We made an enjoyable trip to the long-established history of aromatherapy interview with Chairman of Aromatherapy Association Ms. Aslı Yazıcıoğlu about purposes and activities of the association.
Ms. Aslı Yazıcıoğlu would you talk about yourself and your professional past for our readers?
After graduating from Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy, I studied marketing at Brighton University in England and then completed a MBA (Master of Business Administration) program at Koç University. I started my career in the pharmaceutical sector as a product manager responsible for oncology.
I organized international events that contributed to the development of the area and studied on projects that brought new generation oncology products to Turkey. In the early 2000’s, while I was working in my own pharmacy store, I deepened my research on aromatherapy and essential oils.
I earned certification from ITHMA (The Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy) and attended many other courses in the USA and Europe. I received various aromatherapy trainings given by the leading names in the field such as Gabriel Mojay and Robert Tisserand.
In Southern France at the heart of medical aromatherapy, I completed the 4-level series of “Advanced Clinical Aromatherapy” trainings given by Rhiannon Lewis, the founder of Essential Oil Resources, I continued my studies which first started with daily and aesthetic uses of aromatherapy on the other side of the spectrum, the “Medical and Clinical Aromatherapy”, by following the developments and innovations in the world through international congresses and conferences.
In 2016, I initiated the first hospital-based clinical aromatherapy consultation space at Liv Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey and worked there as a clinical aromatherapy expert. In the same period at the same hospital,
I also studied on the development of personalised phytotherapy, aromatherapy and active cosmetic products as a member of ‘Healthy Living Management Council’ at ‘Stop Aging Clinic’ which takes a multidisciplinary approach to health promotion. In order to contribute to the scientific development and the conscious application of aromatherapy, I have prepared the first training program for health professional at Bezmialem Foundation University.
This innovative education program with a comprehensive curriculum and multidisciplinary educational staff continues as an important model in the field.
While I am serving as the ambassador of Turkey for Botanica which is the most important international organization in the field, I also provide content consultancy for international organizations which I contribute as a member of scientific committee.
I continue giving trainings as well as speeches at global and industry-leading conferences on behalf of Turkey. I also develop projects with an advisory board of international experts.
Would you give some information about the Aromatherapy Association? What are purposes and activity areas of your association?
Our association supports the awareness of the public about essential oils, the correct and safe use of essential oils, the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants, and yhe establishment of quality standards for products in the field. Our association’s board of directors and our members work on a voluntary basis to primarily protect the public interest.
Let us talk about history of aromatherapy a little. Would you share with us this period since the birth of aromatherapy thousands of years ago?
People have always attracted and valued good scents throughout history. The first scented oils in the history is thought to be obtained by mixing olive and sesame oil and aromatic plants in the neolithic period between 7000-4000 B.C. In ancient times, incense was very important in Egypt and was often used due to its purifying effect.
It was determined that the priests used incense and scented oils in religious ceremonies and in the mummification of the dead. Being lubricated with fragrant oils served as a protector in Egypt’s dry and warm climate, as well as giving the feeling of “being like gods, being close to them”.
In order to avoid lice and other parasites, which are the main problem of hot climates, everyone rubbed their skin with fragrant oils.
Many products such as scented flowers, resins and roots were used for perfumes preparation. Especially grown scented flowers were placed in suitable oils and perfumes were obtained.
Egyptian Queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra are famous for their use of fragrances as well as their beauty. Nefertiti bathed with the juice of jasmine flowers, her body was rubbed with oils of sandalwood, amber and rare flower extracts.
Cleopatra spended most of her time preparing her prescriptions for her beauty. Her mastery of preparing and using perfumes, milk baths, fragrant oils and fragrant waters are very famous.
In the same period, civilizations in Mesopotamia begin to gain importance with the production and trade of fragrances in the lands irrigated by the Tigris (Dicle) and Euphrates (Fırat) rivers.
The methods and products used by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians are also delivered to other countries through trade and the power of fragrances passed beyond limits. Greek and Roman civilizations also used the fragrances brought from these lands.
This colorful world of the east moved to the west with the Crusades and the suitcase trade. Those who came back from the Crusades brought exotic scents for their women and rose water for themselves. With geographical discoveries, the discovery of India illuminated another route of fragrance for the west.
The books of the Islamic period, the detailed writings of the distillation process were translated from Arabic to Latin and overflowed to the west to be applied in pharmacies. In the Ottoman Period, these fragrances were used for both treatment and nutrition purposes.
Essential oils have been used to sterilize both wounds and surgical instruments as natural disinfectants until World War II. during World War II, French doctors used essential oils to treat infected wounds and gas gangrene.
During this period, American nurses in Pearl Harbor used essential oil absorbed handkerchiefs against the odors that came out of the burnt bodies and caused nausea. Likewise, they recommended patients to use scented handkerchiefs. These examples can be considered as aromatherapy applications in the modern period.
Modern aromatherapy starts with the work of 3 people in France: Gatefossé, a chemist and father of aromatherapy; Valnet, a military doctor; and Maury, a nurse. Gatefossé burned his hand in a fire outbreak in his laboratory and his wound got infected.
This was an opportunity to try the therapeutic effects of essential oils, so he immersed his infected hand into the container of medical lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) at his production site.
Gattefossé first realized the decrease in pain and observed that the infection and inflammation in the tissue healed rapidly when he continued to do this process several times a day.
After a while he even witnessed the complete healing of his wound without leaving any trace. Affected by his experience, Gatefossé devoted his life to the research of essential oils. Interest in natural therapies such as aromatherapy is increasing day by day and traditional knowledge is combined with measurement and evaluation techniques of modern science. In addition, the number of evidence- based interventions and publications on the subject has increased significantly in recent years.
What is the role of aromatherapy known with its healing quality in addition to personal care in human life? Would you evaluate aromatherapy in terms of its application method?
Contrary to the popular opinion, aromatherapy is not just about smelling something. Clinical aromatherapy applications consist of four different and complementary branches which are patient care, aromapsychology, holistic and medical aromatherapy.
Patient care aromatherapy is systematic and controlled complementary treatment methods performed in clinical settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. Patient care aromatherapy can be combined with holistic aromatherapy.
In applications performed on the respiratory system and the skin, touch techniques and other complementary techniques can also be used.
Medical aromatherapy can be considered as a special area of phytotherapy and covers applications such as capsules, drops, suppositories that produce systemic effects. Aromapsychology is concerned with the effect of smell on the brain and the mechanisms of endorphine and noradrenaline secretion in this way.
It only uses applications that are through the respiratory tract or skin. Whether we are aware or not, odors have a very important effect in our life.
On the other hand, although there is an increase in the number of products containing the word “Aromatherapy” on the label, not all of these products fall into the field of aromatherapy. Most of them use synthetic essential oil components.
How can a person become aromatherapist? What kind of training do aromatherapists have in this process?
Firstly, a good aromatherapist should receive a comprehensive education from a competent educational institution compatible with the curricula of leading international institutions in the field. He/she should constantly follow the developments and current practices in the field. He/she should act in accordance with professional ethics and safety principles in aromatherapy applications.
Also in order to apply aromatherapy for therapeutic purposes in Turkey, aromatherapists should also hold a degree as a healthcare professional such as medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and so on.
In order to work as a responsible manager in the production of aromatic cosmetic products, it is necessary to be either a pharmacist, chemist, biologists or chemical engineer.
Whether the aim is to perform therapeutic aromatherapy applications or develop and launch his/her own aromatherapy cosmetics, all aromatherapists are obliged to comply with the limits set by the laws and regulations for their own profession.
Essential oils are an indispensable part of aromatherapy. Would you give some information to our readers about this topic?
Essential components are secreted and stored at special cells in the organs such as leaves, flowers, roots, bark, resin, wood or rhizome (tuber) of aromatic plants. They are mostly found in plants at a ratio of 0.5-4%.
They are complex substances with volatile properties. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy to protect and treat certain physical and psychological diseases as well as to maintain general health and well-being.
For example; Antimicrobial tea tree “Melaleuca alternifolia” and lemon “Citrus limon” can be recommended as a germicidal. Rosemary “Rosmarinus officinalis” can be preferred for muscular aches and upper airway obstructions, whereas mint “Mentha x piperita L.” with a high content of menthol can be preferred for acute headaches.
Cicatrix- effective essential oils that help cell regeneration can be listed as German chamomile “Matricaria chamomilla”, immortelle flower “Helichrysum italicum” and geranium “Pelargonium graveolens”. But let us remind you that using essential oils for therapeutic purposes requires expertise.
Apart from the therapeutic area, essential oils are also used in personal care, “feeling good” mixtures, and in sectors such as cosmetics, fragrance, food, medicine, and veterinary medicine.
Would you talk about your recent activities as an association? How would you describe the importance of these activities to learn and apply aromatherapy in the most correct and timely way?
In 2019 we contributed to important organizations such as 9th Cosmetic Chemistry, Production and Standardization Congress (February 22-24, 2019), GETAT Traditional and Complementary Medicine Congress (April 24-27, 2019), Isparta Rose Festival (June 11-15, 2019), Baçem From Farm to Harvest Aromatherapy Festival (27-28 June 2019) and 3rd Phytovision Congress (22-24 November 2019).
In workshops organized by the Duzce University, we conducted studies on the standardization of production and quality of essential oils and fixed oils.
With these studies, we aimed to support the aromatic plant producers who want to invest in the field and also to raise public awareness about these issues. We announce our activities from time to time on our website and social media accounts.
