stuffiness etc. etc. And so, I hesitantly tried to make something for her based on her “physical symptoms” only.
Well, although a combination of pine, lavender, roman chamomile, eucalyptus and tea tree are commonly useful for those suffering with the same symptoms, they were not effective for her. She did not like the scent of lavender and only gave her blend a try a couple of times. She gave it back to me telling me that aromatherapy does not work well for her. I tried to explain that there are different ways of using aromatherapy and a vast number of essential oils that could help her, but a more detailed consultation was needed. She did not seem interested, which was fine, but too bad since she could have found relief if she followed instructions, understood the essential oils better, and sampled different oils to see what she tolerated well. This was a great learning experience for me.
True aromatherapy emphasizes the importance of customized treatments. Although some Aromatherapists do make products to assist people in finding that balance or relief from an ailment, they are usually meant to also increase an awareness regarding the abilities essential oils have. There are so many different essential oils out there. To make things more complicated, some essential oils, like thyme and rosemary, come in different chemo types. Essential oils are also multi-talented, carrying not only physiological healing abilities, but also energetic and psychological abilities as well. This is what makes aromatherapy a holistic practice. Although a person could easily seek aromatherapy relief for a physical ailment, such as pain or a cold, it would be such a waste not to utilize essential oils for all they are able to do. Doing so will also help the person not only receive immediate relief, but longer lasting effects would result as well. We, as human beings, are also intricately woven together as essential oils are. Our psychological, emotional, and spiritual health affects our physical health. In fact, all of these aspects affect one another and depend on one another for balance and harmony. My friend, in the example above, may have other imbalances that prohibited her from benefiting from that synergy blend fully or may have benefitted from other essential oils that could help her find balance and relief- which is the way essential oils work at their best.
So, as with any type of treatment, make sure the help you seek is holistic and that you are treated as a unique individual, not just a symptom. Contrary to popular belief, there are many doctors out there that do practice holistic care (but just don’t call themselves “holistic practitioners”). In fact, I called a dear relative of mine, who is a pediatric doctor, for advice while I was at the drug store looking for allergy medications to use in combination with my blends. I wanted to know which one was best and which one she prescribed the most. Her response? “It depends on the person, everyone is not the same”. So, it was a matter of trying out which one would work best for me, since it may work well for other, but not the same for me. This is the type of doctor you would want for yourself and for your family, right? And always, always, do your research first and be and advocate for yourself before trying anything new!
