Essentially, aromatherapy involves using essential oils that have been extracted from various plants which are believed to have properties that produce a beneficial therapeutic effect. Nevertheless, contrary to popular conception, aromatherapy is not a modern concept; rather, it is just that the term has only recently been formed in the twentieth century, though the history of aromatherapy in fact, goes way back in time.

Chinese Were The First To Use Aromatherapy

According to ancient history of aromatherapy, it was the Chinese who first began using aromatic plants because of the ability of essential oils to heal the body. In fact, the Chinese also believed that this could be achieved by burning incense which in turn would create a more harmonious atmosphere and which would also create a relaxation in the body. Later, the history of aromatherapy shows that the Egyptians pioneered the invention of techniques that allowed for the distillation of essential oils which could now be extracted even though the methods of distillation being used were still rather crude.

Used For Cosmetic As Well As Medicinal Purposes

In fact, some of the ancient Egyptian tombs which have been opened in modern times even have given off faint scents of herbs and revealed faint traces of herbs which go to show that the Egyptians indeed were among the first to make use of aromatherapy, and although it was rather crudely done, this has nevertheless been recorded in the continuing history of aromatherapy. In fact, the Egyptians combined essential oils with infused oils and used such combinations for cosmetics as well as for medicinal purposes. What’s more, the history of aromatherapy as ascribed to the Egyptians dates back as many as five thousand years back and even the term perfume can be attributed to the Egyptians.

Even the Greeks were not unaffected by aromatherapy and in fact, the history of aromatherapy also records them as being users of essential oils which they used for preserving foods, and also for medicinal purposes and it even was part of their religion as well as was used for cooking. In fact, ideas derived from aromatherapy were used by Greeks in designing as well as laying out their towns and this was evident from the fact that they left open spaces especially to allow for burning herbs which would ensure that the air remained free from all manner of germs.

Actually, the Greeks also learnt much about aromatherapy from the Egyptians, especially around the period 500B.C. when they set up medical schools on what was known as the Island of Cos, which school gave us Hippocrates, and this too is an important period in the history of aromatherapy.

Much later, the history of aromatherapy recorded how distillation techniques came to be improved by Persians and more particularly the Persian physician called Avicenna. Later, aromatic herbs came to be used during the infamous Bubonic Plague to disinfect the polluted air. In fact, the history of aromatherapy took another important turn in which aromatherapy now began to be linked to the health benefits of using essential oils, and this link has not been disproved even in our modern times.

However, the modern history of aromatherapy shows that aromatherapy is now mostly being used in the beauty industry and the health industry has not really taken to it like in the times of old.

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