Aromatherapy: A Short Guide to Essential Oils and How They Work

Smell is our fastest sense. While the other senses pass through relay stations in the brain, scent travels almost directly to the areas involved in emotion and memory. That is why a single smell can carry us twenty years back — and why aromatherapy is far more than a pleasant scent in the air.

What aromatherapy is

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils — concentrated extracts from plants, flowers, peels and roots — as part of a treatment aimed at physical and emotional wellbeing. In an aromatherapy massage the oil is absorbed through the skin and inhaled through the breath at the same time, so it 'works' along two pathways at once.

Three oils and what they bring

• Lavender — the classic of calm. Associated with relaxation and restful sleep; perfect for the end of a busy day.
• Bergamot — citrusy and refreshing. Leans toward a gentle lift and a brighter mood.
• Neroli — floral and delicate. Associated with balance and with moments when you want to focus on the breath.

How to choose

The best advice is the simplest: let your nose decide. With us, before the treatment, there is a small moment of choosing — we smell several oils together and pick the one the body is drawn to that day. The choice changes from visit to visit, and that is perfectly fine. The scent that suits you on a hectic morning is different from the one that suits a quiet evening.

The bottom line: aromatherapy does not magically 'fix' anything. It simply adds a layer — of scent, breath and presence — that deepens the relaxation of a good massage. And sometimes, that is exactly what is needed.