The Origins Of Aromatherapy
What Is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a holistic form of healing based on the use of essential oils. Essential oils - concentrated extracts from the leaves, seeds, roots, or plant blossoms - have been used therapeutically for over 6,000 years. The history of aromatherapy can be traced through the ancient Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, Roman and Greek cultures. These people used essential oils in perfumes, cosmetics, and drugs as well as for hygienic, ritualistic, spiritual and therapeutic purposes.
The Founding of Modern Aromatherapy
The term “aromatherapie” was coined by René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist. While treating a burn on his hand, he discovered the healing properties of lavender oil when he used it after an explosion in his laboratory. In 1928, Gattefossé founded the science of aromatherapy and went on to publish many treatises on the subject. One of Gattefossé’s followers, Jean Valnet, used essential oils during World War II to treat wounds, burns, gangrene and skin infections in wounded soldiers.
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
Researchers aren’t entirely sure how aromatherapy works. Some scientists believe that our sense of smell may play a role. Others believe that molecules found in essential oils may interact with enzymes or hormones in the blood. Aromatherapy massage is a great method of experiencing essential oils because it allows you to benefit from both theories at once by breathing in and smelling the oils as well as absorbing them through your skin.
Regardless of how, the one thing we do know is that they DO WORK. There are fantastic success stories throughout history of how Aromatherapy and Essential Oils have had a profound impact on people's lives.
Aromatherapy And Essential Oils
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are liquids distilled from the stems, leaves, roots, bark, flowers or other parts of a plant. They are not oily-feeling at all, despite calling them an “oil,” and most are clear in color. Some oils, such as orange, patchouli and lemon grass, are yellow or amber colored.
Essential Oils Vs. Perfumes
The aromas and chemical compositions of essential oils can provide psychological and physical therapeutic benefits, usually achieved through methods including inhalation and application of the diluted oil to the skin.
Essential oils are different from fragrance oils or perfumes. They are derived from the actual plants, whereas perfume oils in most cases are fragrances that are artificially created or contain chemicals or other non-natural substances. As a result, they do not offer the therapeutic benefits that essential oils do.
How Are Essential Oils Used?
Essential oils are extremely concentrated and a little can go a long way. They can be used topically by blending with a carrier oil like coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, or grapeseed oil and then applying the blend to the skin to be absorbed or inhaled.
Under certain circumstances, carefully inhaling the oils can also be beneficial as the oil molecules will enter the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Purchasing Essential Oils
Essential Oils are usually sold for individual use in very small bottles and can vary greatly in price and quality. The rarity of the plant used, the plant's country of origin, growing & climate conditions, distiller quality standards, and, of course, how much oil the plant produces, can all affect the quality and price.
You can also purchase essential oil blends. The advantage of buying blends of pure, quality essential oils is that in most cases you will save money by not having to buy each essential oil individually to make a mixture. The disadvantage is that you have no real control over the ratio of the blend and since you don’t know the exact composition, you will not be able to reliably mix your blend with other oils.
A Brief History Of Essential Oils
History of Essential Oils Around the World
Essential oils, known in the past as aromatic oils, have been used for centuries by many different cultures around the world. Depending on the culture, their uses often varied from healing the sick or wounded to religious practices. We have not been able to pinpoint exactly when these natural oils gained popularity as healing agents, but eventually the knowledge and effectiveness of essential oils in treating the sick spread throughout the world.
The earliest evidence we have unearthed of the healing properties of certain plants was found in Lascaux, an area in the Dordogne region in France. Cave paintings in the area suggest that the use of plants in everyday life for medicinal purposes have been carbon dated as far back as 18,000 B.C.E.
Egypt
Recorded history and evidence have shown that the early Egyptians used aromatic oils as far back as 4500 B.C.E. They used perfumed oils, balsams, aromatic vinegars, scented barks, spices and resins in their everyday life. They transformed plants into pastes, powders, oils, medicinal cakes, pills, suppositories, and ointments. They also used fragrances for religious purposes, dedicating specific fragrances to each deity and anointing statues with their chosen oil. Myrrh and Cedar were used in the process of embalming and traces of these aromatic oils have been found on mummies throughout Egypt.
China
One of the first publications on the use of essential oils was found in China between 2697-2597 B.C.E during the reign of Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor. His famous book “The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Internal Medicine” contains many uses for aromatic oils and even today is considered a useful text by eastern medicine practitioners.
India
Indian medicine has a 3,000-year history of incorporating aromatic oils into their healing salves and potions. Some of their written texts list over 700 substances including ginger, cinnamon, sandalwood and myrrh as effective healing agents. During the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, or 'Black Death' as it was commonly called, their medical techniques, called Ayur Veda, were successfully used in the place of ineffective antibiotics. The purpose of essential oils and aromatic plants were also believed to be a godly part of nature and this played a vital role in the philosophical and spiritual outlook of traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
Greece
Between 400-500 B.C.E. the Greeks started to record their knowledge of essential oils which came mostly from the Egyptians. The Greek physician Hypocrites (called the 'Father of Medicine' at the time) documented the effects of over 300 plants including cumin, saffron, thyme and peppermint.
Rome
The Romans were known for using perfumed oils on their bedding, bodies and clothing. They also used oils in baths and for massages. During the fall of the Roman Empire, Roman physicians brought books written by Hypocrites with them and these texts were later translated into Arabic, Persian and other languages.
Europe
During the Crusades, Knights and their armies spread knowledge of herbal medicines that they learned in the Middle East throughout Western Europe. Pine and frankincense were burned in the streets in the hopes of warding off “evil spirits” during the Bubonic Plague. It has been noted that fewer people succumbed to the plague in these areas.
Essential Oils Today
Enhance Your Physical Wellness
Lack of exercise, poor diets, and an abundance of environmental toxins are common to today’s modern lifestyle. These factors can all diminish energy levels and leave the body feeling unbalanced. Essential oils and supplements containing essential oils can provide some of the solutions needed to restore balance in your life from cleansing and weight management to supporting every system of the body.
Purify Your Home
You can also use essential oil-infused formulas you make yourself to clean your home. You can avoid those nasty chemical formulas and enjoy peace-of-mind when you clean your counter-tops, dirty surfaces and mop up sticky messes with the gentle but effective power of essential oils.
Refine Your Skin
Throughout history, people have been using essential oils to promote clear complexions, soften the signs of aging, and nurture healthy hair. These advanced hair and skin solutions use only natural ingredients and make it easy to enjoy the benefits of essential oils every day as you rediscover your natural glow and purge all the chemicals from your beauty routines.
Create Deep Spiritual Awareness
Studies show that constituents in essential oils can stimulate olfactory (sense of smell) receptors and stimulate the regions in the brain associated with emotion, memory, and state-of-mind. You can enhance your spiritual practice by diluting and applying certain essential oils directly to your feet, wrists, behind the ears, or by diffusing them in a quiet space.