Aromatherapy vs Holistic Aromatherapy: What is the Difference?
Aromatherapy is an ancient practice utilizing essential oils for well-being. Its popularity has surged as many seek natural approaches for various physical and emotional needs. Though it can be challenging to measure its exact popularity, several studies and surveys shed light on its widespread use.
For instance, a 2018 study in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare found that 59.3% of participants reported using aromatherapy for relaxation, stress relief, or sleep improvement. Another 2019 survey in the United States revealed that 64% of those polled had used aromatherapy products at least once in their lives.
The global aromatherapy market size was estimated to be $1.3 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $2.7 billion by 2027, indicating growing demand for these products.
While aromatherapy requires caution due to the potency of certain essential oils, it is increasingly utilized in diverse ways. A few drops of lavender oil in a bath or diffuser can create a calming atmosphere. Lemongrass oil in water can deter insects, and Tea Tree oil is appreciated for keeping surfaces fresh.
Holistic aromatherapy, invented by PHYTO 5 in the 1970s in France, sought to create powerful beauty and wellness treatments naturally. Essential oils were considered potent natural actives, but a methodology to achieve significant aesthetic results was lacking.
The founder of PHYTO 5, then known as Phytobiodermie, attended a workshop in London on Chinese phytotherapy and was impressed by its technical complexity.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient practice encompassing acupuncture, dietetics, physical exercises (like Qi Gong), and Chinese phytotherapy, which uses plants to support balance and harmony.
Chinese phytotherapy, known for its high technicality, involves combining herbs into formulas. Practitioners follow strict rules in selecting herbs based on taste, nature, dosage, and combination.
Thousands of herbs are used in Chinese phytotherapy, each with specific properties and uses, often classified by their effects on the body, such as supporting vitality or balancing heat and moisture.
TCM, including Chinese phytotherapy, is considered a comprehensive system addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of individuals. It has a long history and vast knowledge base, continuing to be practiced and studied worldwide.
Fascinated by what he learned, Henri Chenot sought to adapt the principles of Chinese phytotherapy to aesthetic and hair care in Europe, a challenging task given the absence of many Chinese ingredients in Europe at the time.
Moreover, phytotherapy is a holistic practice not particularly focused on aesthetics. It was necessary to bridge Western-European expertise with ancient Asian practices to achieve remarkable natural skin results.
Henri Chenot achieved this, and PHYTO 5 continues this legacy today. He studied the Five Elements Law, a comprehensive model for categorizing visible phenomena, adapting it to European aromatherapy.
The Five Elements Law, essential for categorizing essential oil use, employs chemical and energetic analyses. Essential oil functions are aligned with their Chinese phytotherapy counterparts, classifying these oils according to the Five Elements Law.
This seemingly simple model, developed thousands of years ago in China, also utilizes Yin and Yang theory, widely used in aesthetics.
Successfully integrating these traditional European and Chinese practices allows access to centuries of experience and knowledge for developing advanced natural aesthetic products and treatments.
This technology, created in the 1970s in France, is known as energetic aromatherapy, the first holistic and natural aesthetic practice.
It enabled an early understanding of the link between liver balance and skin sebum regulation, aiding in developing protocols for blackheads. It also incorporates the relationship between the skin's energetic circulation, skin sensitivity, and pH balance.
These simple examples illustrate the vast potential of holistic aromatherapy technique development and its ongoing research to maintain high technicality and effectiveness levels.