HISTORY OF AROMATHERAPY
The history of aromatherapy goes back thousands of years. Plant oils are mentioned several times in the Bible. Aromatic plants and essential oils were used in biblical times. Cleopatra was also known to use essential oils in her perfumery. The Egyptians used aromatic plant essences to treat both physical and mental health problems. In the East, Chinese doctors also knew the therapeutic benefits of plant essences. The science and practice of modern aromatherapy and concepts began with a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. Around the year 1910, Gattefosse discovered the healing properties of lavender oil after severely burning his hand in a laboratory explosion, and needing to cool it down, put his entire hand into a vat of pure lavender essential oil.
The pain was gone almost instantly. Over the next few days his burn healed with no scars or infections. This led him into a lifetime of research and discovery on the subject of essential oils.
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?
Essential oils are found in different parts of the plant, to name a few:
- flowering tops – lavender. chamomile
- grass- lemongrass.palmarosa
- leaves – peppermint.tea tree
- peel- lemon.bergamot
- seed – cardamon.fennel
- twig – pine.eucalyptus
- wood – rosewood.cedarwood
- gum – frankincense.myrrh