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The History Of Aromatherapy
By:
Published: July 25, 2006
Aromatherapy, as it is practiced today, involves the use of essential, massage or perfume oils derived from liquefied plant materials to promote a person's psychological and physical well being.
The setting for aromatherapy can range anywhere from a spa, to a hospital, to your own bedroom. Aromatherapy can be experienced through nasal inhalation or skin absorption via baths or massages. However, to those not familiar with aromatherapy and its origins, it may appear void of any purpose other than mere sensory pleasure. In other words, is there more to aromatherapy than what meets the nose?
The answer is yes! The present uses of aromatherapy are tied to its rich past, where there were a plethora of uses.
Used by most ancient civilizations, aromatherapy is widely speculated to have originated in Egypt. The Egyptians were experts at embalming, which is the process of using aromatics to help preserve dead bodies. It was typical for living Egyptians to be massaged with fragrant oils after bathing.
The Greeks also used aromatherapy in similar ways, but expanded their uses for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote a book about herbal medicine, which was the Western world's standard medical reference for at least 1,200 years. Many of the remedies he mentions are still used today.
Famous for their baths, the Romans were next to use aromatherapy. These people were typically oiled and massaged after bathing.
Although the aforementioned civilizations were documented to use aromatherapy, many cultures are strongly speculated to have used it. For example, the Chinese used aromatic herbs and burned aromatic woods and incense to show respect to God. The North American Indians also used aromatic oils and produced their own herbal remedies.
As advances in science were made, aromatherapy continued to evolve and expand. In the 13th century, the pharmaceutical industry was born. This event encouraged distillation of essential oils. When the Black Death struck during the 14th century, doctors used aromatherapy to prevent its progression. Herbal preparations were used extensively and some perfumers may have avoided the plague by their continuous contact with natural aromatics.
Europeans and Americans were last to catch on to the benefits of aromatherapy. It wasn't until the 19th century scientists in Europe and Great Britain first started researching the effects of essential oils on the human brain. The word ‘aromatherapy' was coined by French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse in the 1920s. During this time, certain scents were used to activate the limbic system or emotional centers of the brain.
Ironically, not long after aromatherapy was introduced in the early 20th century, people started to shift away from it. Modern medicine resulted in a greater production of synthetic materials. This deterred people from using natural materials.
Aromatherapy has made a comeback in the last few decades as natural products have made a huge resurgence in popularity. It currently is among the fastest growing fields in alternative and holistic medicine today.
Some common uses today:
• Inhalation (directly or diffused into the air)
• Absorption through the skin (baths, massages, compresses)
• Absorption through the mucous membranes (oral rinses and gargles)
• Ingestion (occasionally prescribed, with caveats)
The setting for aromatherapy can range anywhere from a spa, to a hospital, to your own bedroom. Aromatherapy can be experienced through nasal inhalation or skin absorption via baths or massages. However, to those not familiar with aromatherapy and its origins, it may appear void of any purpose other than mere sensory pleasure. In other words, is there more to aromatherapy than what meets the nose?
The answer is yes! The present uses of aromatherapy are tied to its rich past, where there were a plethora of uses.
Used by most ancient civilizations, aromatherapy is widely speculated to have originated in Egypt. The Egyptians were experts at embalming, which is the process of using aromatics to help preserve dead bodies. It was typical for living Egyptians to be massaged with fragrant oils after bathing.
The Greeks also used aromatherapy in similar ways, but expanded their uses for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote a book about herbal medicine, which was the Western world's standard medical reference for at least 1,200 years. Many of the remedies he mentions are still used today.
Famous for their baths, the Romans were next to use aromatherapy. These people were typically oiled and massaged after bathing.
Although the aforementioned civilizations were documented to use aromatherapy, many cultures are strongly speculated to have used it. For example, the Chinese used aromatic herbs and burned aromatic woods and incense to show respect to God. The North American Indians also used aromatic oils and produced their own herbal remedies.
As advances in science were made, aromatherapy continued to evolve and expand. In the 13th century, the pharmaceutical industry was born. This event encouraged distillation of essential oils. When the Black Death struck during the 14th century, doctors used aromatherapy to prevent its progression. Herbal preparations were used extensively and some perfumers may have avoided the plague by their continuous contact with natural aromatics.
Europeans and Americans were last to catch on to the benefits of aromatherapy. It wasn't until the 19th century scientists in Europe and Great Britain first started researching the effects of essential oils on the human brain. The word ‘aromatherapy' was coined by French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse in the 1920s. During this time, certain scents were used to activate the limbic system or emotional centers of the brain.
Ironically, not long after aromatherapy was introduced in the early 20th century, people started to shift away from it. Modern medicine resulted in a greater production of synthetic materials. This deterred people from using natural materials.
Aromatherapy has made a comeback in the last few decades as natural products have made a huge resurgence in popularity. It currently is among the fastest growing fields in alternative and holistic medicine today.
Some common uses today:
• Inhalation (directly or diffused into the air)
• Absorption through the skin (baths, massages, compresses)
• Absorption through the mucous membranes (oral rinses and gargles)
• Ingestion (occasionally prescribed, with caveats)
