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Essential Oils 2007 |
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| In recent years, Japanese society has been witnessing a “healing boom,” or a trend to seek out things that have soothing and healing effects physically and mentally. Among various “healing” methods is aromatherapy, which is often talked about these days. The term “aromatherapy” is a combination of “aroma” and “therapy.” For home aromatherapy, a wide variety of “healing” products (soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, perfumes, etc.) have been marketed and used for mental and physical refreshment and relaxation. This report focuses on essential oils. The Vitality Show is the largest health, beauty and well-being show in the UK. Under the themes of Healthy Eating, Beauty, Health, Fitness, The Spa, and Well-being, the trade show consists of two parts: (1) exhibition and sales at booths of companies in the above fields; and (2) seminars provided by experts in each field. This hands-on exhibition attracts many visitors (approximately 40,000 visitors in 2005). Here in Osaka, “the Healing Exhibition” in Osaka was recently held at INTEX-Osaka. More than 30,000 people visited the exhibition, suggesting the popularity of events with this kind of theme. 1. Basic Knowledge Essential oils are aromatic, volatile oils extracted from plants. It is said that there are several hundreds of kinds of aromas. Essential oils carry characteristic fragrances derived from natural materials. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are concentrated liquids containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Each species of plant emits its own distinctive fragrance to ensure that the species is perpetuated. We studied what roles essential oils play for the plant itself. Why do plants produce essential oils? To put it simply, animals can move from one place to another, but plants cannot move on their own. To compensate this, plants produce essential oils that have two important effects: [Attraction effect] In addition to the wind, plants also rely on insects, birds and other animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and so emit fragrances to attract the insects or animals they need. [Repellant effect] Plants produce offensive odors or bitter substances to repel pests or predators, or inhibit the growth of molds or harmful bacteria. 2. Kinds of Essential Oils While general vegetable fats and oils are nonvolatile and contain glycerin fatty acid esters as principal components, the principal components of essential oils are terpenes and aromatic compounds. Essential oils often have low-boiling aromatic fractions in abundance. Many essential oils have distinctive fragrances and are used as flavoring agents and in aromatherapy. Essential oils are derived from a wide variety of plant species. Major plant materials and the parts of the plants are listed below:
Processes for extracting essential oils include steam distillation and expression
3.Imports of Major Essential Oils （1）Orange oil
（2）Bergamot oil
（3）Lemon oil
（4）Other citrus oils
（5）Lavender and lavandin oils
4. Uses of Essential Oils In France, Germany and Belgium, there is sufficient scientific proof of the effectiveness of essential oils, and aromatherapy has been used for medical treatment under the control of doctors. In Japan, however, aromatherapy is not regarded as a branch of medicine. Essential oils, not being categorized as drugs, can be sold only as “sundries” under the relevant Japanese law. In reality, however, lavender oil is used in pain clinics to control pain. This oil has a bearing on the origin of the term “aromatherapy.” In the 1920s, French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse happened to burn his hand in a laboratory accident. Plunging his hand into the nearest cool liquid, lavender oil, he experienced surprising pain relief and quick recovery. Since then, he devoted his life to research on essential oils. In his book published in 1928, he used the word “aromatherapy” to imply the therapeutic use of aromatic substances (essential oils). It is also necessary to maintain physical well-being to prevent illness. Citrus oils, such as sweet orange oil, are known to be uplifting, refreshing oils and effective in relieving depression. Tea tree and eucalyptus, mostly native to Australia, have natural infection-fighting, antiseptic properties, and are used for treatment of cuts, grazes and athlete’s foot. It was in the wake of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that aromatherapy became common in Japan. There emerged a growing interest in “healing” across the nation, and aromatherapy began to attract attention as a natural remedy that helps maintain and enhance psychological and physical well-being. Since then, companies have developed and marketed a variety of aromatic products featuring the “healing” effect of fragrances. Although there is no concrete data on the market size, the market for essential oils is expected to continue growing in this country. (We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Ms. Toshie Kondo, aromatherapy instructor certified by the Aroma Environment Association of Japan, for providing useful information in preparing this report.) |
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