An Aromatherapy History Timeline

The creative art of blending scented oils for health and well-being is nothing new. Our ancestors from antiquity understood the nurturing, healing and protective powers of natural, plant-based fragrances.

Some would argue that, in the past, perfume and fragrance were created to cover up unpleasant smells caused by poor hygiene and unsanitary living conditions. However, the fact is that fragrance has always been important to humans. There is perhaps something innate within us all that understands that scent has the power to affect our mood, our sense of well-being and maybe even our health.

Ancient aromatics

Aromatherapy history can be dated right back to the father of Western medicine Hippocrates, who is reported to have said: ‘the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day”. The ancient Sanskrit epic The Ramayana - written around the 4^th century BC and the same time as Hippocrates was working- also refers to incense sellers and perfumers.

The ancient Egyptians used aromatic substances during their renowned body embalming process; they also used fragrance to treat mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.

The very first recipe for body deodorant on record comes from Egypt; it can be found in the Papyrus Ebers, a medical papyrus that dates to around 1550 BC. It is thought that the ancient Egyptians purchased scented oils from India and China, which indicates that fragrance was in use for a variety of reasons well before the arrival of the ancient Egyptian culture.

Fragrance for protection and spiritual enlightenment

The Babylonians, Arabs and Indians, infused the materials they used when building temples and mosques with fragrances; perhaps to help prevent disease, as these would be places where many people were gathering together.

Another aspect of this is that fragrance can enhance meditation and contemplation, so, perhaps fragrance was used for less practical reasons and used more to create spiritual ambience. Clay from Babylonia, dating back to 1800 BC, has been found to contain cedarwood, cypress and myrrh – all are essential oils that are used in aromatherapy today.

The birth of aromatherapy as a healing practice

Herbalists became more established throughout Europe from the 14^th – 16^th centuries, and various ‘herbals’ were published, containing recipes for using herbs and essential oils for health and healing. Aromatherapy, as we know it today, has its roots in 1920s France. René-Maurice Gattefossé, a cosmetic chemist, is credited with discovering the therapeutic powers of lavender oil. Whilst working in the laboratory one day, he burnt his arm and is said to have immediately plunged his arm into the nearest container of water. However, the liquid in the container was not water but pure lavender oil.

Gattefossé, was amazed to find that the lavender helped to soothe the pain of the burn, reduce heat and redness, prevent blisters from forming, accelerate the healing process and, that once the wound healed, there was little to no scarring. Intrigued by his accidental discovery, Gattefossé developed the practice of aromatherapy and spent the rest of his life researching and recording the healing power of nature’s essential oils.