Aromatherapy History- A Comprehensive View
Aromatherapy and essential oils are the use of volatile plant oils for enhancing the physical and psychological well-being. The use of aromatherapy is centuries old, although the use of the term did not surface until the 20th Century. In particular, the use of essential oils dates back nearly a thousand years ago.
One of the first cultures to make use of aromatic oils to enhance well-being may very well be China. They found burning incense helpful for creating balance and harmony.
Soon after, the Egyptians invented a simple crude distillation machine for extracting the oil from cedarwood. Some consider that India and Persia also invented crude distillation machines.
The Egyptians used cedar wood, cinnamon, myrrh, clove and nutmeg oils to embalm the dead. Traces of these herbs were discovered with portions of the intact body, when in the early 20th century a tomb was opened. The scent was still noticeable, although it was faint. Other oils used by the Egyptians were more than likely infused oils; the oil of cedarwood was distilled using a crude distillation process.
Infused oils and herbal preparations were often useful to the Egyptians for medicinal, cosmetic, fragrant and spiritual applications. It is possible that the Egyptians coined the word perfume, from the Latin word per fumum that translate into as through the smoke. Egyptian men made use of fragrance as eagerly as the women of that time did. The men often would fragrance themselves by placing a solid cone of perfume atop their heads; gradually it would melt and then cover them with the fragrance.
Although, Greek mythology credits the gods for the gifts and knowledge of perfumes, Greek Amphora for Perfume the Greeks learned a great deal of information from the Egyptians. The Greeks were keen to recognize the aromatic and medicinal benefits of plants. Hippocrates the father of medicine used both medicinal and aromatic fumigations. Megllus, a Greek perfumer created a perfume he called megaleion. Megaleion included myrrh in a fatty oil base and it served various purposes: 1) for its anti-inflammatory properties on the skin, 2) because it heals wounds and 3) for it aroma.
The knowledge of the Egyptians and the Greeks was useful to the Roman Empire. Discorides wrote a book titled De Materia Medica. It described the properties of roughly five-hundred plants. Reportedly, Discorides also studied distillation. However, distillation of that time centered on extracting aromatic floral waters and not that of essential oils.
During the 11th century, the invention of a coiled cooling pipe was a major event in the distillation of essential oils. Avicenna, a Persian by birth invented a coiled pipe that permitted the vapors and steam of plants to cool down more efficiently than any previous distillers using a straight cooling pipe did. The contributions of Avicenna lead to a more focused concentration of essential oils and their various benefits.
During the 12th century, Hildegard, an Abbess of Germany grew and then distilled lavender for its medicinal properties.
The pharmaceutical industry was born during the 13th century and this event promoted a significant distillation of essential oils.
The Burning of Natural Aromatics
The Black Death occurred during the 14th century and killed a multitude of individuals. Herbal applications were useful for helping to fight this devastation. Many believe that the majority of perfumers avoided this plague because of their continual contact with natural aromatics.
More plants were distilled to create essential oils during the 15th century. They included such plants as sage, rose, rosemary, frankincense and juniper. Later in that same century the number of books, about herbs and their various properties increased. An alchemist, medical doctor and radical thinker by the name of Paracelcus, is credited for coining the word Essence. His studies challenged the nature of alchemy, while he concentrated on the use of plants as medicine.
During the 16th century, many more essential oils came into production and they were purchased at an apothecary.
Perfume became more clearly definable as a field of its own, during the 16th and 17th centuries, while being considered as an art form.
Perfume was a prosperous industry during the 19th century. Many women commissioned their jewelers to make special bottles to hold their treasured perfumes. During this time, some of the major components of essential oils became inaccessible.
The knowledge of separating the components of essential oils was useful during the 20th century to create various synthetic drugs and chemicals. At that time is was considered that separating the major components and them making use of the components alone or in synthetic forms was most beneficial in the sense of economy and therapeutics. These discoveries lead to synthetic fragrances and modern medicine. Actually, this weakened the usefulness of essential oils for aromatic and medicinal benefits.
Fields of Lavender
Ren-Maurice Gattefoss a French chemist became interested in the use of essential oils for their medicinal uses, near the beginning of the 20th century. Although, he first concentrated on essential oils aromatic uses, his interest in their medicinal uses increased after an accident. He had suffered a very bad burn while working and on reflex, he submerged his burned arm into the closest liquid, which was that of a large vat of the essential oil lavender. His burn healed rather quickly and left no scarring. He is credited for coining the word aromatherapy in 1928 in an article that he wrote supporting the use of whole essential oils rather than breaking them down into primary components. He also wrote a book in 1937, titled Aromathrapie: Les Huiles essentielles hormones vgtales. Later, it was translated into English and titled Gattefoss’s Aromatherapy. It is in print and widely read today.
Robert B. Tisserand, Madam Marguerite Maury and Jean Valnet were other highly respected aromatherapists of the 20th century. Jean Valnet made use of essential oils to treat injured soldiers during the war and wrote a book titled The Practice of Aromatherapy. Madam Marguerite Maury, a biochemist, studied, practiced and taught about the uses of aromatherapy for cosmetic purposes. Robert B. Tisserand, an aromatherapist is responsible for introducing aromatherapy to English speaking nations. In 1977, he published a book titled The Art of Aromatherapy.
The use of essential oils for aromatic, cosmetic and therapeutic applications has increased from the late 20th century and into the 21st century. The use of essential oils never stopped, however their popularity and use dropped during the scientific revolution. Today, the use of essential oils for fragrant, cosmetic, therapeutic and spiritual use is on the rise with the available aromatherapy information found in books and online.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils
The art of using aromatherapy essential oils has been around since the time of the ancients. The uses for such oils has been popular in various cultures for centuries, some more so than others. It is the use of various plants, herbs, flowers, roots and bark of particular plant life that are processed in various ways to extract the specific healing properties of such plants. These oils are most useful for healing various mental and physical health problems.
The Beneficial Influences of Aromatherapy Essential Oils
Most often, aromatherapy oils are useful for their therapeutic influence over the sense of smell yet some are useful as massage oils applied directly to the skin. However, they are useful in other forms such as aromatherapy candles, diffuser oils and soaps just to name a few. Such items can help you relax, and treat other problems such as relieving stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches and many other problems. Aromatherapy can influence the way your feel by increasing blood circulation, enhancing you immune system and oxygenating your blood. All of these things can aid you by rejuvenating your body.
You can use aromatherapy essential oils to enhance and heal your physical and psychological well-being. Aromatherapy, which is the practice of using volatile plant oils, is beneficial in various ways. These various types of essential oils have healing properties that include being antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
You Get What You Pay For with Aromatherapy Essential Oils
When you are interested in purchasing aromatherapy essential oils, you need to make sure that you are purchasing a product from a reputable company and that the label clearly lists the ingredients contained within. Sure, you may be able to find something that costs less; however, you want to make sure to get the most benefits by using 100% essential oils, since they can offer you the best advantages of using aromatherapy.
Natural Aromatherapy
Natural Aromatherapy has been around for a very long time, but until recently has it become to be more widely recognized in the alternative health field as something amazing. A lot of people are using aromatherapy (some, may not even realize it). Basically, it is the practice of using essential oils to boost your psychological and physical well-being.
There are over 90 different types of essentials oils in aromatherapy. Evidence shows that this was first used by the Chinese centuries ago to enhance their well being while the Egyptians used it for cosmetic, fragrant, medicinal and spiritual purposes.
In the centuries that followed, natural aromatherapy spread from the Far East to Europe. There is clear evidence that shows that during the 14th century when million were afflicted with the Black Plague, herbal preparations helped some avoid and alleviate the symptoms of this disease.
During the 20th century, separating such essential oils helped create synthetic chemicals and drugs which helped promote modern medicine. many of these oils are what makes up a portion of our local pharmacists vitamins, and herbal supplements.
When used properly, you will experience the benefits of aromatherapy. Studies have shown that it stimulates the immune system, strengthens your resistance and helps you fight against certain diseases. It can ease abdominal spasm and constipation, helps you deal with cough, sinusitis or tonsillitis and even helps you relax when you are suffering from muscle aches and pain.
Another thing aromatherapy can do is improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. It also reduces stress, alleviates tension headaches and helps you deal with various mood swings.
Despite the different types of oils available, there are only two ways by which you can use it. The first is to inhale it by mixing the essential oil with some water and heating it using a candle or by applying it directly over your skin.
Aromatherapy has other purposes as well. Some of the essential oils are used as household and laundry cleaners. Citronella, serves as a good insect repellent. Believe it not, this can also be used to treat a cut or a minor burn.
The various oils in aromatherapy can be used individually or mixed together creating various concoctions. Sometimes, it takes a bit of trial and error to create the right formula.
One last thing you have to know about natural aromatherapy is that not all of the essential oils are suitable for use. Some of these should only be handled by a qualified aromatherapy practitioner and these oils include bitter almond, camphor, horseradish, pennyroyal, rue, sassafras and wintergreen.
If you decide to keep them in your home, these must be kept away from children to prevent these from ever being ingested. Since you are dealing with oils, these are flammable so be sure to keep it far away from fire hazards.
You too can experience the benefits of aromatherapy. Before you buy it, consult first an aromatherapy practitioner and only get it from reputable retailers. When you examine the product, don’t get those that have a rubber glass dropper top because this will ruin the content inside the bottle.
To learn more about aromatherapy, read up on it from books and other research material online because believe it or not, some of the essential oils have similar benefits.
