In recent years, aromatherapy has become quite mainstream in popular thinking. However, the image that generally comes to mind relates entirely to its fragrance, used for relaxation or to cover odors.

What most people don't realize, however, is that the essential oils used in aromatherapy have a potential that extends far beyond this. They were, in fact, mankind's first medicine. Through their combined influences of fragrance, aromatic molecules and frequency, essential oils can affect you emotionally, mentally and physically.

Aromatherapy is, after all, much more than just the smell.

What aromatherapy can do for you:

The benefits of aromatherapy are just too extensive to fully cover here. However, essential oils have powerful anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties that make them ideal for many different uses. They can be used to support the body's organs and glands, as well as to boost immunity. They can be relaxing or invigorating, and soothing to sore muscles. Some oils are great at relieving pain.

Their fragrant influence can lift your mood, quiet and sooth the heart, clear the mind and help with mental function. It can also be emotionally balancing, stimulate the release of hormones and neurotransmitters and detoxify the whole body. Diffused into a room, they oxygenate and purify the air, neutralizing indoor air pollutants. They're also great for getting rid of spiders and mice.

Ways to use essential oils effectively:

The three primary ways of experiencing aromatherapy are aromatically, topically and through ingestion.

Aromatically: The first, and simplest, way to use essential oils is through inhalation. There are a few ways you can do this:

1. Inhaling the fragrance directly from the bottle;
2. Diffusing the oil with a cold-air diffuser.
3. Wearing the oil as a perfume, and letting your body's warmth diffuse the oil,
4. Putting a few drops of oil on your pillow at night to create a therapeutic - or romantic - effect.

What you never want to do is diffuse the oil with a heat source, like a candle or light bulb. The heat will fracture the delicate chemistry of the oil. You should also avoid using an electrical current to diffuse the oil. Wall outlet diffusers disrupt the oil's frequency. Both effectively destroy the oil's therapeutic effect

Topically: Everyone knows about massage, but there are other ways to topically apply essential oils that are very effective.

1. RainDrop Technique: Simply stated, this is a method of dropping the oils along the spine from about six inches up, and then massaging in the oils, using feather-like strokes.
2. Vita Flex Technique: This is something like reflexology, except that the oils are applied with essentially no finger pressure.
3. "Neat" application: Many of the oils can be applied, without dilution, almost anywhere on the body with great effect.

Ingestion: Essential oils also make great supplements. Diluted in honey or agave nectar, or diluted with vegetable oil and placed in capsules, ingesting aromatics can have a powerful effect on your health, boosting immunity and supporting various body systems.

Essential oil quality: The key to effective aromatherapy

But, whichever method you choose for your aromatherapy application, you must use a quality oil for it to be safe and effective. About 98% of the oils produced in the world today are not made for aromatherapy - although they are sold for aromatherapy. When purchasing your essential oils, make sure they are truly therapeutic-grade.