The wordaromatherapy traditionally leads to the vision of an individual taking a luxurious bath, receiving a relaxing massage, or someone spraying some “pretty smelling” substance into the air. Indeed, those are all beautiful and relaxing ways in which aromatherapy products are used. There, however, are far more applications for aromatherapy and aromatherapy specific products in everyday life. But whatis an aromatherapy product?

Anaromatherapy product
is one that meets the following criteria:

• Contains Essential Oils or OtherNatural Aromatics
• Contains No Synthetic Ingredients
• Formulated to Contain Only Safe Levels of Each Included Ingredient
• Formulated With the Therapeutic Benefits of the Included Aromatic Ingredients in Mind

The wordaromatherapy has caused a lot of debate since the time the word was first used in 1928. The termaromatherapy falsely implies that the aroma of essential oils is all that is used. The field of aromatherapy, however, also utilizes essential oils and other aromatic botanicals for the many other therapeutic benefits that they offer. For instance, tea tree acts as a natural germ fighter. German chamomile essential oil is a more potent anti-inflammatory than the other chamomiles, but does not smell as delightful as English or Roman chamomile. German chamomile is used in massage and other formulations to ease sore muscles. The other chamomiles also offer anti-inflammatory properties, but are less potent than the German.

Products that include synthetic ingredients are frowned upon in holistic aromatherapy. Such products do not offer the full therapeutic benefit as natural aromatherapy grade products.

To obtain the optimal therapeutic benefit of the products that you use, it is important to pay attention to ingredient and product labeling, product descriptions and marketing claims.

The use of the wordaromatherapy in product marketing is not regulated in the United States, and many companies are cashing in unfairly by using the word in a manner that is inconsistent with the origins of the term. Regardless of the ingredients contained in a product, any manufacturer can utilize the wordaromatherapy in their labeling, packaging and marketing materials.

The situation is unfortunately one of “buyer beware,” but armed with the background information and tips described below, you will be able to experience the wonderful benefits of aromatherapy grade products. Read on to gain a solid foundation that will help you shop for and select quality aromatherapy products:

Read Ingredient Lists
Read labels and familiarize yourself with the names of healthy natural ingredientsand also of synthetic and toxic ingredients that you need to avoid.

In the U.S., most cosmeceutical/skin care products that fall into certain categories, need to include an ingredient list that follows specific naming conventions (abbreviated as INCI – the International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients). For those products that don’t legally require a list of ingredients, reputable companies should still reveal them. If a product or Web site doesn’t list the ingredients, ask for the list or shop elsewhere. Reputable aromatherapy companies realize that the use of the wordaromatherapy is not regulated in the U.S. and they realize that they are competing with companies that skew the original intention of the meaning of the word. Resellers of natural aromatherapy products also realize that savvy consumers want to know exactly what ingredients are contained in their products. Having said that, those who manufacture aromatherapy products, however, are sometimes hesitant to publicize their ingredient lists because they are afraid other companies may steal their formulations or aromatic blend combinations. It’s a reasonable fear and definitely a buyer’s beware dilemma for consumers.

Learn About the Company/Individual That You Are Purchasing From
Spend a little time exploring the Web sites of the companies that you are interested in purchasing from. Most reputable aromatherapy suppliers provide details about their company history, their organizational affiliations, and the educational background of those that formulate their products. Detailed product descriptions that include ingredient lists and descriptions of the benefits of each ingredient are especially helpful.

Use extra caution when purchasing natural or aromatherapy-specific products from companies that do not focus the majority of their business on natural product manufacture
I am not suggesting that you avoid or boycott such companies, but there is greater likelihood that thearomatherapy product line manufactured by such companies aren’t all natural or that the ingredients they use are of inferior quality.

“Made With Essential Oils” or “Made With Natural Ingredients” Hype
Be on guard to marketing claims that state a product is “Made With Essential Oils” or “Made With Natural Ingredients.” Claims like these do not state that the product isonly made with the ingredient(s) specified. Such products may contain heavy proportions of synthetic fragrance oils and only contain a minute quantity of the touted ingredient. Products promoted as “Made Without Fragrance Oils” doesn’t mean the product is all natural.

Look For Products Promoted as “100% Natural” or “All Natural”
Still check the ingredient list, but keeping your eye out for these phrases can help you more easily spot the all natural treasures.

Products Promoted as “Made With 90% Natural Ingredients”
Such labeling still leaves it up to you to read the ingredient label, figure out which ingredients are synthetic, and then decide if you are comfortable using the product. Some products are a serious challenge or prohibitively expensive to manufacture without the use of some synthetics. All natural shampoos with excellent lathering and clean rinsing capability is an example of such a product. Buying a product from a company that honestly states that their product is 90% all natural is still better than buying a 50% natural product from a company that uses a lot of misleading hype.

Use Caution When Purchasing Aromatherapy Products at Craft Fairs or Other Limited Time Events
Some vendors at these events have just started making aromatherapy products and are testing the waters to see how their products will sell. Others may know their customers have no recourse against them after the event is over. Some of these companies don’t have product liability insurance. This is not to say that there are not highly reputable sellers at such events, but this is a caution for beginners who are not able to reliably judge quality at first.

Essential oils are comprised ofnaturally occurring chemicals that work in synergy with one another. Because essential oils evaporate quickly (known as being “volatile”), their molecules are easily inhaled. Without providing an intimidating lesson in olfaction (the science of the sense of smell), the inhalation of these naturally occurring synergistic chemicals provide triggers to our brain. These triggers effect our emotions. Inhalation of these wondrous molecules also provides physical benefit which may also work together to aid in our emotional state.

Sweet orange oil is a good example. The smell of orange helps provide emotional balance and bring on a positive outlook. Sweet orange oil is a wonderful oil to use alone or in a blend for those winter blues that often occur in the colder, grayer times of the year. The aroma of sweet orange oil also blends nicely with many oils and has the added advantage of being one of the more inexpensive essential oils. It is also generally regarded to be one of the safer essential oils to use.

Borrowed fromEssential Oils for Emotional Well-Being page located within AromaWeb’sOil Profiles area, below is a list of emotional states and the oils that are commonly known to be of help. When using any oil, it’s important to follow all safety guidelines and safety issues that pertain to the particular oil.

Not all oils provide the same level of benefit for all persons. Past memories associated with particular aromas can have a positive or negative effect. Rose essential oil, for instance, is known for aiding during times of grief. Your past experiences with the aroma of rose oil, however, may impact its effectiveness for use during times of grief. If you had a loving grandmother who often smelled of rose, for instance, your reaction when smelling rose may differ than if you had an abusive grandmother who typically smelled of rose. If your rose-smelling grandma died, your reaction to the aroma of rose will be impacted by your past associations with the aroma. Do not force yourself to use an oil that elicits negative feelings or that you don’t like the aroma of, even if it is one that is listed below.

It is important, therefore, that you treat any list of essential oils used for emotional well-being as a starting point. Within the confines ofsafety, experiment and utilize those oils that bring about the purpose that you seek.