The History of Aromatherapy

The term aromatherapy was not coined until the twentieth century, but the history of aromatherapy dates back much further than that.  Thousands of years ago, ancient civilizations adapted aromatherapy to serve many purposes.

Aromatherapy was used as a natural medicine for both physical and mental well-being.  It was also used to pay honor to their deities.  Certain scents and aromas were utilized to achieve a number of desired results.  The long history of aromatherapy indicates its value as a reputed and beneficial form of holistic medicine.

Aromatherapy is the use of plant and essential oils to aid in improvement of mental faculties and physical well-being.  Research indicates that the history of aromatherapy begins with the Chinese and the Egyptians.  The Chinese burned pleasant-smelling incense to help achieve harmony and balance in the home and of the self.

Egyptians invented a crude distillation machine used to extract essential oil from cedarwood.  They also used several different types of oils to embalm their dead.  The scent of the oils used in the process actually lingered in the air when the tombs were opened in the 20th century.  Egyptians also contributed to the sweet history of aromatherapy by being one of the first cultures to use perfume.

The Greeks and Romans expounded on the theories and history of aromatherapy.  Greeks apparently believed that the gift of perfume was one of the gods.  However, they also recognized the medicinal and aromatic properties of the plants.  Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was known to practice aromatherapy through the use of fumigations and aromatics.

The rudimentary history of aromatherapy is a precursor to the modern science of pharmacology.  One Greek perfume maker was known for developing a perfume with healing and restorative properties.  The Romans expanded the knowledge of the Greeks, The Egyptians and the Chinese.  Discorides compiled a manual of the medicinal properties of around 500 plants.  However, the practical history of aromatherapy at this point in history places more emphasis on the aromatic floral waters.

The evolution of aromatherapy continued through the next several centuries.  Many significant factors continued to exert their influence on the history of aromatherapy.  Distilling the oils was made more efficient with the Persian invention of the coiled cooling pipe.  Aromatherapy then started to spread across Europe in the 12th century.  In the 13th century, the pharmaceutical industry was born.

The 14th century brought with it the bubonic plague.  Herbal remedies played a big part in the treatment of the insidious disease.  The history of aromatherapy indicates a lower incidence of Black Death among perfumers, leading to speculation that it was their constant contact with essential oils and aromatics that helped them avoid the deadly illness.  The history of aromatherapy continued to develop as it spread across Europe to Great Britain all the way through the nineteenth century.

A 20th century French chemist who burned himself in the lab, and then hastily thrust his arm in a vat of lavender oil, found that the healing affects of his impulsive actions were profound.  There was no scarring and the wound healed much faster than normal.  This accident led the chemist, named Gattefosse, to write a book about the anti-microbial effects of essential oils.  He is also credited with coining the term aromatherapy, in 1937.

The practice of aromatherapy has stood the test of time.  In the 21st century, aromatherapy is used in spiritual rituals, home cleansing and even in our vehicles.  Modern day aromatherapy is a booming market that encompasses everything from candles to reed diffusers to scented oil car fans.  The history continues to develop even now.  It is safe to say that the history of aromatherapy will continue to develop for thousands of years to come.  Nothing smells sweeter than that.