Aromatherapy - A short history

The ancient Egyptians are widely credited with being the originators of aromatherapy and used scented oils for their therapeutic powers in their daily lives, and much of present day knowledge is based upon their use of essential oils some 5,000 years ago.

The essential oils were obtained from plants by a form of distillation and used medicinally, in perfumes, for massage and in religious ceremonies and for embalming.

The ancient Greeks also regularly used perfumed plants and the Greek philosophers including the physician Hippocrates promoted a daily bath and massage with aromatic oils to help relaxation and to promote longer life and this was taken up by the Romans who enjoyed the luxuries of exotic scents as part of their sensual lifestyle.

Aromatic oils were also used extensively throughout the ancient civilizations of the Orient. Evidence has been found that the Chinese used the healing properties of plants over thousands of years with written evidence dating back to before 2000BC and in India scented oils were used from 1000BC.

The knowledge of perfumery and distillation was brought back to Europe from the Crusades and this was used for centuries with herbalism to prevent and provide cures to many ailments.   During the plague of 1665 bundles of aromatic herbs were burnt as a defence against disease.

Once synthetic drug treatments began to be developed the popularity of herbal treatment in the Western world began to wane and until recently the use of medicinal plants has been ignored.

Aromatherapy as it is known today began with developments in the 1920s by René-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist.   He discovered that distilled extracts from certain aromatic plants had great beneficial effects, which he discovered by accident.   He burned his hand working in the laboratory and treated the burn with lavender oil.   The wound healed very quickly and as a result he published various books describing the use of essential oils.   His book Aromatherapy was read by a French doctor, Jean Valnet, who following research during World War 2 used essential oils successfully to treat soldiers suffering from wounds and psychiatric disorders.

Also during the 1920s two Italian doctors demonstrated the sense of smell has a psychotherapeutic effect on the function of the central nervous system.   In the 1950s Marguerite Maury, a biochemist, studying the effectiveness of oils absorbed by the skin developed the methods used today for diluting essential oils and blending them for applying through massage.  

Today, biochemists are continuing research into the properties and benefits of essential oils, and having isolated many active ingredients can account for the healing properties of plants, the folklore is gradually being confirmed by scientific research.

In countries such as Germany and Switzerland the benefits of essential oils are widely accepted.   Aromatherapy has also been shown to be particularly beneficial at relieving stress related problems such as anxiety and depression, insomnia and digestive disorders.   Side effects are very rare as aromatherapy works with the body rather than against the apparent symptoms.  

Essential oils are very concentrated and should never be applied directly to the skin.   The scent molecules enter the body via absorption or inhalation using a number of techniques :

•  Massage - The essential oil must be diluted in a carrier oil to avoid skin reactions and help absorbency.   Carrier oils such as almond, hazelnut or grapeseed are used.

•  Bathing -   The oil is added to a warm bath and thoroughly mixed.

•  Inhalation - The oil is added to a bowl of hot water, the head covered with a towel and the vapour inhaled for a few minutes.

•  Vaporization - The oil is evaporated either by using a burner, although this can be hazardous as the oil is highly flammable and cannot be left unattended.  

•  An alternative and safe means of vaporization or evaporation is at normal room temperature from a diffuser or sponge soaked in the oil.

Research has also demonstrated that people respond to a fragrance so diluted that it is not possible to smell them.   Response to smell is in the subconscious, which overrules the conscious mind and therefore the reaction is entirely natural.  

Essential oils have been found to have antibacterial properties and many are also antifungal.   

Acknowledgements Healing gardens by Romy Rawlings