Aromatherapy has been around for over 6000years. In India and other ancient civilizations of the East, plant essences were used for their fragrance to purify the air. Agarbatis and dhoop (incense sticks) are still in use as they were in ancient times in India.

The modern era of aromatherapy dawned in 1930 when the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term ?aromatherapy? for the therapeutic use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil in healing his burnt hand without leaving any scars. He started investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for their psychotherapeutic benefits. Our sense of smell works at a subconscious level. Olfactory nerves conduct smell sensations to a part of the brain which also regulates and controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning. Studies with brain wave frequency have shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves which are associated with the relaxation in the back of the head.
Fragrance of jasmine increases beta waves, which are associated with a more alert state in the front of the head.

Essential oils are contained in plant materials like leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, bark and resin. Each essential oil contains as much as 100 chemical components, which together exert a strong effect on the whole person.

Depending on which component is predominating in an oil, the oils act differently. For example, some oils are relaxing, some soothing and some pain relieving. They leave no harmful residues.

Aromatherapy is particularly effective for stress, anxiety, and psychosomatic induced problems, muscular and rheumatic pains, digestive disorders and gynecological problems, such as PMS, menopausal complaints and postnatal depression.