Aromatic plants have been burned, infused and anointed everywhere. Egyptian embalming used cedar and myrrh; Ayurveda has used aromatic oils in abhyanga for millennia; the word aromatherapy was coined by the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in the 1930s after he treated a burn with lavender oil.
What the evidence supports. Modest but real findings: lavender for anxiety and sleep quality; peppermint oil in enteric-coated capsules for irritable bowel syndrome, which has reasonably good trial evidence; ginger for nausea; tea tree oil as a topical antimicrobial; eucalyptus for nasal congestion. Aromatherapy massage helps anxiety in palliative and cancer care, and is offered in many hospitals for exactly that reason.
What it does not do. Essential oils do not treat infections systemically, cure disease or replace medication.
Do not swallow them. Eucalyptus, camphor, wintergreen and tea tree oil have caused serious poisoning in children, sometimes from small amounts.
Always dilute in a carrier oil before applying to skin. Citrus oils cause burns in sunlight. Keep away from eyes. Not for infants, and check every oil if pregnant — several are unsafe.
Diffusing strong oils around cats and birds can be dangerous to them.
Dr Edward Bach, an English physician and bacteriologist, developed his thirty-eight remedies in the 1930s. Each is made by floating flowers in spring water in sunlight, preserving the water in brandy, and matching it to an emotional state rather than a physical symptom — impatiens for impatience, mimulus for known fears, and so on. Rescue Remedy combines five.
Bach's system is gentle, entirely non-toxic, and completely unlike anything in pharmacology: the final preparation contains no measurable plant material. Controlled trials, including several on Rescue Remedy for examination anxiety, have found no effect beyond placebo.
I would put it this way. They will not hurt you, and the ritual of pausing to ask what you are actually feeling is worth something in itself. But that is what is working, and they should not be used for anything serious.
This site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice, shared for information. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease. I am not a doctor.
If you are unwell — and especially if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified physician. Nothing here should replace or delay that care.