Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils and a well proven practice to help maintain optimum health, or to aid in its recovery, explains Ann Schmitt, aromatherapist in Whangarei.
Essential oils are extremely concentrated essences derived from the flowers, leaves, stems, seeds or bark of many different plants around the world...
Essential oils can be seen as the soul of the plant and function as the plant's immune system. These substances contain hormones, antibiotics, vitamins, and antiseptics fighting off bacteria, viruses, yeasts, moulds and insects. The essential oils work on the whole organism penetrating the skin and affecting the emotions.

Essential oils are far more alive and potent than dried herbs and contain a life force which make them capable of recognising where they are needed in the organism.
Much confusion surrounds aromatherapy, perhaps due to its misleading name. Essential oils doesn‘t work solely through smelling and on the emotions ! There is much more to it ! Each essential oil is composed of many different chemical constituents that work in a variety of ways to aid in healing and balancing the body. ...A more correct term would be "essential oil therapy" or "aroma medicine " !

While aromatherapy is commonly prescribed by doctors and covered by insurance in France, Germany and other European countries it is not very known in New Zealand.
As might be expected, there are a lot of misconceptions ! It’s not all aromatherapy that smells! Ann says true therapeutic aromatherapy is about healing the body and the soul using 100% pure and natural essences preferably from organic cultivation.
Animals have ailments and go through definite emotions like humans do and aromatherapy can benefit them a lot. Out of experience, I have noticed that animals respond extremely well to aromatherapy.
My philosophy is to find a better way to relate to our pets and to care for them with all natural products, Ann says.

Ann focuses her aromatherapy products on horses and dogs, diluting and blending the essential oils to get the right formula for different conditions and different temperaments. Her product line is entirely hand-formulated and there is an individual therapeutic blend for each animal as per request. Animals are very sensible and know instinctively what kind of essence they need. That is why aromatherapy works so well with our pets. In nature a sick animal would instinctively choose and eat plants that would heal him. That is why I am always trying the essential oils on them by letting them have a sniff before I decide what therapeutic blend to use. Some oils have similar properties so there is always a choice .

You should definitely not use an essential oil that your animal rejects.

Cats are far too sensitive for the powerful nature of aromatherapy. Essential oils must not be used for cats, whether they are diluted or not. Their skin is much thinner than that of humans or dogs, allowing greater quantities of essential oils to be rapidly absorbed. They also lack the liver enzymes necessary to adequately metabolize essential oils.

Birds should also not be exposed to any essential oils due to their extremely delicate respiratory systems.

History
Aromatherapy has its roots in France. In the beginning of last century the French chemist Dr Gattefossé rekindled interest in aromatherapy. He severely burnt his hand in the laboratory and plunged it in the nearest bowl which happened to contain essential oil of lavender. He was astonished at how quickly the pain ceased and the skin healed and began experimenting with plant oils. Lavender turned out to be an excellent skin generator.
With its deep-rooted historical background, aromatherapy isn’t new it’s just new to you.

How it all began........
Having very sensitive skin herself Ann started using only products made with natural ingredients. As she heard about aromatherapy and it’s excellent healing properties for allergies and eczemas she decided to learn a bit more about it. She started to study the topic back in Switzerland and began to make her own lotions and creams after getting to know Stephanie Faber’s work in 1992. What started as a hobby turned into business !

Ann has ever since been successfully making her own products with essential oils for people as well as animals. When one of her horses had a very slow healing inflamed wound on his leg she invented a gel based on Aloe Vera and essential oil of yarrow and it healed in a couple of days. It was amazing to see the difference. She has been using it for many different conditions on animals and is convinced of its very gentle but effective healing properties. Many horses prefer Yarrow to other essential oils.

Ann came to New Zealand from Switzerland in 1999 and decided to continue as aromatherapist focusing on animals.  "AROMANSI - Natural Care"  for your animals‘ health
was born.

For the time being Ann is working with promoting her products and update the company's web site, www.aromansi.co.nz ,  you can also contact her on email:  aromansi@xtra.co.nz

Northland Advocate, Thursday, February 15, 2001

Horse scents
Aromatherapy on offer to animals

Ann Schmitt can calm spooky horses by treating them with oils distilled from flowers and plants.
She rubs oils from roses, jasmine or camomile around their noses or on their foreheads twice a day. Some horses react immediately to the subtle scent. Others need up to a week of treatment before they respond to it. Oils from plants such as lavender, yarrow and tea-tree are combined with aloe vera gel to sooth cuts, eczema and insect bites on animals. A range of preparations made with oils including peppermint, garlic, eucalyptus and lemongrass banish fleas and mites from dogs.
Mrs Schmitt is an aromatherapist. In her native Switzerland and other European countries such as France and Germany doctors prescribe aromatherapy for people, but it is regarded as alternative medicine in New Zealand. She specializes in treating horses and dogs prefers to term her work "essential oil therapy" or "aroma medicine". Mrs Schmitt said her treatment was complementary and should not replace treatment by veterinarians.
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of extremely concentrated essences derived from the flowers, leaves, stems, seeds or bark of many different plants.
Essential oils function as the plant's immune system. They contain hormones, antibiotics, vitamins, and antiseptics fighting off  bacteria, viruses, yeasts, moulds and insects, Mrs Schmitt said.
"The essential oils I use on animals work on the whole organism, penetrating the skin and affecting the emotions," she said.
She gets some of the materials she uses  such as tea-tree oil  in New Zealand , but she imports most of the oils in her products because she needs to be certain they are pure and organically grown. She dilutes and blends the oil to get right formula for different conditions and temperaments.
"In nature sick animals choose and eat plants that will heal them, so they know instinctively what kind of oil they need when I let them have a sniff before I decide what therapeutic blend to use. You should definitely not use an essential oil that your animal rejects."
Cats were too sensitive for aromatherapy, "Their skin is much thinner than that of humans or dogs, allowing greater quantities of oils to be rapidly absorbed."
"They also lack the liver enzymes necessary to adequately metabolize the oils."
Aromatherapy was also out of bounds for birds, due to their delicate respiratory systems.
Mrs Schmitt a former banker, came to New Zealand from Switzerland in 1999 with her husband Benno she now lives on a 6ha lifestyle block near Whangarei where they are establishing gardens to grow plants she requires.....................