It's essential

THEY SEEM to be everywhere these days. Pop into any supermarket or chemist and you'll be surrounded by products promising the soothing and healing power of essential oils - shower gels, bath oils, perfumes and fragrances, all claiming to be part of 'aromatherapy ranges' with restorative and recuperative powers.

All this has got the genuine aromatherapists a bit narked. Not because products in the so-called 'aromatherapy ranges' are going to do any harm - but simply because they're not really aromatherapy.

"It is a bit misleading," says York aromatherapist Linda Domoney. "These products smell nice, but they won't have the properties in them you get from aromatherapy treatment.

"Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that has huge benefits to our health and vitality. It is not just another part of our cosmetics industry."

The aromatic plants, essential oils, floral waters and extracts used in real aromatherapy have been known about for thousands of years, according to Linda - and more recently, a lot of research has been done to establish scientifically the active ingredients of many oils.

The mother-of-two used to be a customer adviser with a leading High Street bank, and became a qualified aromatherapist after studying for a year at the Northern School of Acupuncture in Wakefield. She says the therapy is a truly holistic approach to health, which combines the physical and emotional effects of massage with the medicinal and psychotherapeutic properties of certain plant essences.

Essences such as lavender. No, it's not just a fragrant perfume associated with old ladies - it is, says Linda, a powerful curative. "It's like first aid in a bottle," she says, holding up a little vial of surprisingly pungent lavender oil. "It's an oil that everyone should carry with them. You can put it neat on the skin for things like cuts, grazes, burns and scalds. It helps the healing process and it is a powerful antiseptic."

When used for massage, it is also good for relieving stress and helping people unwind, she adds. "It has uplifting and fairly sedative qualities."

Lavender is just one of more than 100 essential oils in the aromatherapist's armoury. Others common essences include pine needle (a powerful oil with the clean, sharp aroma of a pine forest that's great for colds and for clearing the sinuses); marjoram (unmistakable aroma of the kitchen garden, great for relieving muscle aches and pains); eucalyptus (of which there are 500 different kinds, most good for clearing the sinuses and treating aches and pains) and green mandarin (good for digestive problems).

Many are often used in combination. Green mandarin, when combined with ginger and neroli (made from orange blossom), is great for relieving depression and anxiety, Linda says, and can also be used to help with digestive problems.

The aromatherapist's skill comes in knowing exactly the properties of each oil, how they combine - and which ones to use for individual patients.

Go for a treatment with Linda and you will first be invited to take a seat while she goes through your medical history. "I'll talk them though their, diet, exercise, general lifestyle, the particular stresses that they have to deal with day after day," she says. "From that I will decide which blends will suit that particular person on that particular day.

"It's a holistic therapy, treatment of the whole person, not just the particular ailment."

The range of problems that aromatherapy can be used to help with is wide, Linda says. Depending on the combination of essences used, it is good for everyday aches and pains, stress and hormonal-related problems, or digestive problems. Aromatherapy can relieve skin and circulatory problems, help with psychological problems such as grief and depression, and even be used to boost the immune system and so prevent illness.

Oils are generally applied by the aromatherapist by means of a full body massage. That, Linda says, allows the active ingredients in the oils to be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. The combination of massage with aromatic oils is also a "wonderfully relaxing therapy" in itself, she adds.

Massage is not always appropriate, however.

"When you have a cold, flu, or an infectious illness, it is best not to have a massage because it can make it worse," Linda says. "The lymphatic system is already off balance. When you have a massage, toxins are released into the lymphatic system to be flushed out, but if the body is already overloaded, a massage won't make you feel better, but worse."

Never fear, however, there are plenty of other ways in which essential oils can be used. Inhalation can be good for infectious illnesses - though the best way is not necessarily by burning oils, Linda says, but by putting a few drops in boiling water and inhaling the steam.

Burning can help keep the air fresh - and if there is anybody in the house with an infectious illness, making an aromatic spray can be a good idea, Linda says. Twenty drops of the right essential oil (a combination of tea tree and eucalyptus is good) in a tea-spoon of vodka and topped up with water, poured in a spray bottle and then sprayed around a room can do wonders against airborne bacteria, she says.

A hot bath can be another good way of reaping the benefits - simply dissolve a few drops of oil in 30mls of full-fat milk and pour into the bath.

It's no good pouring the oil into the bath while you are running the water though, she stresses. "By the time you sit in the bath, the oil will have evaporated. You must run the bath first and pour the oil in immediately before you step in. That way you will get more benefit from the molecules that come up from the steam and which are absorbed through the skin."

Linda can even supply a range of natural skincare products and medicinal creams for muscular and joint problems.

One thing you shouldn't do, however, is take aromatherapy oils internally: and for that reason it is important, if you store any at home, to keep them out of the reach of children, Linda says. "Some can be quite toxic if taken internally," she warns.

- Linda Domoney is a member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists. She practices at the Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross, York, and also makes home visits. Contact her at the Healing Clinic on 01904 679868. Treatments cost £30, which include consultation and an individually-mixed blend of essential oils for you to take away to continue treatment at home. Until May 15, £10 from each consultation will go towards improving disabled access at York Steiner School.

u Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy - and is not intended as a substitute for orthodox medicine. If you are being treated for a serious illness, consult your doctor first.

Updated: 09:23 Monday, April 15, 2002