British vs. the French: Two Schools at Odds
by David Stewart, Ph.D., R.A.
If you are not deeply involved with American aromatherapy or have been involved only a short time, you may not be aware that
there are two competing schools. There is the British School and the
French School.
The British School
The British School of Aromatherapy emphasizes massage with
essential oils diluted in carrier oils in 2-5% concentrations and discourages
the use of essential oils neat (undiluted) on the skin or taken orally.
The British school was developed by Aroma-therapists from the fragrance
industry whose interest was in relaxation, massage, and emotional aspects.
The British are more interested in “aroma” than they are
in
“therapy.” The British rely on scientific research on animals
using oils that are often perfume or food grade and usually applying only certain compounds isolated from essential oils rather
than the whole oil. This has led to a host of invalid applications of
scientific data to human use of oils. The British School states many
cautions and contraindications for oils taken neat or orally and forbids
the use of many essential oils
entirely. These warnings are probably valid when non-therapeutic
grade oils are applied. The British school emphasizes that essential
oils have their hazards and is best practiced by trained, certified rofessionals.
Most formally trained aroma-therapists in the U.S. are of the British
school, relying on British sources or sources influenced by
that philosophy. The National Association of Holistic Aroma-therapists
(NAHA) and the Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC) are two American
organizations that lean toward the British school and promote only educational
programs that are of British philosophy.
The French School
The French School of Aromatherapy emphasizes oral and neat applications of essential oils but administrate oils also by inhalation,
massage in fatty oil bases, as well as rectal and vaginal suppositories.
The French are more interested in “therapy” than they are
in “aroma.” The French School was developed by medical doctors
whose interest was in healing disease and maintaining health, including
relaxation, massage, and the emotional aspects. The French rely on scientific
research on people using whole oils of therapeutic grade quality
and to a great extent, the empirical and anecdotal experience of their
practices. The French school emphasizes that aromatherapy is safe and
can be practiced, with common sense, by anyone whether trained in the
healing arts or not.
This has led to to hundreds of thousands of ordinary untrained people using oils on themselves, friends, and relatives throughout
the United States and Canada. It has also led to a popular protocol of
applying essential oils called “raindrop technique,” where a variety of oils are applied undiluted to the back and
feet, with techniques of massage, in order to address the therapeutic
needs of one’s whole body, inside and out. This highly successful
method can be learned by anyone and has been performed on hundreds of
thousands of people with benefit and without any of the harms that the
British seem to fear. The largest promoter of the French School in America
is a network marketing company, Young Living Essential Oils, Inc., who produces and/or distributes some 100 species of essential oils.
They have more than 100,000 active distributors and continuously offer
training programs throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as Australia
and Japan.
School Rivalry
There is intense political rivalry between these two schools in America with particularly hostile attacks coming from the practicing
aroma-therapists of the British school who aim their missiles at
the French school practicing aroma-therapists. Meanwhile the French school
aroma-therapists just want to be left alone to enjoy the benefits of
their ways of applying oils.
For example, raindrop technique, which would be a wonderful adjunct to any spa, beauty salon, chiropractic practice, health
clinic, massage practice, hospice program, or any other health-related
service, is opposed by NAHA and others of the British School. Their scientific
argument against it consists of animal and single oil component studies
that have no bearing on raindrop technique or any other human application
of essential oils. Meanwhile, they ignore the existence of
scientific data on direct outcomes of raindrop technique for thousands of receivers that prove its safety and effectiveness. (viz.
A Statistical Validation of Raindrop Technique
, available from Essential Science Publishing or from CARE.) It
is a case where the British use scientifically irrelevant science and
ignore relevant science, empirical, and experiential evidence to the contrary.
The Hidden Political Agenda
There is a hidden political agenda. Those of the British school favor credentials and certifications and licensing. To them, aromatherapy,
which is in their view a potentially hazardous practice, should be the
domain of selected professionals only. Those of the French school favor
education and training, but no need for government certifications or
licensing. To them aromatherapy, which is harmless when governed
by simple common sense, should be the domain of everyone, professionals and the public alike.
This strong difference of opinion between the two schools would not be a problem if both were of a laissez faire attitude of
live and let live, each allowing the other to function freely as they
see fit. Unfortunately, many of those of the British school are politically
active in attempting to force their way as the only way and approaching
legislators and such to that end. It is from this political agenda that
the NAHA position against raindrop technique and their emphasis on
“professional aromatherapy” has evolved.
The Center for Aromatherapy Research and Education, (CARE) is of the French school of thought (The same philosophy as Young Living Essential Oils, Inc.). We teach raindrop therapy to thousands and encourage beauty salons,
spas, and health-related professionals of all kinds to incorporate raindrop
into their programs. Many have done this, by our training and influence, and are achieving wonderful results and great customer
satisfaction.
Brave New Raindrop Facilitators in England
A British spa owner and one of her massage therapist employees
from London took the CARE training last year with great courage, but
in great fear and anxiety after hearing so many negative things from
both English and American aroma-therapists about the dangers of raindrop.
They were pleasantly surprised to learn, see, and experience
the truth first hand. Raindrop is now a regular part of their spa programming with which they have had great success and
no problems. The British public whom they serve love raindrop.
If you are new to aromatherapy, you may not have encountered the opposition that exists to the the healing and beneficial ways of
anointing with essential oils taught by CARE, Young Living, The Pacific
School of Aromatherapy (Kurt Schnaubelt), and others of the French school.
This article is provided to give you insight, as well as answers for
rebuttal, should a hostile member of the anti-French group come into
your life and attempt to attack the credibility, safety, and efficacy
of what you are doing. They have just been misinformed somewhere in their educational background and don't know it. Perhaps you can
help them to a better understanding and lead them to greater opportunities
for healing than are possible with the restrictions of the British point
of view.
