Smell is one of our most powerful senses and so it stands that we also have a compelling connection with herbs and plant oils. In this article, we explore the interesting origins of aromatherapy to find out where it all began.
The aroma of a favorite childhood dish can evoke fond memories of carefree times. The inviting smell of coffee brewing on a cold day feels comforting and enticing. Catching a whiff of a familiar perfume or aftershave can immediately transport you to times shared with an old friend. The memory pathways that scents create in our minds and the emotions generated by them provide clues as to how aromatherapy and the use of essential oils came into being.
Ancient Practices
Picture the scene: it’s thousands of years ago and people are gathered around a warm, inviting fire. Aromatic offerings are made and the smoke being released makes them feel relaxed, inspired, or uplifted. This is our first glimpse into the exploration of the use of plants for their aroma and therapeutic properties.
In ancient times people made offerings to their gods by burning aromatic plants, and the practice of burning incense remains to this day in most ritualistic ceremonies and shamanic practices.
The highly resourceful ancient Egyptians are widely credited as being the essential oil innovators with their creative uses of plants and their oils. They not only embraced oils for their use in incenses, but they also used them as medicines, for massage, skincare, cosmetics, and even for embalming their dead.
Astonishingly when they opened the tomb of Tutankhamun which had been closed for 3,000 years, they found the remnants of the scent of frankincense and Indian spikenard!
Plant extracts and oils continued their journey throughout the years, influencing healing and complementary therapies and practices around the globe. Historical records tell us that they were used by the Romans, the Greeks, in Chinese medicine, and in Indian Ayurvedic practices to name just a few. By the 1700s these wonderful plant extracts held a firm place in mainstream medicine.
Modern Medicine
Portrait of Louis Pasteur.
In the 1800s, the introduction of and research into the development of synthetic materials for medicine meant that essential oils were discarded in favor of scientific advances. They were still embraced for their fragrant properties, but not as tools for healing – which were overshadowed by the great leaps made in science and chemistry.
That is until the late 1800s and early 1900s when the renowned French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur and his eager assistant Charles Chamberland began to study the antiseptic properties of oils such as oregano, clove, and cinnamon more closely. Unfortunately, this then also led to synthetic essential oil compounds being made; the natural essences of the oils were eventually left out and their popularity declined.
The Accident
René-Maurice Gattefossé, 1940; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
In 1910 an unplanned experiment renewed interest in essential oils. It is reported that René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist, suffered an unfortunate accident. There was an explosion in his lab which left him with burns to his hand and arm. He plunged his arm into a bowl of liquid to relieve the pain – a bowl which happened to contain lavender essential oil.
His hand healed with speed and left little scarring, which inspired him to investigate the antiseptic and healing qualities of this now popular essential oil. He had not previously shown interest in researching natural healing methods, but after this experience, he then extended his research to treating soldiers in military hospitals during the war.
It was Gattefoussé who christened this treatment aromathérapie, hence why the use of essential oils today is known as aromatherapy.
Gattefoussée is often credited as the Father of Aromatherapy and it was his research that sparked interest from other scientists to apply essential oils in the field of medicine. A colleague of Gattefoussée who had run out of medical supplies turned to the antiseptic properties of oils to treat wounded soldiers from the Indochina war during 1948-1959. He was amazed to see how well they helped to fight infections.
Aromatherapy Today
While holistic and plant-based medicine is not usually integrated into allopathic treatments, research into aromatherapy continues. Today, many health practitioners may also recommend the complementary use of essential oils to aid certain medical conditions.
We have touched briefly on the medicinal properties of essential oils and the ongoing conversation around this, but despite this, it’s clear that their uses are vast and wide and can be applied to many different aspects of our lives.
Compelled by the wonderful aromas that tantalize our senses, we love investigating how essential oils can complement our health, general wellness and beauty routines, as well as reduce the use of harmful chemicals in our homes.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this post on the origins of aromatherapy and invite you to share your journey with us!