The history of essential oils and aromatherapy

Aromatherapy dates as far back as 5,000 years ago. It appears that the ancient Egyptians were the first people to make extensive use of aromatherapy and aromatic herbs. They used them for religious, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Aromatic essence and resins were also part of the embalming process.

It was believed that, in Egypt, most essential oils were produced by means of a type of enfleurage extraction method. In fact, the Egyptians had access to the distillation method via the Mesopotamians, as distillation pots found at Tepe Gawra date back to approximately 3,500 BC.

At the same time, the Chinese and Indian people used herbs and aromatic plants. In India, these were an integral part of the Ayurvedic medicinal system.

In ancient Greece, doctors and philosophers studied fragrances and their effect on humans. The medicinal wisdom of the Egyptians was assimilated by the Greeks and the best known physician of the time, Hippocrates (c.460 - 377 BC), was also a firm believer in treating patients holistically and included aromatherapy massage as a treatment.

In ancient Rome, well-being was a priority and fragrances were a big part of it. The Romans viewed hygiene as a great way to promote health, and believed in aromatherapy and the power of fragrances. They used the finest fragrances for bathing or to make fashionable balms, oils and perfumes.

The Romans imported various aromatic substances and incense sticks. Their ships were filled to the rim with rosebuds of an exquisite fragrance. Their passion for sensuality is well-known and during their famous orgies, they would literally lay down on beds of roses and bask in perfumes from the East.

The fall of the Roman Empire and the subsequent invasions caused a considerable loss of knowledge on the healing properties of these oils. The Arabs were in a position to draw from the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, as well as that of the Chinese and the Indians. But it was also at that time that Islam became prominent. The ensuing Koran-based wide-spread destruction of documents ruined valuable scientific knowledge.Ironically, the distillation process of essential oils was invented by two Arabs, an author and a doctor, of whom Avicenne (980-1037). This knowledge reached Europe by way of Spain and the Crusades helped diffuse it throughout most of the world.

In Italy and in France, perfumes became very popular. The knowledge of oils and waters with remedial and cosmetic virtues greatly developed since then.

In the Middle Ages, monks looked after the sick in their monasteries and kept herbal medicinal wisdom alive. Illiterate village herbalists who practiced folk medicine were persecuted. Since the Church regarded bathing as sinful, aromatics were widely used to mask body odour. Most of those aromatics also had anti-bacterial and anti-pesticide properties.

In those days, the Church would prosecute the impious alchemists who searched the elixir of life, the "Quinta Essentia", and who carried out experiments with oil distillation.

In the 16th century, the famous physician Paracelsus linked for the first time the properties of essential oils with specific "subtle" substances. At the same time in Strasbourg, Doctor Brunschwig wrote a reference book on distillation.

At the end of the 17th century, French and German chemists pursued the study of the constituents of essential oils and created the first cinnamon and vanilla synthetic perfumes.

Improvements made to the manufacturing processes allowed the industrial production of perfumes and gave rise to a highly considered occupation: perfumer. Venice became one of the most important European cities for the transit of perfumes from around the world.

In the 18th century, washing oneself or taking a bath was considered extremely dangerous because of poor water quality, which explains the renewed popularity of many perfumes to conceal unpleasant body odours.

These were busy days for perfumers. The city of Grasse, in the South of France, became the capital of perfumes, a reputation it has maintained until today.

Surprisingly, the purpose of distillation in the laboratories of the days was not to produce essential oils but curative aromatic distilled waters. This is when "Hungarian water" (a distillate of rosemary), Carmelite water and Cologne water came about.

In the beginning of the 20th century, aromatherapy expanded dramatically thanks to French chemist and perfumer René Maurice Gattefossé (1881-1950). Although he did not adhere to the natural health movement, he was the first to study the properties of essential oils.

In 1910, he burnt his hand badly while working in his laboratory. He treated his hand with the first compound handily available: pure, undiluted lavender oil. Not only the pain was immediately eased, but the essential oil also helped his hand to heal without scarring or any sign of infection. He found that minute amounts of essential oils are absorbed by the body and interact with the body’s chemistry.

During WW1, he cared for the wounded in military hospitals with essential oils to heal burns, speed up cicatrization, bring down fever and relieve pain. He also noted that these oils had a simultaneous beneficial effect on the soldiers' spirit, strengthening their will to live.

During WW2, because of Gattefossé’s experiments, Dr. Jean Valet used essential oils to treat injured soldiers with great success.

Shortly after, doctors Renato Gayola and Giovanni Gatti studied  the modus operandi of essential oils. They focused on their influence on the psyche and the nervous system and also analyzed the bactericidal effect of many oils. Professor Paolo, from the University of Milan, was the first to open an Aromatherapy chair.

During the 1950’s, Marguerite Maury began to dilute essential oils in vegetable carrier oil and to massage it onto the skin using a Tibetan technique that focuses on the spine’s nerve endings.She was also the first to use “individually-prescribed” combinations of essential oils to meet the needs of each patient.Since the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the use of essential oils and aromatherapy has become a major part of alternative and holistic health systems.

Aromatherapy — a natural, holistic and gentle method — spread worldwide. Today, in France and in Italy, aromatherapy is practiced by doctors, while in England and in Germany, it is used by health practitioners and licensed therapists. In England, aromatherapy has been used for massages in numerous hospitals and health centres for the last twenty years.

In other industrialized countries, enthusiasm for aromatherapy has grown considerably over the last few years. Today, no less than 200 varieties of aromatherapeutic essential oils are available over-the-counter.