Aromatic oils have been used for thousands of years not only for their fragrance but for culinary, therapeutic, ritual, and spiritual purposes. More than a fashionable trend, aromatherapy is coming into its own as a body of knowledge and practice with specific applications that have a solid scientific base. Drawing on research and clinical studies, Peter and Kate Damian look at many applications from treating viral infections with garlic or black pepper oil to using rose oil to relax patients undergoing chemotherapy; from aromatic massage to the "environmental fragrancing" of subways and supermarkets.

Explores:

- How scent interacts with emotion, memory, mental acuity, and sleep

- Why specific scents are so effective in therapeutic and ritual settings

- Antiseptic and antimicrobial properties of essential oils How men and women differ in their responses to odors

- Provides a thorough exposition of the ancient practice of aromatics in China, India, Persia, and Egypt

- Details our modern scientific understanding of the physiology and psychology of scent.

- Includes annotated profiles for forty-four essential oils and specific instructions for creating essential oil blends.