Archive for April, 2010
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AROMATICS in the ENVIRONMENT
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
We are all aware of the need to reduce general pollution in the atmosphere as well as the earth and waters of our plants because of the damage caused by chemical substances and fumes and the wastes of industry. It is not likely that we will witness legislation that bans the manufacture of these chemicals and substances so anticipate that the problems will continue into the future for some time. Some scientists predict the harmful ramifications will continue for many centuries into the future until ethical science demands a total ban on toxic chemicals in question.
So we are aware of disasters occurring when fires destroy buildings and commercial factories to release enormous clouds of toxic chemicals to wreak their havoc in our air. Fumes from plastics and chemicals continue to create mini disasters in the industrial communities as arson is added to the social terrorist mentality of sabotage tactics and weaponry. Many human and animal casualties result from these ‘accidents’ in industry.
There seems little we can do to affect the larger social issues but can make a small contribution to improve our individual environment and reduce domestic pollution. Although it may seem of little significance, the aromas and fumes from burning natural essential oils does make a positive contribution by releasing perfumes that help to counter toxic fumes in some small measure. The delightful scents of lavender and eucalyptus, lemon or frankincense certainly encourage us all to breathe more deeply, instead of being inhibited by chemical smells and obnoxious with atmospheres polluted by chemical odours. The custom of burning incense in the home and during outdoor entertainment is gaining in popularity.
Aside from personal toilet, perfumes are used now as they always have been, to smother unpleasant smells and odours. Whereas in the past, they were used to attempt to cover up the smells of poor sanitation, this is no longer of vital importance. The focus has shifted to the need to cover up chemical stenches and industrial effluents. But we have it in our power to neutralise or reduce their negative effects through our employment of beautifully fragrant essential oils in our homes as well as on our person. Their influence extends to give pleasure to others as well as yourself.
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THE OLFACTORY SENSE
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
The five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch enable us to experience life in different ways and would seem to play roles of equal importance as means of making contact with material life.
However, as individuals we have developed each sense to serve us with differing degrees of development. It is common that many of us would claim the sense of taste, for instance as more important to us than the sense of olfaction and many of us certainly tend to exercise it more than our sense of smell!
Human sense of smell is generally limited compared with the extremely acute sense in animals. Although it plays an important role in our lives in helping us discriminate in judging quality of things, we are not faced with self preservation or hunting for food as the animal but rather have developed our olfaction as a tool for our sensory enjoyment.
Yet our perception of perfume varies enormously. Some people have a fine perception of a wide range of perfumes from unpleasant to exquisite and others are limited, not only in registering a range of scents but in their ability to enjoy them. The most masterly development of the sense of olfaction is known in the perfume industry where specialist perfumers are known to be capable of distinguishing up to 700-2000 different perfumes – compared with an “average” range of about 200.
Our first interest is usually to extend our perception and this offers a fascinating exercise in becoming familiar with, and learning to identify the perfumes of essential oils.
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