Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, advocated that the use of essential oils in aromatic baths, along with massage, nutrition and heliotherapy were important practices for achieving homeostasis in health. Throughout history, essential oils have been prized for their biological activities as analgesics, antiseptics, antimicrobials, stimulants, and anti-inflammatory aromatic therapeutics. As a result of the teachings and protocols of the early health practitioners, aromatherapy clinicians emerged supporting the use of essential oils and presented aromatherapy as a credible philosophy and practice. Today, aromatherapy and the essential oil market has cornered a huge sector of the wellness market. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Americans spend more than $30.2 billion annually on aromatherapy and it is predicted that the global market will grow in spending to $5 trillion by 2050.1
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Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, advocated that the use of essential oils in aromatic baths, along with massage, nutrition and heliotherapy were important practices for achieving homeostasis in health. Throughout history, essential oils have been prized for their biological activities as analgesics, antiseptics, antimicrobials, stimulants, and anti-inflammatory aromatic therapeutics. As a result of the teachings and protocols of the early health practitioners, aromatherapy clinicians emerged supporting the use of essential oils and presented aromatherapy as a credible philosophy and practice. Today, aromatherapy and the essential oil market has cornered a huge sector of the wellness market. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Americans spend more than $30.2 billion annually on aromatherapy and it is predicted that the global market will grow in spending to $5 trillion by 2050.1
Development of the Clinical Model–The French Influence
The clinical practice of aromatherapy was developed within the medical arena and is centered on the biomedical concepts of healing, tissue and disease. The French pharmacists and physicians of early periods held great interest in medical aromatherapy. The medical and pharmaceutical community encouraged scientific experimentation and were instrumental in the progress of aromatic chemistry as a science. General dispensing of clinical internal prescriptions for essential oils began early in the 20th century throughout France, Germany, Belgium and England. Aromatic medicine is prescribed under strict supervision by medical professionals who are qualified in the physiology and chemistry necessary to recommend internal use of aromatic medicine compounds. Only essential oils of the appropriate distillation grade are prescribed in a clinical capacity for internal use. The intake of the health history, and the recommendation of a prescription for a specific ailment for a specified period is granted under direct medical supervision by a medical practitioner.2
As the clinical research of aromatherapy is testimony to the potential of essential oils, we must credit the pioneers who made immense contributions that helped to galvanize the framework used today for clinical aromatherapy: René-Maurice Gattefossé, Dr. Jean Valnet, Madame Marguerite Maury, Dr. Paul Belaiche and Henri Viaud.
Essential Oil Safety and Ethics
The criteria for the selection of essential oils should be placed on the key functional chemistry attributes, purity, quality standards and safety, rather than influencer popularity and price, as the retail market today has been greatly infiltrated with inferior and adulterated oils.
The term “medical grade” essential oil is frequently used as sales incentive in the marketing of aromatherapy products. This term is not an official term category of essential oil manufacture as there are no governmental agencies or standardized organizations that certify essential oils, nor identify grade qualities as therapeutic or medicinal grade. There is also no formal approved grading standard used consistently throughout the entire essential oil industry.3,4 Essential oil manufacturing quality begins at the source; the growing, harvesting and distillation of raw products. There are numerous quality standards, benchmarks and lab essays that confirm the authenticity of an essential oil by the distillation laboratory. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies aromatherapy products as a cosmetic, drug or both. Under the law, drugs must meet requirements and approval for safety and effectiveness before they go on the market.
The FDA also states “If a product is intended for a therapeutic use, such as treating or preventing disease, or to affect the structure or function of the body, it’s a drug.”4 According to an article featured on the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy website, “Once a product is entered into commerce, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If it is considered or marketed as a food, drug or cosmetic, it falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA. The FTC, through the authority of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA), sets the standard for the labeling of all consumer commodities.”5 The extreme variables in essential oil manufacturing and distribution present a difficult task for issuing quality assurance guarantees for any essential oil product. Therefore, due diligence in essential oil education is paramount for the clinical application. The clinical oriented approach to aromatherapy supports the inclusion of refined essential oils processed with high quality standards for all areas of application in skin, massage and body treatments (see Essential Oil Flowchart). This is an important consideration regarding the anticipated efficacy of the treatment application. Lesser quality essential oils are frequently adulterated or compromised in several aspects that do not show indications that are visible or detectable unless diagnostic testing such as gas chromatography or other evaluation methods are employed.
Questionable Quality Standards
1. The deliberate addition of synthetic compound materials undetectable by a gas chromatography analysis. This includes visible diluent solvents and perfumery compounds.
2. The addition of inferior and inexpensive ‘imposter’ fragranced synthetics to the oils that naturally contain minute fractions of these materials in the oil itself.
3. The addition of lesser quality to essential oils. This practice reduces the percentage of the quality oil proportion by the addition of a lesser quality oil to add volume to meet the net weight.
4. The dilution of the essential oil with vegetable or synthetic oils, solutes or surfactants. The oils may appear cloudy or feel greasy.
5. Blending in reconstituted or inexpensive oils to meet a target purchasing price for added profit.
6. The use of non-disclosed or non-desirable parts of plants in the distillation process.
7. The mislabeling or misrepresented genus name of the botanical species (passing it off as another oil).
8. The co-gathering of one botanical species with another. The oil may contain a lesser or similar genus botanical variety with an inferior quality to save on production cost.
The Biometrics and Science
What has been realized about essential oils from a clinical perspective is the significance of aromatic chemistry surrounding the attributes of each essential oil. Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile, low molecular weight compounds responsible for the characteristic function of each plant that contains chemical constituents consisting of metabolites. There are vast combinations of aromatic chemical components that essential oils produce, and each oil has its own chemistry “footprint.” Each chemical constituent acts as a relay to communicate biochemistry mechanisms which are responsible for the oil’s identifiable therapeutic characteristics. The differing chemotypes specify their activity or attributes of any given essential oil components. The unique “footprint” and therapeutic action of each essential oil is governed by components and complexities of aromatic chemistry.
This chemistry distinction begins with: the research and selection of the essential oil supplier/vendor, the proper selection of the monologue (the essential oils benefits, activities, contraindications and bio compatible oils), identification of the chemical constituents and biochemical activity, distinction and identification (origination and country of origin), cultivation practices and methods, distillation practices, methods, and equipment, and packaging, certifications, evaluation and quality assurance.
The activity of essential oils on the body shares a similar relationship that plants experience with essential oils, including transporting valuable nutrients, increasing oxygen intake, phagocytosis, which contains the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, thereby making plants compatible with human biochemistry, and plants possess a similar protein and lipid type structure.6
Essential Oils, Permeation and the Skin Barrier
Much attention has been drawn to the phrase “barrier function” in more recent years, with skin barrier health being an important determinant for the use of essential oils in esthetics. The meaning behind the term barrier function resides within the concept and science of corneotherapy, coined by the late co-inventor of Retin-A Albert Kligman, M.D.
Corneotherapy concepts stem from integral perspectives regarding the relationships between the stratum cornuem, cutaneous protective mechanisms and external influences.7 Kligman, along with Peter M. Elias and Kenneth Feingold uphold the premise that the stratum corneum is biologically active tissue, the lipid bi-layers help to keep the skin intact and the SC plays a significant role in the health of the skin as it can send signals to the underlying epidermis and influences skin regeneration. As the terms corneotherapy and barrier function define distinct physiological considerations, they are applied when referring to specific biological functions and observations. Corneotherapeutic support endorses specific considerations with regard to topical products, ingredients, esthetic modalities and esthetic treatments. It is important to note that the SC acts as a significant barrier to which active compounds may penetrate the skin, and some of which may cause irritation. Although essential oils are plant derived compounds, there are well documented abstracts citing incidents of allergic reactions ranging from pruritus to anaphylaxis. Aromatherapy training with this regard should be robust with an emphasis on essential oil chemistry and safety, with the client clinical intake setting precedence.
The physiological and potential routes for compounds to penetrate the epidermis are either via intercellular permeation through the corneocytes of the stratum corneum or the follicular, sebaceous and sudoriferous pathways. Other considerations for the permeation of compounds are polarity, molecular weight, the actual concentration of the active compound and molecule solubility. Considering these factors, only a small number of molecules with unique physio-chemical properties can cross the skin. Compounds from essential oils work primarily by altering the structure of the SC barrier and interact with intercellular SC lipids. It should be noted that essential oils and their volatile constituents can enhance penetration of topical formulations into the lower skin layers using different mechanisms of action via the intercellular lipid structure between corneocytes. This occurs by the modification of the solvent properties of products, therefore, extreme consideration should be given to the quality of both the carrier oil and essential oils.
Carrier Oils
The topical application of plant oils (see Carrier Oil Cross Reference Chart8) may provide local cutaneous anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative metabolites and serve as adjuncts for the management and prevention of inflammatory skin disorders. When used in conjunction with essential oils, they augment the barrier protection benefits.
The chemical constituents of plant oils are numerous. In their correct chemical evaluation and comprehension, they are used frequently in clinical aromatherapy and holistic dermatology. Botanical oils contain complex mixtures of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that act as lipophilic solvents. Plant compounds may cause mild to severe irritation or sensitization under certain circumstances. The potentially detrimental effects may also vary with dose, form and the site of application, which will define absorption rates (see Factors Affecting Transdermal Absorption) and accumulation of the bioactive compounds in various layers of the skin.8
Essential Oils for Skin Concerns
Select the appropriate carrier oil to support the activity of the essential oil. For a list of the skin care benefits associated with select essential oils, turn to page DM1 of the Digital Magazine.9 Carrier oils should be used sparingly. Avoid using citrus oils or oils that contain psoralens with any light-based therapy to prevent potential phytophotodermatitis.
The Lighter Side: Hydrosols
Hydrosols contain low dilutions of essential oils combined with the botanical’s water-soluble compounds not contained within the essential oil itself. Hydrosols are produced by the hydro distillate residue produced during the steam distillation process of essential oils. Hydrosols present as an essential watery solution by-product and contain components of the water-soluble micro-molecules of essential oils. However, not all of the water that comes over into the receiver coil during distillation is considered a hydrosol, as only the first 25-50% is claimed. For every one to two pounds of plant material processed, up to one quart of hydrosol is produced. Hydrosols are also sometimes incorrectly referred to as floral waters. Floral waters are often aromatic waters made with the use of fragrance oils, but do not contain the natural therapeutic properties that hydrosols offer. Hydrosols cannot be made by solubilizing essential oils in water.
Hydrosols generally have a pH of generally four and a half to five and a half. They are an excellent choice to be used in the place of essential oils when skin sensitivity may be a concern. Hydrosols can be used as tonics, used for compresses, blended with powder masks for customization, and used as a wetting agent instead of water. Pure hydrosols are more delicate than their essential oil counterparts. They do not have the same concentrated antibacterial properties that essential oils possess and are subject to much more rapid degradation. Below is a review of notable essential oil hydrosols.
Lavandula angustifola (lavender): pH 5.6-5.9, all skin types, astringent, purifying, toning, healing, regenerative, balancing, anti-aging, soothes redness and irritations
Pelargonium graveolens (rose geranium): pH 4.1-4.4, all skin types, humectant, balancing, adaptogenic, anti- inflammatory, cooling , great for irritations, acne, damaged skin, mature skin
Cistus ladaniferus (rock rose): pH 2.9 - 3.1, skin tonic, astringent, purifying, healing, anti-aging, cicatrisant, plumps
Matricaria recutita (german chamomile): pH 4.0 - 4.1, stronger than roman chamomile, soothing, calming, anti-inflammatory, sensitive, damaged, or irritated skin, mildly antibacterial and antiseptic, rashes, eczema
Citrus aurantium var. amara (neroli): pH 3.8- 4.5, calming, regenerative, skin tonic, anti-aging, astringent, mildly anti- bacterial. suitable for oily, acne or combination skin
Melissa officinalis (lemon balm/melissa): pH 4.8 -5.5, calming , hydrating, revitalizing, clarifying. general skin irritations , antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acne, excessive oiliness, antifungal
Monarda didyma (bee balm, scarlet bee balm): pH 4.2 -4.4, antiseptic, purifying, cleansing, regulate sebum secretion , oily, combination, or acneic skin
Rosa damascena (rose): pH 4.1- 4.4, skin tonic, humectant, restores ph, antibacterial, astringent, mild antiseptic, anti-aging and regenerative, soothes and calms , dry, normal, mature, sensitive, devitalized skin, blend with rock rose for anti-aging
Hamamelis virgiana (witch hazel): pH 4.0- 4.2, witch hazel hydrosol does not contain any alcohol or preservatives (extract can contain up to 30% alcohol), astringent, purifying, skin tonic, soothes and firms, brightening, high in antioxidants, reduces inflammation, all skin types
Helichrysum italicum (helichrysum, immortelle): pH 3.5-3.8, healing , regenerative properties, astringent, skin tonic, powerful anti-inflammatory, cicatrisant, soothing healing, improve cutaneous circulation, anti-aging , healing , rosacea, capillaries, radiation burns, sunburns
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary): pH 4.2–4.5, astringent, cleansing, antioxidant, purifying, anti-bacterial, regulates sebum secretions, calms irritations, clarifying , energizing Hypericum perforatum (st. john’s wort): pH 4.5-4.6, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, healing, clarifying, softening, skin tonic
Thymus vulgaris ct. linalol (thyme): pH 5.5-5.7, purifying, mildly antiseptic, deeply cleansing, regulates sebum secretions, oily, combination, or acneic skin
Achillea millefolium (yarrow): pH 3.6-3.9, strong anti-inflammatory, emotional skin care problems, soothes and decongests, problematic and acne skin, antibacterial
Jasminum sabac (jasmine): pH 5.6, aromatic, sensitive and fragile skin, mature skin, anti-inflammatory, balancing, hydrating and soothing
Commiphora molmol (myrrh): pH 4.7 –4.9, oily and acneic skin, decongesting, fragrant, balancing, healing, anti- inflammatory
Mentha piperita (peppermint): pH 6.1- 6.3, stimulating, energizing, freshening, toning, oily and acneic skin, improves circulation, not for sensitive skin
Boswellia carterii (frankincense): pH 4.7-4.9, hydrates, soothes, toning, refines, anti-aging
Santalum album (sandalwood): pH 5.9-6.0, rosacea, eczema, inflammatory skin, delicate and mature skin, decongests, soothes, calms, balancing, tonifying
A Science And Art
The world of aromatherapy has immense opportunities in the management and care of all skin concerns. As it is both a science and an art, for its potential to become fully realized, the practitioner must appreciate the history, science and practice of aromatic chemistry. The greater the dedication, study and practice, the greater the accomplishments to provide extended and personalized esthetic care with this time-honored art and science.
Erin Madigan-Fleck, N.M.D, CDT, LMC, LEI, has more than 35 years of experience in the aesthetic and natural health industry. She is a master esthetician, licensed instructor, and naturopathic medical physician with a private practice, Naturophoria, in Atlanta. She is a member of the Association for Applied Corneotherapy and American Society for Nutrition. She is the owner and founder of DermaEducationTV Post Graduate Esthetic Training and the Scientific Esthetics Symposium. She can be reached at: [email protected]
