Aromatherapy
One of the most popular and fastest growing branches of complementary therapies is aromatherapy. It uses natural and aromatic essential oils extracted from botanical sources such as leaves, flowers petals, berries, bark resin or fruits. There are several ways to obtain the essential oil, the most common being steam distillation. How it works? Essential oil enters the body through the skin, partly because their molecules are very small and easily absorbed. According to Jennifer Rhind author of Essential Oils A Handbook for Aromatherapy Practice: “aromatherapy/essential oils can have a physical and physiological effect via transdermal absorption, inhalation and olfaction, the effects of essential oils via the limbic system, and the physical, physiological and psychological effects of massage”. In Britain essential oils are being used through out the public healthcare system in many hospital contexts, such as labour rooms in maternity wards, and aromatherapy is