OXIDATIVE STRESS AND AROMATHERAPY

Throughout my professional career, I have worked with many systems, particularly in the fields of biochemistry and microbiology, but as an Aromatherapist, the subject that has captured my attention most is oxidative stress testing. During our studies measuring oxidative stress levels across many individuals—both healthy and ill—we observed that nearly one in two people was under oxidative stress. But what exactly is oxidative stress? Oxidative stress can be defined as a disruption of the body's natural balance due to an increase in free oxygen radicals generated during cellular metabolism combined with an insufficient amount of antioxidants to counteract the effects of these radicals.

What Problems or Health Issues Can Oxidative Stress Cause and How Does It Affect Our Quality of Life?

Oxidative stress has been associated by specialists with more than 100 diseases and conditions, among them: fatigue, depression, exhaustion, muscle and joint pain without clear cause, concentration problems, obesity, fertility problems in both men and women, and skin problems. While this is quite important in other areas, I would like to focus on skin problems. We all benefit from many products such as skin care creams, oils, makeup products, and vitamin supplements in order to look younger and have healthier skin. None of us want to age or look old. We cannot escape natural aging that develops over time and due to genetic makeup—we cannot turn back the hourglass. But can we prevent external, or extrinsic, aging? Absolutely yes. UV rays, poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle are external factors that accelerate the aging process. Oxidative stress resulting from these external factors causes deterioration in elastin and collagen fibers. For this reason, oxidative stress is considered the most important cause of skin aging. When we look at skin health, we can attribute the highest percentage among these factors to sun exposure. We all know that we need to use sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays, but are the UV-blocking or filtering agents in these sunscreens sufficient on their own? Unfortunately, no. Some chemical substances present in sunscreens can interact with UV rays and convert into free radicals. The same applies to certain fixed oils—UV rays can degrade the structure of oils and cause oxidation. For this reason, the presence of antioxidant substances in the sunscreens, oils, and anti-aging creams you use is quite important for healthy skin. Antioxidants neutralize toxic oxygen molecules and free radicals, protecting cells against oxidative stress. The substances most commonly used in product formulations as antioxidants are vitamins (vitamins A, C, E, and B vitamins). Besides vitamins, enzymatic antioxidants and antioxidants derived from plant extracts and volatile and botanical oils are also available.

For example, among fixed oils used in aromatherapy;

Grape Seed Oil: A very potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, some studies suggest this property is stronger than vitamins E and C. Aloe Vera Gel: In addition to its skin-softening and moisturizing effects, it has UVA-filtering properties. Borage Seed Oil: Borage seed oil, containing high amounts of GLA, helps with the renewal of skin cells.

Volatile oils with antioxidant properties;

Volatile oils such as Dill, Basil, Cypress, Rosemary, Chamomile, Turmeric, Ginger, Thyme, Tea Tree, Helichrysum, Pine, Mint, Oregano, Lavender, and Citrus group are known as free radical scavengers. Studies have shown that compounds contained in some volatile oils exhibit activity similar to enzymatic antioxidants, which we know to be among the most potent antioxidants. In addition to this information, aromatherapy applications carried out with various techniques improve quality of life and promote healthy living by eliminating or alleviating conditions such as anxiety, stress, and insomnia that create a foundation for oxidative stress. Leyla Çakır Clinical Aromatherapist Aromaecologist Medical Laboratory Specialist      

References 1. Wei, A. and Shibamoto T. (2010a) Anti-oxidant/lipoxygenase inhibitory activities and chemical compositions of selected essential oils. 2. Takahashi,Y. İnaba,N.,Kuwahara,S.and Kuki,W.(2003) 'Antioxidatidative effect of Citrus essential oil components on human low-density lipoprotein in vitro ' Bioscience Biotechnology'. 3. Ankara Ecz. Fak. Derg. / J. Fac. Pharm. Ankara, 40(1): 36-53, 2016. 4. Oxidative Stress guide, Callegari SPA 2014 Pharma Italy.