Aromatherapy ** Essential (Volatile) Oils vs Infused Oils

[Guest guest]

Hi Michelle,

 

Gonna give this a short answer cause its almost 8 in the morning here

and time for this ol' Vampire to crawl into his coffin.

 

> Question. If you are administering the actual plant in the form of a

> capsule, eating the plant or making a tea from it, yes, we are

> talking about herbalism.

 

I reckon that makes sense .. herbal supplements or whatever maybe.

 

> But if you are infusing the plant in an oil so that its properties

> become melded with the oil, does that not become part of the

> aromatherapy field. What is the difference between infusing a plant

> and distilling it besides the two having different chemical

> properties? If you infuse plant material, then it becomes an

> aromatic, just as a distilled one would, yes?

 

Its not so much about the use of an aromatic plant oil as it is about

use of a volatile plant oil. Some plants and flowers are very aromatic

but contain no essential oil .. volatile or otherwise.

 

And the point of the two oils having different properties is far more

significant than some folks might think. The major difference between

infusing a plant part and distilling it is heat .. and pressure .. and

those two variables will result in a yield that contains a different

chemical profile .. a profile that works in aromatherapy .. or at least

has been said to work in aromatherapy. Not saying the infused oil will

or will not also work .. just pointing out the difference.

 

I know little about infusing .. and have no desire to learn it .. so I

will " assume " that such plants/flowers might be worthy of infusion .. I

am not sure.

 

> At this point, once an oil is involved, I have trouble separating the

> two, it's how you intend to use the oil that's the issue because they

> have then different properties, but IMO I see it as still part of

> aromatherapy. Or is it that AT is really just another form of

> herbalism and the term " aromatherapy " is slowly becoming like the

> word " new age " .

 

Aroma is what its all about in Aromatherapy .. the inhalation of the

volatile molecules of an essential oil from a distilled or pressed

aromatic plant or plant part. That does not violate my previous post

where I said I don't consider cold pressed oils, absolutes or CO2 oils

as being essential oils .. they are aromatic oils and they are volatile.

 

Is application of Lavender to a burn Aromatherapy? To me it isn't ..

its merely first aid using an essential oil. Same could be said for the

use of Helichrysum italicum to remove scars or bruises .. that is not

aromatherapy .. leastways not in my book .. and even if others disagree

that's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)

 

Sniffing Eucalyptus globulus or Rosmarinus officinalis to open the

sinuses is aromatherapy .. as is sniffing Origanum to kick big bad bug

butts .. or to relieve a sciatic problem. But the ingestion of Origanum

or any other essential oil is not .. in my book .. Aromatherapy .. its

not a lot different than the description you provided in your first

paragraph .. above.

 

However, massage therapy (when oils are used) is aromatherapy whether

the intent is there or not because there is no way to avoid inhalation

of the volatile vapors. In fact, the one giving the massage will get

more than the recipient as the vapors rise. And the inhalation of those

vapors would be obvious if one was hooked up to a CatScan at the time of

inhalation.

 

Absorption is theoretical .. at best. For sure the whole oil does not

absorb .. and those chemicals that are known to absorb past the first

layer or two of the bodies greatest protective system .. the skin .. are

those that are also known to be potential sensitizers. This absorption

business is a subject unto itself .. I bring it up only to point out

that its inhalation of the vapors that classifies it as aromatherapy.

 

> Perhaps some other opinions would be interesting.

 

You got mine. :-P

 

> Michele Robles

 

Good night y'all .. keep smiling. :-) Butch http://www.AV-AT.com