History of Aromatherapy
History of Aromatherapy
The natural, healing art of aromatherapy has become an important part of modern life, used to soothe mind, body and soul. Aromatherapy may seem uniquely new, but it’s truly ancient history.
Ancient civilizations depended upon what they could find in the world around them for survival. Their survival included healing, relaxation and energizing. Flowers, plants and their wonderful scents and properties have been used as far back as 18,000 B.C.
The advent of today’s aromatherapy practices are reported to come from the Egyptians, who infused the oils of certain plants for massage therapy, medicinal purposes and cosmetics. They included aromatherapy in their cooking to protect the immune system and to assist in digestion. The most precious aromatics, frankincense and myrrh, were burned to worship of the sun and moon, and in the formula to embalm the pharaohs. The Egyptians’ special embalming techniques, and use of aromatics, in the mummification process, still can’t be reproduced today.
The Chinese also discovered that aromatic scents had healing properties (as did Native American cultures). The Chinese Burned woods and incense in offerings to the Gods. In fact, the oldest surviving medical book in China is dated about 2700 B.C. (Shen Nung’s Great Herbal), containing well over 300 plants. Chinese aromatherapy was found to be linked to massage and acupressure.
The Greek culture became aware of the calming and vitalizing effects in different scents, and began using aroma-absorbing olive oils as the base oil to their fragrances. The Greeks used the resulting aromatic oils for cosmetics and developed their applications for medicinal purposes.
Greek physician Pediacius Dioscorides wrote on herbal medicine during the first century, A.D. His reference book was titled De Materia Medica, and some of these remedies are still used in aromatherapy today. Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine” was the first to study the effects of essential oils. He was known to have said, “The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and massage every day.”
The Roman Empire was famous for bathing, using scents in their water and massaging their bodies with fragrant oils. They went forward to improve the composition of their product, and the popularity of aromatics led to trade routes from distant lands such as India, China and Arabia.
During the crusades the knowledge of aromatic oils and perfumes spread to the Far East and Arabia. Physician and philosopher, Avicenna who lived in the years of 1000 A.D., first used the process known as distillation to distill the essence of rose. The Arabs also discovered how to distill alcohol around the same time making it possible to produce perfumes without a heavy oily base.
During the Dark Ages, most of the knowledge of the practice of aromatherapy was lost. However, the tradition was carried on in India. The Indians included aromatic massage as part of their therapy in the tradition of Indian Ayurveda, which translates to “awareness of longevity”. This practice has a history of over 3,000 years.
At the time of plague in the middle ages, pine and cedar were burned to destroy the spread of infection, and were used to fumigate homes and the street.
The tradition of aromatherapy continued in the monasteries, where monks used herbs and their infused oils to make teas and medication.
With the expeditions of the explorers from European countries, new aromas were sought after. Nosegays were carried in the streets to cover up the smell of their sewage and unpleasant body odors. Wigs and other accessories worn were scented with oils. When the conquistadors invaded South America, it was discovered that the Aztecs used plants and oils for medicinal properties. A wealth of new plants was found in Montezuma’s gardens.
The dawn of new medical practices around the 17th century lost the art of aromatherapy. But in 1928, French cosmetic chemist Rene Gattefosse made a remarkable discovery. Gattefosse was reported to have burned his hand and repeatedly doused it in a container of lavender oil. He found that his hand did not blister, and healed quickly, without scarring or infection. The discovery lead to his further research. Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy in his book on anti-microbial effect of aromatic oils – “aroma” meaning smell or perfume, and “therapy” meaning treatment.
As recently as the 1970’s a team of French medical doctors, Jean Claude Lapraz and Christian Duraffourd began performing clinical trials researching the effective methods of combining phytotherapy (herbal medicine) and aromatherapy. This team is considered the leading authority regarding study of essential oils.
Today, the use of herbs and essential oils are prominent in French hospitals. Their pharmacies sell essential oils and even some health insurances will pay for treatments using these methods. Modern England, too, has begun research and focus on aromatherapy treatments and essential oils.
Medical research has found that aromatherapy has a definite impact on the way we feel. Exclusive aromas stimulate the brain in their own, unique way. Some are used for calming or relaxation, and others are associated with vitality and energy. After thousands of years, these natural products are resurfacing and recognized once again as a powerful healing element.
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