Explainer | How aromatherapy can benefit your mind and body – and how essential oils help with cancer patients’ recovery
- Scent plays a powerful role in our lives, and essential oils can help lift our spirits, calm indigestion, overcome constipation and relieve pain
- A study of aromatherapy’s use on women undergoing cancer treatment showed relief from pain and improvements in their energy levels, appetite and mood
“Healing begins with an aromatic bath and daily massage,” said Hippocrates. Even 2,400 years ago, the “father of medicine” understood the power of aromatics in restoring one’s health.
Yet many people don’t realise the powerful role scent plays in our lives – a role so significant that incorporating aromatherapy into our routines can have notable benefits for our mental, physical and holistic health.
Aromatherapy’s history
The method of distilling oils eventually spread to Europe and, by the 1500s, oils such as cedarwood, rose and myrrh could be found in medieval European pharmacies.
Most essential oils are distilled, but they can also be cold-pressed or extracted through other methods.
Aromatherapy – the therapeutic use of essential oils – is considered a holistic health treatment that can help strengthen the mind and body. It is increasingly being used to help offset side effects of treatments in cancer patients. The oils are dispersed through candles or diffusers and inhaled, or applied topically through massage or the use of skincare products.
How scents affect our well-being
