The Wellness Journal · Aromatherapy & Ingredients
What is Aromatherapy? A Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils and Wellbeing
You have probably heard the word aromatherapy many times. You may have encountered it in a spa, seen it on product labels or been told that lavender helps with sleep. But what is aromatherapy really — and does it actually work? This is the complete beginner's guide.
What It Is
What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of plant-derived essential oils to support physical and psychological wellbeing. It is one of the oldest therapeutic practices in human history — ancient Egyptians used aromatic plant extracts in medicine and ritual; Greek physicians documented the healing properties of aromatic herbs; traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine have incorporated plant-based aromatics for thousands of years.
Modern aromatherapy, as we understand it today, was formalised in the early twentieth century by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé, who coined the term after discovering that lavender oil helped heal a burn on his hand. Since then, scientific research into essential oils has produced a substantial and growing body of evidence for their therapeutic effects — particularly for stress, anxiety, sleep and pain.
Aromatherapy is not alternative medicine. It is a scientifically documented interaction between plant-derived chemical compounds and the human nervous system — one that is increasingly well understood at a molecular level.
How It Works
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
When you inhale an essential oil, the aromatic molecules travel through the nasal passage to the olfactory receptor neurons — specialised cells that detect scent molecules and convert them into electrical signals. These signals bypass the rational cortex and travel directly to the limbic system — the region of the brain that governs emotion, memory, stress response and autonomic nervous system function.
This direct route to the limbic system is what makes aromatherapy faster-acting than most other therapeutic interventions. A pill must be absorbed through the digestive system. A supplement must be metabolised. But a scent molecule reaches the brain's emotion-regulation centre within seconds of inhalation — which is why the right scent can change how you feel almost immediately.
Beyond inhalation, essential oil compounds can also be absorbed through the skin — which is why bath products and body oils infused with essential oils carry therapeutic benefit beyond their scent.
Natural essential oils — each with a direct pathway to the brain's emotional centre
"Scent is the only sense with a direct pathway to the limbic system — the brain's emotional core. This is why aromatherapy works faster than almost any other natural intervention, and why the right scent can change how you feel within seconds."
Key Essential Oils
The Essential Oils to Start With
Lavender — For Sleep and Anxiety
The most researched essential oil in existence. Lavender's primary compound linalool acts on GABA receptors in the brain — the same mechanism as many anti-anxiety medications, through a gentler pathway. Read our full guide: Lavender: Why It's the Most Researched Essential Oil in the World.
Citrus essential oils — lemon, bergamot and grapefruit — for energy, uplift and clarity
Chamomile — For Calm and Tension
Chamomile works synergistically with lavender — its compound bisabolol has documented anti-inflammatory and calming properties. Used together, the two oils produce a deeper relaxation response than either alone.
Peppermint and Eucalyptus — For Energy and Focus
Both have documented effects on alertness and cognitive performance. Peppermint increases alertness; eucalyptus opens the respiratory pathway. Together they form the basis of the Spritz Wellness Energise range — the Energise Yoga Mat Spray and body scrub.
Lemongrass and Bergamot — For Uplift and Balance
Lemongrass has mood-lifting and grounding properties. Bergamot — extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange — is associated with reduced anxiety and improved mood. Both are used in the Spritz Wellness Atmosphere Mist range.
Mint, ginger and turmeric — the energising blend at the heart of the Spritz Wellness Revive range
How to Start
How to Start Using Aromatherapy
The most effective way to begin is to choose one scent for one consistent moment each day. Not an occasional use — a daily one. The conditioned association between scent and state builds over two to three weeks of repetition, and that association is where the deepest benefit lies.
A lavender pillow spray used every night. A peppermint mat spray before every yoga practice. A lemongrass atmosphere mist at the end of every working day. Small, consistent, daily. That is aromatherapy at its most effective.
Not sure which ritual is right for you? Take our 2-minute ritual quiz and get a personalised recommendation based on how you feel right now.
Find Your Ritual
Take our 2-minute quiz to discover which aromatherapy ritual is right for you.
Take the Quiz Sleep Range Yoga RangeLaura Colucci is a yoga teacher based in London and West Sussex, founder of The Nook yoga studio, and the creator of the Spritz Wellness range.
