Aromatherapy

Overview

This Aromatherapy course from Warnborough College provides an introduction to the safe use of Aromatherapy oils. Develop a basic understanding of the safe use of Aromatherapy oils; and their production.

Essential oils are the backbone of Aromatherapy. Their effectiveness is dependant on their safe and proper use, as well as on the quality of the oil used. Oils work in a much more subtle way than many commercially prepared products and in many situations are more suitable for preventative treatment rather than cure.

Knowing the botanical names of plants and how they are derived is an important part of Aromatherapy. Most people know essential oils by their common names, such as Lavender, Thyme or Eucalyptus. For instance, there are several different types of plant that are commonly known as Lavender, and more than one of these plants are used to produce lavender oil. Oil distilled from True Lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia, is the highest quality lavender oil. However, lavender can also be distilled from Lavandula x intermedia and Lavandula latifolia. All three smell very similar, and can even be confusing for an experienced aromatherapist, but the chemical composition of Lavandula angustifolia is far superior to the other two species and is a much better therapeutic oil.

All this and much more is explained in detail and with practical tasks in the course.

Aims

• Understand the classification system used for naming plants and to be able to identify the family, genus and species names of plants used to produce essential oils.

• Define aromatherapy and its history, to understand how aromatherapy works, and the basic chemistry behind it.

• Identify a range of essential oils and their uses.

• Ensure that essential oils are used in a safe and controlled manner.

• Identify what can be used as a carrier for essential oils and why they must be used.

• Identify methods which can be used to grow, and harvest herbs used in essential oil production.

• Identify methods used to extract essential oils from plants.

• Identify herbs and oils acknowledged as hazardous to people, and which should not be used in aromatherapy, or with great care.