Aromatherapy - An Alternative Acne Treatment

Aromatherapy is another popular alternativearomatherapy can change an individual's mood. In this
treatment for reducing stress. It is based on thestudy, which was conducted in 2002 at the University
theory that scent influences the way people feel.of Southampton School of Medicine in England, fifteen
Aromatherapy uses candles scented with essentialextremely nervous psychiatric patients inhaled
oils extracted from plants. It also uses aroma lampslavender oil for two hours a day every other day for
and diffusers that spray the oil into the air in a mist.ten days. On these days, 60 percent of the patients
These oils are derived from plants such as jasmine,were reported to be calmer and happier. On the
chamomile, vanilla, lemon balm, and lavender and arealternate days, however, when the patients inhaled a
believed to have calming properties. Indeed, peoplemist of pure water, there was no change in their
report feeling calmer and less stressed after inhalingmood.
them.Many acne patients report that aromatherapy has a
Studies into the effectiveness of aromatherapy aresimilar effect on their response to stress. A former
limited. However, neurologists at the Smell and Tasteacne patient explains: "Even now, I still get an
Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago haveoccasional acne breakout. It seems to happen most
been conducting research on aromatherapy forwhen I'm under stress at work. One of the ways I
seventeen years. Their findings support the theoryhandle stress is by filling my oil lamp with lemon balm,
that scent has a powerful effect on an individual'sand lighting it up right beside my hot tub. The
mood and behavior. The reason for this, they say, iscombination of the warm bubbling water and the
that inhaling certain scents alters brain waves andscented oil drains away my worries. No worries
affects the pleasure center of the brain.means no frown lines, and no pimples.
One study in particular investigated how