Aromatherapy works on our sense of smell and by absorption into the bloodstream. About 15 per cent of the air we inhale goes to the roof of the nose, where olfactory receptors transport odours straight to a part of the brain called the limbic system. This area is connected with instinct, mood and emotion, and it's thought that aromatherapy may stimulate the release of chemicals which in turn play a part in unlocking emotions (think how even the merest whiff of floor wax can zip you back to the classroom).

It's thought that ancient civilisations used 'aromatherapy' in many ways and for many reasons such as massage, bathing, medicinally, even for embalming bodies. The concept was probably originally used at around the same time in China, Egypt, the Middle East and by Native Americans, then brought to Europe by the Romans.

The practice of modern aromatherapy is largely attributed to a French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé. He began investigating the healing powers of essential oils in the first quarter of this century after noting how lavender oil seemed to aid the healing of a severe burn on his hand. He also published the first book on the subject Gattefossé's Aromatherapy in 1937, which is still available in print. The word aromatherapy stems from two Ancient Greek words: 'aroma' meaning fragrance or pleasant smell, and 'therapeia' meaning healing.