Essential Oils. Contact Allergy and Chemical Composition

Abstract

The essential oils, which the plant releases affect our nervous system and just for their potential aroma therapists use them as relaxation aids in the form of massage oils and vaporizers. Although there is something mysterious about the sense of smell, it is a simple process in which the highly sensitive nerves in the membranes lining, perceive volatile compounds in the air by the nostrils. They, in fact, stimulate the nerves in the olfactory organs, which are linked directly to the parts of the brain that control
the emotions. Additionally they stimulate the nerve endings on the skin surface, and it seems that their effect passes back along the nerves until it eventually reaches the pituitary gland. This gland, in fact, controls all the body's other glands, including the adrenals, which, in turn, regulate our stress by a relaxation response. However, most of us find the fragrance of lavender or roses pleasing, but few of us realize that the emotional uplift these essential oils provide is due to more than their scent or beauty, to the direct activity on our nervous system. Thus, growing plants in and around the home remind us how close and important our relationship with the world of plants can be, and how essential this relationship is to our well-being.