Millions of Americans believe aromatherapy works, but for many doctors it still doesn’t pass the smell test

The use of essential oils and their scents to improve health and well-being dates back thousands of years. Just like today, patients would inhale these oils or apply them topically. These oils are typically extracted from plants, such as leaves, flowers, roots, or bark.

But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the treatment was seen as having real potential in mainstream medicine, when French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé coined the term “atopic dermatitis.” Aromatherapyhas written extensively about the properties of essential oils.

Today, aromatherapy can refer to anything from the pleasant scents associated with personal hygiene and cleaning products to full-blown therapy practiced by aromatherapists, depending on who you talk to.

I’ve been a nurse and educator for over 30 years, teaching nursing students everything from intensive care to end-of-life care. Since becoming an aromatherapist in 2016, I’ve been exploring how the practice fits into the medical community and how hospitals and clinics can use aromatherapy as an adjunct to a variety of ailments.

Medical skepticism, public acceptance

Aromatherapy has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat any medical condition. This is one of the reasons why many clinicians are reluctant to use aromatherapy in their practice. They also say there is not enough evidence to show that aromatherapy is effective. Also, most clinicians are not trained in aromatherapy.

Conversely, aromatherapy is more accepted by the public than ever before. However, this is not necessarily a good thing. The internet is full of information about aromatherapy, but many of the claims are based on personal experience, not scientific evidence.

Yet millions of Americans sign up for expensive pyramid schemes that suggest essential oils can cure any ailment. But like any substance, using essential oils comes with risks as well as benefits — and these risks aren’t always mentioned in the information you find online.

The research is not convincing

Although the research supporting aromatherapy’s efficacy is increasingly appearing in peer-reviewed academic publications, it doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny, and my own research has found much of the research on aromatherapy to be flawed.

The problems are: These studies often don’t mention what exact essential oils were used The amount of essential oil used and for how long isn’t always precisely described Qualifications of practitioners are often lacking Study participants may have a poor sense of smell or a personal aversion to certain smells, which can skew the results Studies don’t always provide clear explanations of how they control for bias Some studies have small numbers of participants, and many are conducted only on animals.

Also, there are many different types of essential oils — some lavender, for example, has calming properties, while others have sinus-clearing properties — an important distinction that the authors of these studies don’t understand.

The good news is that efforts are underway to improve the quality of research, and the future of this treatment looks promising.

Potential Treatments

According to the National Cancer Institute, a growing body of research shows that aromatherapy can improve the physical, mental and spiritual health of cancer patients and help reduce anxiety, nausea and vomiting.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that essential oils may be used to treat insomnia, pain, anxiety and cancer, but again, rigorous research is lacking.

Researchers are studying whether aromatherapy can benefit people with dementia and substance use disorders.

A 2021 meta-analysis of clinical trials revealed that bergamot essential oil can reduce anxiety in humans. Based on this, it is reasonable to assume that using bergamot via inhalation may reduce anxiety. It is also said to be “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA.

The Aromatic Research Quality Assessment Task Force was established in 2021 to develop a checklist for assessing the quality of aromatherapy research, a foundational exercise to raise aromatherapy research to the highest standards.

easy to use

Essential oils are often inhaled using aroma sticks (small cylindrical tubes about the size of a lipstick container that contain the essential oil in a wick), patches worn by the patient, or diffusers that use cold steam or ultrasonic diffusion.

When used topically, essential oils are not soluble in water and must be diluted with vegetable oil or other oils to reduce their concentration.

But before you can incorporate essential oils into your life, you first need to find accurate information about them. There are professional organizations that work to maintain standards of practice for aromatherapy.

There’s nothing wrong with looking for natural, clean products that might help you, which is why so many people are drawn to beautiful essential oils and their lovely scents. Remember, natural and beautiful doesn’t mean they’re effective, nor does it mean the oils are risk-free.