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U.S. TRENDS IN AROMATHERAPY American College of Healthcare Sciences © 2012 www.achs.edu 1 What’s Hot and What’s Not: U.S. Trends in Aromatherapy Essential Oil Choices Dorene Petersen, BA, Dip.NT, Dip.Acu, RH (AHG) American College of Healthcare Sciences Presented May 15, 2012 at the AAIC 2012 Asian Aroma Ingredients Congress & Expo

Transcript of What’s Hot and What’s Not Final v6 - achs.edu...$ 3$ What’s Hot and What’s Not: U.S. Trends...

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What’s Hot and What’s Not:

U.S. Trends in Aromatherapy Essential Oil Choices

Dorene Petersen, BA, Dip.NT, Dip.Acu, RH (AHG)  

American College of Healthcare Sciences  

Presented May 15, 2012 at the  

AAIC 2012 Asian Aroma Ingredients Congress & Expo  

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Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the use of Indonesian/Asian essential oils in the

aromatherapy market in the United States by reviewing uses of essential oils in clinical

aromatherapy and essential oil retail sales. Feedback from key communicators in the

American aromatherapy profession is included alongside retail sales data provided by

SPINS, a market research and consulting firm for the natural products industry. A review

of the top 10 Indonesian/Asian-sourced essential oils currently being used in the

American aromatherapy profession and in the aromatherapy natural channel segment is

provided. The author analyzes market trends, including factors that influence buying

decisions in both the U.S. retail aromatherapy natural channel and in the professional

clinical aromatherapy market today. The conclusion reviews how the Indonesian essential

oil industry can have an impact on the professional clinical and retail aromatherapy

markets in the United States with a focus on new and emerging oils.

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What’s Hot and What’s Not:

U.S. Trends in Aromatherapy Essential Oil Choices

The aromatherapy market in the United States, including aromatherapy and body

oils1, resulted in $31,965,047 in retail sales in the 52-week period ending February 18,

2012. This is an increase of 17.7% over the same period ending February 19, 2011

(SPINS, 2012). In addition to retail sales, the market has seen an increase in the use of

essential oils in clinical aromatherapy evidenced by the growth of registered

aromatherapists in the United States and abroad over the past three years (ARC, 2012).

As a first step in preparing the research for this presentation, the author conducted a

survey of the key communicators in the aromatherapy profession in the United States to

identify the top 10 Indonesian/Asian-sourced essential oils currently in use and to identify

the key factors influencing buying decisions in the aromatherapy profession today. The

author also contracted with SPINS to provide a snapshot report for the 52 weeks ending

February 18, 2012, of U.S. retail essential oil sales. An analysis of this data revealed that

five of the Indonesian/Asian-produced oils are among the top 20 oils of category sales

(SPINS, 2012).

                                                                                                               1 Defined in the following ways by SPINS: Essential oils containing only pure aromatic oils and oil blends that are obtained by processes such as steam or hydrodistillation, or cold pressing of botanicals; solvent extracted pure plant oils and waxes such as absolutes (hexane followed by ethanol extraction), CO2's (liquid carbon dioxide used as the solvent) and phytols or florosols (fluoro-hydrocarbon solvent) are also included, as are pure essential oil based inhalers and smelling salts. Natural and synthetic fragrance oils and waters including floral waters, hydrosols, aromatherapy body mists, perfume, and cologne. This subcategory includes essential oils combined with carrier oil that are typically sold in small sizes with the purpose of being used as fragrance. Body and massage oils: scented or unscented vegetable oils that are carrier or base oils used as body oils, baby oils, bath oils, massage oils, or oils for making body care products; glycerin that is used topically or for making body care; lanolin, topical coconut oil and butters like cocoa / shea butter; oils made by body care product manufacturers or oils primarily used for external purposes.

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Methods

To get a sense of the most widely used essential oils among aromatherapy professionals

and to review where Indonesian essential oils are placed within the therapeutic aromatherapy

sector, the author surveyed key communicators in U.S. aromatherapy profession in March 2012.

The survey was sent to U.S. based members of the following professional aromatherapy

organizations: the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA)2, Alliance of

International Aromatherapists (AIA)3, and the Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC)4, as

well as aromatherapy graduates from American College of Healthcare Sciences. In total, the

survey was sent to 1,534 U.S. aromatherapists with 12.5%, or 191, responding.

Results

The survey reviewed 28 essential oils produced and sourced from the regions of

Indonesia and Asia and focused on oil awareness, therapeutic uses, administration and

purchasing influences.5

The data revealed that the key communicators were primarily self-employed in

the industry, but professions also included education, wholesale and retail sales, and

                                                                                                               2 http://www.naha.org/ 3 http://www.alliance-aromatherapists.org/ 4 http://aromatherapycouncil.org/ 5 Agarwood Aquilaria malaccensis, Anise Pimpinella anisum, Basil Ocimum basilicum, Bitter Orange, Citrus bigaradia, Black pepper Piper nigrum, Cajuput Melaleuca leucadendron, Cananga Cananga odorata forma macrophylla, Caraway Carum carvi, Cardamom, Eletteria cardamomum, Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Citronella Cymbopogon nardus, Clove leaf Syzygium aromaticum, Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum, Coriander Coriandrum sativum, Fennel Foeniculum vulgare, Galangal Alpina officinalis/galangal, Ginger Zingiber officinale, Kaffir lime Citrus hysreix, Lawang bark oil Cinamomum cullilawan, Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus, Litsea Litsea cubeba, Massoia bark oil Cryptocaria massoia, Nutmeg Myristica fragrans, Patchouli Pogostemon cablin, Sandalwood Santalum album, Turmeric Curcuma longa, Vetiver Vetiveria zizanoides, Ylang ylang Cananga odorata forma genuine.  

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clinical settings such as hospital and clinics. Very few of the aromatherapists were

employed in research:

Table 1: Distribution of Practice Setting of Key Communicators

The professional background of the survey group is revealed in Table 2 and

includes: Massage Therapists, Master Aromatherapists, and Holistic Health Practitioners

were the highest specific employment areas within the industry sector, with Registered

Nurses and Estheticians also key. AIA Professional Aromatherapists, ARC Registered

Aromatherapists, and NAHA Professional Members were the most common professional

groups. The use among registered nurses represents the expansion of the use of clinical

aromatherapy in U.S. hospitals spearheaded by organizations like Planetree6, which have

been instrumental in inspiring and transforming hospitals to a patient-centered approach

by hiring clinical aromatherapists, among other holistic health practitioners.

                                                                                                               6 http://planetree.org/

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Table 2: Distribution of Professional Backgrounds of Key Communicators

Once the top 10 Indonesian/Asian oils were identified, the author also looked at

the data to analyze how the oils were administered and used to look for potential product

development. Table 3 shows external use is the most common method of production,

followed by product preparation for both retail and clinical use, and finally, oral use.

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Table 3: Distribution of Essential Oil Administration

Of the 28 Indonesian/Asian essential oils surveyed, the author focused on the top

10 essential oils used in the U.S. aromatherapy profession. The 10 essential oils with the

greatest familiarity among aromatherapy professionals (presented here in order of

greatest to least) were 1. Sandalwood Santalum album, 2. Patchouli Pogostemon cablin, 3.

Basil Ocimum basilicum, 4. Black pepper Piper nigrum, 5. Fennel Foeniculum vulgare, 6.

Ginger Zingiber officinale, 7. Vetiver Vetiveria zizanoides, 8. Lemongrass Cymbopogon

citratus, 9. Ylang ylang Cananga odorata forma genuine, and 10. Cinnamon

Cinnamomum zeylanicum.

Citronella Cymbopogon nardus, Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum, Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans, Cajuput Melaleuca leucadendron, Anise Pimpinella anisum, and

Coriander Coriandrum sativum followed close behind.

The following 10 oils had both the highest familiarity and the highest commercial

use among Aromatherapists in the U.S. (in order of highest to lowest use): 1.Ylang ylang

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Cananga odorata forma genuine, 2. Black pepper Piper nigrum, 3. Ginger Zingiber

officinale, 4. Patchouli Pogostemon cablin 5. Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus, 6.

Sandalwood Santalum album, 7. Basil Ocimum basilicum, 8. Vetiver Vetiveria zizanoides,

9. Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum and 10. Fennel Foeniculum vulgare. Clove Bud

Syzygium aromaticum was close behind.

The survey also revealed the following essential oils as having very little

familiarity and accordingly almost no use: Lawang bark oil Cinamomum cullilawan,

Massoia bark oil Cryptocaria massoia, Galangal Alpina officinalis/galangal, Kaffir lime

Citrus hysreix, Agarwood Aquilaria malaccensis, Cananga Cananga odorata forma

macrophylla, and Litsea Litsea cubeba.

Factors that influence essential oil buying decisions within the clinical

aromatherapy industry were also revealed by the survey. Data indicated several issues,

such as: availability of research on the biological potential of an oil, method of

production (with steam distilled being the preferred method), availability of a gas

chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS), organic production and certification and

issues of environmental stewardship (such as an emphasis on essential oils produced from

sustainably harvested plant material with minimal water and environmental damage

through the use of composting, reusing and recycling). This data demonstrates that the

aromatherapy industry in the U.S. is maturing, focusing on research showing biological

therapeutic activity and quality rather than just availability and popular anecdotal

aromatherapy references.

In order to supplement the data from the survey, the author also reviewed the U.S.

natural channel aromatherapy retail market figures for the past 52 weeks. Fifty-two

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weeks of market data was also gathered for aromatherapy and body oils focusing on the

top 10 brands and items using a contracted report from SPINS7 for the Natural Channel,

with complete data ending March 17, 2012.

Looking at a 3-year sales trend, Table 4 illustrates that the aromatherapy and body

oils category has grown 17.7% over the past 52 weeks. In the previous year, there was

only 12.5% growth (SPINS, 2012).

Table 4: Three-Year Sale Trend in Aromatherapy and Body Oil

The data in Table 5 reveals that growth in aromatherapy retail sales is growing

faster in specific regions of the U.S. with the Northwest being the fastest-growing region

(SPINS, 2012). It is interesting to note that Portland, Oregon, was recently named by

Travel and Leisure magazine as America’s greenest city (Hunt, 2012).

                                                                                                               7 http://www.spins.com/

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Table 5: SPINSscan Regional Trends

The author also looked at the top brands in the aromatherapy retail sector to help

reveal successful marketing tools. The top 10 essential oil brands in the U.S. account for

77.5% of the dollar sales. The top aromatherapy brand in the U.S. during the reported

period was Aura Cacia as shown in Table 6. NOW was reported as the number two brand

and as having the lowest distribution levels yet the second fastest sales velocity rates.

This means that they are the number two brand in the category in terms of sales even

though their products are not widely distributed. This is important to note because it

perhaps provides insight on how to most effectively market products. In the case of

NOW’s high performance, the author speculates about several factors that may contribute

to NOW’s competitive sales velocity such as branded merchandising provided to retailers,

level of brand recognition among consumers, promotion of practical application for the

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end user, level of product training provided to retail sales staff, and possibly having a

competitive price point for the products.

Table 6: Brand Performance Trends

Reviewing the individual essential oils within this market in Table 7 showed

Indonesian/Asian oils represent 10.5% of total category sales over the last 52 weeks

(SPINS, 2012).

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Table 7: Indonesian/Asian Total Essential Oil Sales

There were five Indonesian/Asian essential oils that ranked among the top 20 most popular essentials oils. These included: Patchouli, Clove, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang and Lemongrass as demonstrated by Table 8 below. Within the Indonesian/Asian

oil category,

Patchouli Pogostemon cablin is the number one oil in this segment over the most recent

52 weeks. Although Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum is the number two essential oil over

the past 52 weeks, Sandalwood oil Santalum album has overtaken it in the most recent 4-

week period (SPINS, 2012).

 $1,903,855    

 $14,055,125    Indonesian/Asian  

Other  

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Table 8: 82% of the category sales are dominated by 20 most popular oils and five of the Indonesian/Asian oils

are represented in this category.  

Another Indonesian/Asian oil, Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum, although

outside of the top 20, had growth in sales of 19.8% last year, well outpacing the category

growth rate of 14.9% (SPINS, 2012). This may, in part, be contributed to emerging

research about the oil’s therapeutic benefits. The sales growth data for cinnamon

potentially shows that research published by both professional aromatherapy holistic

health journals and popular mainstream natural health magazines can help drive the

market. For instance, a 2012 study confirmed previous research that cinnamon can lower

blood sugar and LDL cholesterol with no harmful side effects (Sharma, et al., 2012).

Organic Performance

Reviewing the influencing factors in this segment data in Table 9 shows organic

oils are outpacing their non-organic counterparts, posting in excess of 40% growth in

both units and dollars in the last 52 weeks, compared to 13% dollar growth for

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conventional oils. Aura Cacia, the top organic oil brand, shows strong growth in their

Indonesian/Asian segment, as well as with their top selling organic Patchouli oil, which is

up 73% over last year. This correlates with the data from the professional clinical

aromatherapy sector that showed organic production is a key influencer in purchasing

decisions (ACHS, 2012).

Table  9:  Organic  Performance  

In an effort to predict potential Indonesian/Asian oil trends, new item sales in the

retail market data as shown in Table 10 was reviewed. Of the new items introduced in the

last 52 weeks, 5% of the sales were from Indonesian/Asian essential oils, which is less

than the percent of sales they make up for the category in general. Interestingly, the

number one new item in this sub-segment is Sandalwood, despite being actively sold for

only 2 weeks. This could be explained by the 2007 research that shows it is effective for

sleep issues (Ohmori, et al., 2007). A 2011 study also showed it has potential for use with

skin cancer by inhibiting melanoma cell growth (Zhang & Dwivedi, 2011) and the

Herpes Simplex virus as discussed later in this paper.

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Future Markets: Research Creates Demand and Essential Oils Become Hot!

Looking ahead, we may be able to predict the retail market by reviewing the

biological potential of certain oils. The author’s survey of clinical aromatherapists in the

U.S. (ACHS, 2012) coupled with the retail sales figures presented by SPINS (SPINS,

2012), revealed that the biological therapeutic potential for an essential oil and supportive

research is one of the driving factors in essential oil awareness among aromatherapy

professionals and within the retail market.

Based on emerging research, there are several promising fields in health care

where the administration of essential oils show potential including anticancer,

antinociceptive or analgesic, anti-inflammatory or antiphlogistic, antiviral and antioxidant.

Focusing on the oils in the author’s survey, promising research was found in each

biological category. These essential oils have the potential for increased sales and further,

to be developed into neutraceuticals. The following abridged research review shows a

sampling of the available research for select purposes and highlights areas that may

benefit from future research findings.

Anticancer

Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum oil shows promise. Eugenol was isolated and

investigated by Yoo et al. in 2005, and showed activity against leukemia cells. Basil,

Ocimum basilicum oil had the highest effect (Manosroi, 2005).

Antinociceptive or Analgesic

Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus essential oil from the leaf, specifically myrcene

and citral, showed support for pain relief (Yoo et al. 2005).

Anti-inflammatory or Antiphlogistic

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A 2005 study showed Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum oil exerted a very strong

anti-inflammatory effect (Öztürk. & Özbek, 2005). The anti-inflammatory and

antinociceptive activities of eugenol might be partially related to inhibition of

prostaglandin synthesis or release of other endogenous mediators (Apparecido, 2009).

Antiviral

Sandalwood Santalum album oil, despite the short supply and awareness of the

non-sustainable harvesting practices of the past, continues to be in high demand.

Sustainably harvested Indonesian sandalwood oil can fill the gap created by the shortage

of Indian Sandalwood. A 1999 study showed the essential oil, specifically santalol, was

an effective support against Herpes simplex virus type I and II, inhibiting the replication

of the viruses (Benencia & Courrèges, 1999).

Cajuput Melaleuca leucadendron oil also showed promising antiviral activity in a

2004 study that examined a number of different Melaleuca species. Cajuput Melaleuca

armillaris and the Australaian native known as Honey Myrtle showed the highest activity

against HSV-1, which causes eyes infections such as HSV-1 acute follicular

conjunctivitis and dendritic ulcers of the cornea. 1,8-cineole and terpinen-4-ol were the

major active constituents (Farag, et al., 2004).

Antioxidant

Another study showed Galangal Alpina officinalis/galangal oil having potential as

an antioxidant. Specifically, it showed free radical-scavenging activity against 1,1-

diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis

showed that trans-3-acetoxy-1,8-cineole was detected as a main compound in A. galangal,

responsible for the antioxidant activity. This has further implications in the support of

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Alzheimer’s, specifically a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer’s-type amnesia

(Hanish, et al., 2011).

Lawang bark oil Cinamomum culilawan, which is frequently confused with

Massoi oil, shows promise in both oil yield (being higher than C. zeylanicum) and

potential biological activity. Lawang bark oil contains about 1.59% oil, while its

distillation yield is about 1.05% of oil, of which eugenol is the main constituent (25%)

(Rusli & Hamid, 1990). The oil yield is comparable to C. zeylanicum, the primary

Cinamomum species used in clinical aromatherapy, with an oil yield ranging from 0.41-

1.08%.

In addition, we have seen research showing eugenol has both anticancer and

antinociceptive activity. The author searched PubMed, OHSU Health & Science

University Library, and Ovid Medline for studies on the biological potential of this oil

with no results. This is one essential oil that shows promise for further research and

education.

Further Potential for New and Emerging Essential Oils Can Also Be Found in These

Biological Categories

Note: These essential oils were not included in the author’s survey. These oils are

not currently used in the U.S. market with regularity.

Anticancer

Guava leaf Psidium guajava oil exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity

towards KB cells compared to 16 other Thai medicinal plants screened (Manosroi, et al.,

2005). According to Husnu Can Baser and Buchbauer (2009), it was 4.37 times more

potent than vincristine, a well-known mitosis inhibitor.

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A 2010 study reported the potential cytotoxic effect on human cervical cancer cell

lines, and it may have probable apoptosis (Joseph & Priya, 2010).

Antinociceptive or Analgesic

An essential oil from an equatorial plant from the Euphorbiaceae family, Croton

nepetaefolius showed promising antinociceptive activity in a 2002 study (Abdon, et al.,

2002).  

Alpina zerumbet essential oils from the Zingiberaceae family, known as shell

ginger, showed supportive central nervous system effects in a 2010 study (De Araujo, et

al., 2009).  

Anti-inflammatory or Antiphlogistic

The essential oils from the leaves and resin of species of the tropical tree Protium

from the Burseracaea family were studied for anti-inflammatory activity in a 1999 study

showing significant potential (Siani, et al., 1999).

Antiviral

Lippia junelliana and Lippia turbinate essential oils from the Verbenaceae family

showed promising activity against HSV-1 and JUNV the virus, which causes Dengue

fever (Garcia, et al., 2003).

Essential oil from the roots of Cynanchum stauntonii, known as Bai Qian in

Chinese medicine, showed very effective results against the influenza virus (Zai-Chang,

et al., 2005).

Conclusion

The aromatherapy industry in the United States is on fire – continuing to

experience strong growth despite an overall down economy, with organic essential oils

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being a top performer in the segment. Asian essential oils have a relatively small market

share currently, with five of the top twenty oils. However, there is some opportunity for

producers and the Indonesian essential oil industry to educate the professional clinical

aromatherapy and aromatherapy retail market in the U.S. Funding and supporting further

research showing the biological potential of the more unusual oils, and widely

disseminating this research, is needed. Articles in professional aromatherapy

organizations such as ARC, NAHA, and AIA magazines and newsletters would help to

educate members of the aromatherapy profession about the potential of these more

unusual oils and subsequently influence consumers.

In addition, producers need support for the development of organic certification

processes at the governmental level, increased education and subsidies, and affordable

certification processes. Other environmental issues such as sustainable harvesting and

production are also important. When an oil is organic and produced with environmental

stewardship, this process and value can become part of the marketing story for the oil.

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Biosci (Schol Ed), 1(3):777-87