Aromatherapy and
Aromachology - Aromachology
and Aromatherapy both promote the positive effects of fragrance on mood and emotion
but that may be where the similarity ends
References
in commercial writing often blur their distinctions leaving many readers
confused.
Aromachology is the scientific study of
the effects of fragrance on human psychology and behavior. This term was coined
in 1989 by what is now the Sense of Smell Institute, a division of The
Fragrance Foundation, which in turn is the non-profit, educational arm of the
international fragrance industry. Aromachology emphasizes controlled scientific
study, deals only with the psychological effects of fragrance and considers
both natural and synthetic odorants. Aromachology is driven by corporate sponsorship
and ultimately endeavors to identify fragrance applications that have
commercial opportunity.
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of
plant essential oils to improve physical health as well as psychological
health. The term was first used in 1928 by French chemist Rene Maurice
Gattefosse to describe the healing action of aromatic plant essences but the
use of herbs and plant oils dates back to antiquity. The practice of
Aromatherapy remains an integral part of folk medicine. The pharmacology of essential
oils is seldom studied scientifically as there is no commercial incentive to do
so. Aromatherapy uses only pure, natural essential oils, each with specific
attributes for healing, and how they smell is secondary to their therapeutic
action.
How are they different?
The
two disciplines appear to overlap where aromatherapy uses inhalation of
diffused oils to treat conditions related to mood and emotion, such as anxiety,
depression, lethargy, or irritability. But even in this circumstance, there is
an important distinction.
Aromatherapy does not endorse the use of artificial fragrances which have no
therapeutic value and can not affect mood beyond the psychological effects of
"odor memory". On the other hand, researchers in Aromachology will
point out that the special virtues of essential oils are not supported by a
substantial body of clinical evidence. But is there really a conflict?
The effect of fragrance on emotion
The fact that our emotions are affected by fragrance is widely accepted. Memory
and emotion are often strongly associated with odor. We have all experienced
it. A whiff of a particular odor and our minds are suddenly flooded with a
memory and the emotions associated with that memory. There is an anatomical
basis for this phenomenon. Within the human brain the primary olfactory cortex,
which processes information about odors, is directly connected to the amygdala,
which controls the expression and experience of emotion, and the hippocampus,
which controls the consolidation of memories. These are primitive functions
that have been around since the time in early evolution when we needed to use
our sense of smell for survival. Controlled studies would suggest that our
appreciation of an odor and our emotional response to it, are determined by the
emotional context in which the odor was first encountered, even if the
association is subtle and we are not consciously aware of it. This is why our
appreciation of odors is such a personal matter and why there are significant
differences in odor preference from one culture to the next.
Both natural and synthetic odorants can trigger a psychological response which
is at the heart of Aromachology but only the appropriate essential oil will
cause a specific physiological response which is the healing goal of
Aromatherapy.
Are the claims of
Aromatherapy unproven?
It is true that there is little scientific research into the pharmacology of
essential oils. Lack of funding is the primary reason. Essential oils are not
patentable and so with a few exceptions there is no commercial incentive for
conducting research. On the other hand, thanks to Aromachology controlled
studies have validated some of the historical claims for essential oils. For
example, it has been proven that Rosemary enhances cognitive performance,
Peppermint is invigorating and Lavender is relaxing. The practice of
Aromatherapy has withstood the test of time. Within western cultures its
popularity as a complementary medicine continues to grow.
In reality there is no conflict between Aromachology and Aromatherapy because
they have different agendas and neither invalidates the other. In the end,
Aromachology may prove to be of great benefit to Aromatherapy by adding the
weight of modern research to the large body of common knowledge that has
supported it for hundreds of years.
Marilyn Flook manages the Forever Fragrant website which promotes aromatherapy
and natural products. Learn more about essential oils and their practical
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http://www.buzzle.com/articles/aromachology-and-aromatherapy-do-you-know-the-difference.html
