• Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants to support and balance the mind, body, and spirit (see Question 1).
• Patients with cancer use aromatherapy mainly to improve their quality of life (see Question 1).
• Essential oils like Roman chamomile, geranium, lavender, and cedarwood are the basic materials of aromatherapy (see Question 1).
• Interest in aromatherapy grew in the late 20th century as a form of complementary medicine (see Question 2).
• Aromatherapy may work by sending chemical messages to the part of the brain that affects moods and emotions (see Question 3).
• Essential oils are most often used by inhaling them or by applying them to the skin (see Question 4).
• Laboratory studies and animal studies have shown that certain essential oils have antibacterial, calming, or energizing effects (see Question 5).
• Aromatherapy research with cancer patients has studied its effects on symptoms, anxiety, and stress (see Question 6).
• Safety testing on essential oils has found very few bad side effects. Lavender and tea tree oils have been found to have some hormone -like effects. (See Question 7.)
• Aromatherapy products do not need approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because no specific medical claims are made (see Question 8).

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