Aromatherapy

Aromatherapists must be International Federation of Professional Aromatherapy (IFPA) qualified and associate members.

What this means to clients

All Aromatherapy massage practitioners at ACT Cardiff have completed 60 case studies under supervision; having learnt aromatherapy in an IFPA accredited school. They have learnt the chemical compounds and the physical and psychological effects of in excess of 36 essential oils. They are able to make blends for home use, use oils within a professionally trained massage remit; they have Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology training along with First Aid. They are required to continue their professional development (CPD) with 36 hours further updated training and provide paperwork proof for registration every three years.

Useful Links:

IFPAROMA
IFPA Training in Cardiff

What to Expect From a Treatment:

A full case history is taken assessing the client’s physical and emotional wellbeing, oils are then chosen to benefit the individual client, usually applied through massage. Separate oils are often inhaled by the client throughout the treatment to benefit the specific emotional state presented which is ongoing or just on that day and different oils may be applied in different quantities, topically to specific areas of dis - ease. Often there is an option of purchasing an Aromatherapy product to use at home to continue developing the beneficial effects. An IFPA Aromatherapist may use anything from one – three or four blends of oils per client, and each blend may range (typically) from two to four oils.

Where Did it Originate?

Aromatherapy uses plant essential oils for health and well being. The use of plant extracts for health has been documented for over 6000 years, the Greeks, Romans and Ancient Egyptians all used some form of Aromatherapy. Australian aborigines used tea tree essential oil for its medicinal purposes which is still in use today. Therapeutic use of essential oils as used today can be attributed to French chemist Gattefosse, after burning his hand, he used lavender oil on the wound and was amazed by the speed at which it healed, with no scarring. He coined the word ‘Aromatherapie’ and first published his findings in 1931. Future research was carried out by Dr Jean Valnet in the 1960’s and Aromatherapy is now widely used as a holistic treatment and more recently clinical research has stemmed an interest for use within conventional medical settings.
Essential Oils