Aromatherapy in the spa world: the use of essential oils for well-being and health

Aromatherapy is an age-old practice that harnesses essential oils extracted from plants and flowers to improve our psychophysical balance. When combined with thermal therapy, this holistic practice becomes even more powerful, as the beneficial effects of thermal water enhance the allure of fragrances. This allows individuals to experience thermal synesthesia, a sensory phenomenon in which the senses interconnect in unusual ways, creating unique sensory experiences that enable one to surrender to a moment of total well-being and suspended relaxation.

Let's explore what aromatherapy is and how scents and the sense of smell are applied to thermal therapy.

What is aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is a holistic practice that utilizes the therapeutic properties of essential oils – through massages, baths, or diffusers – extracted from plants and flowers to impact the health of both the body and mind.

The use of plants and essential oils for healing purposes has very ancient origins and dates back to various cultures of the past, such as the Egyptians and pre-Columbian civilizations. However, the discipline of aromatherapy began to take shape only from the 1920s onwards, thanks to the work of the French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé. Subsequently, in 1964, the French doctor Jean Valnet published the book "Aromathérapie," which laid the foundations for the discipline of aromatherapy as we know it today.

The essential oils of aromatherapy: what are they and how are they used?

Aromatherapy is based on the use of essential oils, which are concentrated substances extracted from plants with specific beneficial properties for the body. These oils are obtained through processes of distillation, extraction, or pressing from various parts of the plant such as leaves, flowers, petals, bark, wood, seeds, or roots. Depending on the plant used, the oils can have stimulating or calming properties.

Being available in liquid form, they can be used in various ways: applied to the skin, inhaled, or taken orally.

For example, to use essential oils in a warm bath, it is recommended to add about 5 drops diluted in a teaspoon of olive oil or milk to the bathwater when it reaches a temperature between 27°C and 34°C. However, since these are concentrated products, it is advisable to use them in small quantities and only after consulting with an experienced aromatherapy therapist.

Benefits of aromatherapy

Aromatherapy offers a wide range of health and wellness benefits. Some of the most common ones include:

• Stress and anxiety reduction
• Promotion of sleep
• Pain and inflammation reduction
• Mood enhancement
• Improved concentration
• Digestive improvement
• Strengthening of the immune system

However, aromatherapy is not without risks. Essential oils can cause unwanted effects such as allergic reactions, skin irritations and photosensitivity. Furthermore, oral use is generally discouraged during pregnancy.

In thermal therapy, on the other hand, fragrances are used just enough to create a sensory harmony of stimuli to induce the brain into a state of suspended pleasure that only thermal synesthesia can offer: a sensory phenomenon that occurs when two or more senses merge in an experience that goes beyond normal perception of reality.

How does aromatherapy work in thermal treatments?

Smell plays a fundamental role in aromatherapy practices, as well as in spa rituals. The perception of an aroma involves the whole person in a sensorial experience that arises from the olfactory sensation.This signal is transmitted from the nose to the brain through a complex regulatory system that activates responses in the body's organs.

The use of scented essences is a common way to achieve this sensory experience.

Indeed, aromatic molecules diffused in the air reach the nasal cavities, where specialized olfactory cells receive the scent stimulus and transform it into electrical impulses that activate neural olfactory centers. From here, the message is sent to specific parts of the brain, such as the limbic system, which are associated with emotional states, mood, aggression, eating and reproduction. These biochemical reactions occur in a very short period of time, approximately 300-400 milliseconds.

This process occurs not only through inhalation, as fragrances can also be absorbed through the skin, via oils or creams, and enter the bloodstream, influencing both the mind and body.

In thermal therapy, aromatherapy primarily utilizes fragrances capable of eliciting sensations of relaxation, administered in small quantities through thermal products.

Fragrances and thermal synesthesia: smell in the thermal method

Emotions and the sense of smell are both developed in the same region of our brain. It is therefore logical to think that odors and fragrances have a direct influence on people's moods, but they also have the ability to evoke memories and emotional, visual and auditory associations.

This is because scent is often associated with past experiences and can thus serve as a powerful stimulus to evoke our memories. In fact, our brain is capable of evoking visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory sensations, but olfactory memory tends to last much longer, while visual memory tends to fade more quickly.

This means that odors and fragrances can have a significant impact on our perception of the world and our emotional experience.

Odor, along with colors and what is perceived by other senses, plays a crucial role in thermal rituals because together they can create suggestions about an individual's perception, allowing them to savor sensations and emotions that go beyond the mere perception of the five senses, thus experiencing thermal synesthesia.

You can experience this sensation in thermal spas, but there is also a way to recreate it at home whenever you wish: you can do so by using thermal cosmetics from Il Tempio della Salute.

Thermal synesthesia and aromatherapy at home with products based on Fossil Thermal Water

For Il Tempio della Salute, the use of fragrances is a crucial element in creating a complete holistic experience. Thanks to the combination of refined textures, enveloping fragrances and relaxing color tones, our skincare products are capable of promoting well-being both on a physical and mental level.

Our philosophy is based on the synergy between Fossil Thermal Water from Salsomaggiore and carefully selected active ingredients for each product, thus ensuring complete adaptability to the needs of your skin, both for the face and body.

Every step of your skincare routine will become a daily ritual of well-being, allowing you to awaken and regenerate your body and mind naturally and harmoniously. Discover our beauty routines and treat yourself to thermal synesthesia right in the comfort of your own home.