While the headline from the US Department of Health and Human Services would make you think that aromatherapy has been wholly discounted, the recent study testing the effects of lemon and lavender essential oils actually did reveal some surprising data: lemon essential oil actually works - sort of. “While lemon oil showed a clear mood enhancement, lavender oil did not, the researchers said. Neither smell had any positive impact on any of the biochemical markers for stress, pain control or wound healing.” ((Gardner, Amanda. Aromatherapy Falls Short, Study Finds. Healthday. 2008. http://healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=613285 ))
Actually, the study indicates it seems to work. There weren’t enough people for an empirical sample, so it just might not be the time to draw a conclusion.
Aromatherapy has an inconsistent body of literature, with inaccuracies sometimes taught from school to school. The better sources use lots of couching language, like “believed to be” and “reputedly.” And to be fair, the way the aromatherapy effects were tested on these subjects is not consistent with the way most aromatherapy is applied.1 So while those of us who use these alternative therapies may not be so thrilled with these results2 finding out this information is actually overdue. There’s still a lot to be said for the placebo effect - the human mind is an amazing and tricky thing, and just because it is a placebo doesn’t mean that its use is to be entirely dismissed.3
- In most cases, essential oils are diluted in a neutral oil base and massaged into the skin, so that the overall effect is to enhance the application of a massage. In other standard applications, it is added to a steam and inhaled from a distance - if distilled water had chemical effects, perhaps it is actually something to do with the heated water, but that’s just conjecture. [↩]
- Yes, I do use aromatherapy. Or, at least, I drink a lot of jasmine tea when I’m stressed out. [↩]
- I actually do practice witchcraft. We’re all about placebos and mind tricks towards a salutary or not-so-salutary end. [↩]
