Scents and sensibility — some facts about essential oils

Do essential oils work? Here’s what the science says...

Several studies report the benefits of lavender aromatherapy in reducing anxiety with evidence of both physiological and psychological effects.

The use of essential oils dates back thousands of years. Queen Cleopatra was reputed to have a vast knowledge of essential oils and their power and to have used rose essential oil to enchant Mark Antony with her beauty.

The Greek physician Hippocrates — considered the father of modern medicine — often recommended massage treatments with essential oils and referenced a vast number of medicinal plants in his writings.