Aromatherapy basics: what essential oils can and cannot do
02.08.2026
Aromatherapy usually begins with a sensation rather than a theory: someone notices that the smell of lavender helps them settle in the evening, and starts wondering how that works. The underlying idea is simple. Essential oils are volatile plant compounds that we perceive through smell, and the sense of smell connects directly to brain regions involved in emotion and memory. That is why a scent can shift a mood faster than almost anything else.
It is worth being precise about the claims, though. Essential oils may help you feel calmer, more focused or more awake; they can make a massage more pleasant and a home feel warmer. They do not cure illness, replace medication or solve serious health problems. If someone tells you a particular oil heals a specific disease, that is a good sign to look for a different source of information.
Spas use aromatherapy in three main ways. The first is diffusion into the room, where the scent sets the mood but never touches the skin. The second is aromatherapy massage, in which a few drops of essential oil are diluted into a carrier oil such as sweet almond, grapeseed or jojoba. The third is inhalation - a drop on a tissue, or oils used in a steam treatment. In every case the concentration is low, and that dilution is precisely what makes the practice safe.
A handful of starter oils are easy to remember. Lavender is versatile and calming, which is why it turns up in so many evening treatments. Eucalyptus and peppermint create a sense of freshness and open breathing, useful in the morning or after a sauna. Citrus oils such as orange and bergamot read as uplifting. Pine and spruce carry real emotional weight for many people in Latvia, tied as they are to forests and sauna. Rose and jasmine are expensive and intense, so they appear in very small amounts.
Safety is the part most often skipped. Undiluted essential oils do not belong on skin - they can cause burns, irritation and lasting sensitisation. A carrier blend is typically one to two percent, which in practice means a few drops per tablespoon of base oil. Citrus oils increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, so avoid sunbathing or a tanning bed for several hours after using them. Essential oils are not taken internally without guidance from a properly qualified professional.
Some groups need extra care. A number of oils, including sage, rosemary and jasmine, are not recommended during pregnancy, so aromatherapy in that period is a conversation for your doctor or midwife. Children need far lower concentrations, and peppermint and eucalyptus are generally avoided altogether with young children. For people with asthma, strong scents can trigger an airway response, so any new oil should be introduced cautiously. If you take medication or live with a chronic condition, it is sensible to check with your doctor before making aromatherapy a regular habit.
Quality comes down to unglamorous details. A bottle should state the plant's Latin name, the extraction method and a batch number. An essential oil is not the same thing as a fragrance oil or a perfume composition - those are synthetic and are not intended for aromatherapy. Store oils in dark glass somewhere cool, and expect most of them to hold their character for a year or two. Price tells you something too: if a bottle of rose oil costs the same as orange, it is almost certainly diluted or synthetic, because the quantity of raw material behind those two oils differs by orders of magnitude. And one last thing - the bathroom is the worst place to keep them, since temperature and humidity swing most there.
If you want to begin, begin small. Buy one oil rather than a set, use it for a week or two, and pay attention to how you feel. Aromatherapy is deeply personal: a scent that means calm to one person will remind another of a hospital corridor or childhood medicine. That subjectivity is not a flaw but the whole point - the scent that works best is the one you genuinely like.
It is worth being precise about the claims, though. Essential oils may help you feel calmer, more focused or more awake; they can make a massage more pleasant and a home feel warmer. They do not cure illness, replace medication or solve serious health problems. If someone tells you a particular oil heals a specific disease, that is a good sign to look for a different source of information.
Spas use aromatherapy in three main ways. The first is diffusion into the room, where the scent sets the mood but never touches the skin. The second is aromatherapy massage, in which a few drops of essential oil are diluted into a carrier oil such as sweet almond, grapeseed or jojoba. The third is inhalation - a drop on a tissue, or oils used in a steam treatment. In every case the concentration is low, and that dilution is precisely what makes the practice safe.
A handful of starter oils are easy to remember. Lavender is versatile and calming, which is why it turns up in so many evening treatments. Eucalyptus and peppermint create a sense of freshness and open breathing, useful in the morning or after a sauna. Citrus oils such as orange and bergamot read as uplifting. Pine and spruce carry real emotional weight for many people in Latvia, tied as they are to forests and sauna. Rose and jasmine are expensive and intense, so they appear in very small amounts.
Safety is the part most often skipped. Undiluted essential oils do not belong on skin - they can cause burns, irritation and lasting sensitisation. A carrier blend is typically one to two percent, which in practice means a few drops per tablespoon of base oil. Citrus oils increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, so avoid sunbathing or a tanning bed for several hours after using them. Essential oils are not taken internally without guidance from a properly qualified professional.
Some groups need extra care. A number of oils, including sage, rosemary and jasmine, are not recommended during pregnancy, so aromatherapy in that period is a conversation for your doctor or midwife. Children need far lower concentrations, and peppermint and eucalyptus are generally avoided altogether with young children. For people with asthma, strong scents can trigger an airway response, so any new oil should be introduced cautiously. If you take medication or live with a chronic condition, it is sensible to check with your doctor before making aromatherapy a regular habit.
Quality comes down to unglamorous details. A bottle should state the plant's Latin name, the extraction method and a batch number. An essential oil is not the same thing as a fragrance oil or a perfume composition - those are synthetic and are not intended for aromatherapy. Store oils in dark glass somewhere cool, and expect most of them to hold their character for a year or two. Price tells you something too: if a bottle of rose oil costs the same as orange, it is almost certainly diluted or synthetic, because the quantity of raw material behind those two oils differs by orders of magnitude. And one last thing - the bathroom is the worst place to keep them, since temperature and humidity swing most there.
If you want to begin, begin small. Buy one oil rather than a set, use it for a week or two, and pay attention to how you feel. Aromatherapy is deeply personal: a scent that means calm to one person will remind another of a hospital corridor or childhood medicine. That subjectivity is not a flaw but the whole point - the scent that works best is the one you genuinely like.