Aromatherapy Science and the Limited Depth
Is aromatherapy science backed? Much of what we know about aromatherapy comes from people who have had first-hand experience with essential oils; that is, we have thousands of years of anecdotal evidence praising aromatherapy’s benefits, but lack the conclusive scientific research to support it. While some encouraging studies are now emerging, scientific research on aromatherapy and its effects has been limited in the past.
Why has it traditionally been so difficult to study the benefits of essential oils? Here are a few main reasons:
Why Aromatherapy Science isn’t More Established
1. Essential oils can’t be easily patented (and so aren’t as profitable to study). Pharmaceutical companies fund much of the research on potential drugs. However, because essential oils are naturally occurring substances, they can’t be patented as easily as a synthetic substance created in a lab. Without the possibility of a patent, the potential for profit is small – and so is the incentive to fund scientific study on essential oils.
The studies that have involved essential oils have been funded and led mostly by the food and cosmetics industries. Many of these findings are unavailable to outsiders, and the companies funding the research typically have an interest in using the essential oils in conjunction with other substances (synthetic or non) in order to change the flavor of food, for instance, or to alter a scent.
2. It’s hard to conduct blinded studies with essential oils. Clinical science typically relies on blinded studies to prove or disprove a substance’s benefits. Here’s how it should work: in order to test the effect of a substance (like an essential oil) on a human subject, you’d need to do the study with at least two different participant groups. The first group would be given the essential oil, and the second group, the “control group,” would be given a placebo. Then, you’d note the effects of the experiment on both groups. The problem is that it’s difficult to do this properly when you’re working with substances that have a distinct smell. Not only is it difficult to find a suitable aromatherapy placebo for the control group, it’s difficult to detect how much the smell itself (which is strongly linked to memories and emotions) and how much the substance itself affects the results of the study.
3. It’s hard to determine whether benefits come from the method of delivery or from the substance itself. Essential oils are often applied in conjunction with another delivery method, like a massage or bath. This makes it difficult to know whether any perceived benefits come from the actual essential oil or from the way in which it is delivered. As a result, you’d be left to wonder whether any benefits you detect could be ascribed to the actual essential oil, the bath or massage used to deliver it, or to some combination of factors.
4. Each batch of essential oil is different. While synthetic drugs are identical from batch to batch, essential oils are a little different. Their exact properties depend on where the plant was grown, what the weather was like when it was harvested, when the oil was extracted, and more. Essential oils vary from batch to batch, which makes it difficult to study them accurately across the board.
How much should I trust Aromatherapy Science?
What does all this mean for the average aromatherapy enthusiast? It means you have to rely on your own intuition and experience with essential oils to determine whether they can benefit you. From a scientific perspective, we can’t yet conclusively prove essential oils work – or don’t work, for that matter.
Until more solid scientific studies come out, the only person in a position to judge the effectiveness of aromatherapy in your life is you. Luckily, experimenting with aromatherapy can be incredibly easy, safe, and most of all, rewarding. Have fun!