History of Aromatherapy

History of Aromatherapy

Apothecary drawers filled with bottles of essential oils.

Aromatherapy is derived from two words. Aroma- meaning fragrance or smell and Therapy- meaning treatment. Aromatherapy was used by the most ancient civilizations and is reputed to be at least 6000 years old. It is widely thought that Aromatherapy began in Egypt. A medical papyri considered to date back to around 1555 BC contains remedies for all types of illnesses and the methods of application are similar to the ones used in Aromatherapy and Herbal medicine today.

The Egyptians used a method known as infusion ( this process is described later on) to extract the oils from aromatic plants and incense was probably one of the earliest ways of using aromatics. Frankincense was burned at sun rise as an offering to the sun god, Ra and myrrh was offered to the moon.

The Egyptians were experts at embalming using aromatics to help preserve flesh. The Egyptians used to be massaged with fragrant oils after bathing . The Greeks continued the use of aromatic oils and used them medicinally and cosmetically. A Greek physician, Pedacius Dioscorides, wrote a book about herbal medicine and for at least 1200 years as the Western world's standard medical reference. Many of the remedies he mentions are still in use today in Aromatherapy.

The Romans took much of their medical knowledge from the Greeks and went on to use and improve the ability of aromatics with Rome becoming the bathing capital of the world. After bathing they would be oiled and massaged. The Romans started to import new aromatic products from East India and Arabia through the opening up of trade routes.

During the crusades the knowledge of aromatic ica by the conquistadores brought about the discovery of more medicinal plants and aromatic oils as the Aztecs were well known for their plant remedies and the Spanish were amazed at the wealth of medicinal plants found in Montezuma's botanical gardens.

The North American Indians also used aromatic oils and produced their own herbal remedies.

It wasn't until the 19th century that scientists in Europe and Great Britain began researching the effects of essential oils on bacteria in humans.

A French chemist , Rene Maurice Gattefosse, began his research into the healing powers of essential oils after burning his hand in his laboratory and immersing in it in lavender oil and being impressed by how quickly the burn healed. In 1937 he published a book about the anti -microbial effects of the oils and coined the word Aromatherapy. He went on to set up a business producing oils for use in fragrances and cosmetics. Around the same time another Frenchman, Albert Couvreur, published a book on the medicinal uses of essential oils.

A French medical doctor , Jean Valnet, discovered Gattefosse's research and began experimenting with essential oils. Around the same time, Margaret Maury, a French biochemist developed a unique method of applying these oils to the skin with massage. Micheline Arcier, now living in London, studied and worked with Maury and Valnet and their combined techniques created a form of Aromatherapy now used all over the world.

Essential oils are very expensive to produce, some more so than others, due to the labor intensive process and the quantity of the plant required to produce the oil, Approximately 400kg of thyme would produce 1kg of essential oil , 2000kg of rose petals to make1kg of oil , 6 tonnes of orange blossom to produce 1kg of neroli , and 4 million jasmine flowers to produce 1kg of jasmine absolute.