The scientific study of the plant-derived essential oils and their uses is in its infancy.  Only now is research beginning to confirm what countless generations of our ancestors knew - that plants are powerful.  In this section we've put together some of the more recent essential oil research for you to pour through.  We'll be updating it regularly, so be sure to check back often...

(Note:  The views expressed and conclusions reached in the following research do not necessarily reflect the views and conclusions of Uncommon Scents Aromatherapy.  Please research responsibly by checking a variety of resources before coming to a conclusion about any specific issue.)

AROMATHERAPY IN THE NEWS

Essential Oils Proven Effective in Treating Ear Infection
Journal of Infectious Diseases (June 2005) - Tell all the mothers in the neighborhood that they might be able to toss those antibiotics that their kids have been swallowing for ear infections in favor of a safer treatment. A study in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases reports that all-natural essential oils may be just as effective.

This study compared the effects of essential oils to those of placebo in rats. The investigators found that the oils cured up to 81 percent of the animals, while the cure rate for the animals given a placebo was less than 6 percent.

Topical treatments for ear infections usually aren't recommended because most are unable to penetrate the eardrum to reach the middle ear. But researchers found that the vapors from some essential oils like oil of basil have rapid bacteria-killing effects that may be able to reach the area and destroy the bacteria that cause pain, infection, and sleepless nights for so many children -- and their parents.

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Business Week magazine (May 9, 2005) noted the growing concept of aromatherapy use with food. The magazine brought attention to aromas in dishes prepared by chefs to enhance taste. It citied a new Chicago restaurant, Alinea, that includes using hot water over lilac petals "to evoke a fragrance of spring" in a meal. Aromas in fine food come with a cost. Dinners at the restaurant start at $75.

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News out of the Association for Chemical Reception Sciences Conference, Sarasota, Fla., in April on aromas and the influence on drivers was picked up by numerous media outlets, including CBS News.

Researchers presented their findings that the smell of cinnamon or peppermint can relax drivers' tensions, curb driver fatigue and increase alertness.

"Given the results, it is reasonable to expect that the presentation of peppermint or cinnamon odor while driving may produce a more alert and conscientious driver, and minimize the fatigue associated with prolonged driving," says Bryan Raudenbush, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at West Virginia's Wheeling Jesuit University.

Peppermint was linked to decreased anxiety and fatigue while driving. While both peppermint and cinnamon decreased driving frustration and increased alertness.

Is aromatherapy the answer to our dangerous roads? Hmmm, they seem to think it could be the next big thing in essential oil use. "Periodic administration of these odors over long-term driving may prove beneficial in maintaining alertness and decreasing highway accidents and fatalities," write the researchers.

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Meanwhile a related survey published in auto publications by Wheeling Jesuit and AroMetrics, which sells auto air fresheners, found drivers "demonstrated a decreased level of anger and improved overall driving performance when exposed to strawberry and pine scents."  Most tellingly, four of every five respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement, "When my car smells good, I feel better."

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Organic Style magazine (June 2005) featured an article on 25 natural ways to lose weight. At number 12 was sniffing grapefruit oil where it noted research by the Institute of Aromatherapy in Toronto that found smelling grapefruit oil helps curb cravings for sweets.

RECENT RESEARCH

• Application of essential oils on mouse skin, especially geranium oil, can suppress inflammatory symptoms. Other oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree oils also suppressed inflammation, but their activities seemed weaker than geranium. Juniper oil didn't suppress inflammation. J Inflamm (Lond). 2005 Feb 10;2(1):1.
• Essential oils have major effects on decreasing pain and depression levels. The essential oils used were lavender, marjoram, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint. Based on our experiment's findings, we suggest that aromatherapy can be a useful nursing intervention for arthritis patients. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2005 Feb;35(1):186-94.
• This study's results imply that essential oil of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) thymol chemotype potentiates the antifungal action of amphotericin B, suggesting a possible utilization of this essential oil in addition to antifungal drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by fungus. Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):990-5.
• Antibacterial essential oils reduced tumor smell and inflammation in oral cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Mar 1;23(7):1588-9.(Link is to actual article.)
• In this literature review, the authors found that massage and aromatherapy massage for cancer patients have short term benefits on psychological wellbeing, with the effect on anxiety supported by limited evidence. Evidence is mixed as to whether aromatherapy enhances the effects of massage. Replication, longer follow up, and larger trials are need. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(2):CD002287.
• Complementary and alternative medicine, including aromatherapy massage, is frequently used by children and young people with cancer. This plays a substantial role in helping children through their conventional cancer treatment. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2004 Mar;8(1):50-60.
• This article investigates the use essential oils for hair loss (alopecia areata) caused by both localized and systemic disease. Oils used were thymus vulgaris (thyme), lavandula angustifolia (lavender), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), and Cedrus atlantica (cedar) diluted in a carrier oil. J Fam Pract. 2004 Jan;53(1):33-6.

PAST RESEARCH

Addiction

• German chamomile used to ease benzodiazepine withdrawal

Allergies

• Toxicity Myths by Ron Guba (www.naha.org)