About ARC

For a chronological history of the Aromatherapy Registration Council®​, we invite you to visit our frequently asked questions section.

In 1999, the Steering Committee for Education Standards in Aromatherapy in the United States voted to establish the Aromatherapy Registration Council® (ARC), a Public Benefit, Nonprofit Oregon Corporation. ARC is in compliance with requirements for its nonprofit status. The Aromatherapy Registration Council is registered under the Charitable Trust and Corporation Act, administered by the Charitable Activities Section of the Oregon Department of Justice and the Attorney General. ARC’s registration number is 28942. ARC has been determined by the IRS to be tax exempt under category 501(c)(6). Copies of documentation are available to view in person and copies are available on request for a small charge to cover the cost of copying. Please email your request to ARC at gro.licnuocyparehtamoraobfsctd-290b9d@ofni.

The Aromatherapy Registration Council benefits the aromatherapy industry in the following ways:

  • The Aromatherapy Registration Council is independent from any membership body, organization, or educational facility. This assures an impartial and unbiased body distinct from a body where members pay to belong to it and from one that accredits or endorses specific schools. Independence from any paid membership organization is essential for objectivity and credibility from both within the industry and externally.
  • The Aromatherapy Registration Council is nonprofit. This would enhance credibility both within the industry and from outside the industry.
  • ARC could work towards NCCA accreditation, which would further enhance recognition from outside the industry.
  • ARC sponsors a voluntary examination to test the core body of knowledge that is aromatherapy at the present time with an emphasis on public safety.
  • The ARC voluntary exam emphasizes an aromatherapist’s knowledge of public safety issues and promotes the interests of the entire professional aromatherapy community by illustrating to regulatory bodies that the aromatherapy industry is sufficiently mature to self-regulate and does not need to be regulated from outside or above.
  • ARC provides a public register of Aromatherapists who have demonstrated a core body of knowledge through successfully passing the examination and reregistering every five years.
  • ARC enhances the credibility and visibility of aromatherapy to the public and other medical professionals. By demonstrating the aromatherapy industry’s commitment to safety standards and ethics, a greater degree of confidence is created in the value and safety of aromatherapy.
  • The voluntary exam tests core knowledge but does not restrict practitioners in the industry from specializing in any aspect of aromatherapy.