The History of Aromatherapy

The term ‘Aromatherapie’ was first coined in 1935, by French scientist Rene Maurice Gattefosse whose fascination with essential oils began in 1910.

The therapeutic application of aromatic plants and flowers dates back to 3500 BC. Texts from ancient cultures in India, China, and Egypt have extensive documentation describing the healing properties, use, rituals, and procedures for making healing ointments, perfumes and medicated oils using aromatic plants. 

As time went by, their use was not just limited to healing but also seen as a way to preserve beauty, reverse aging and as part of a spiritual practice. Cleopatra famously bathed in a melange of milk and her body massage oil for glowing skin to preserve her complexion, the use of extra virgin olive oil for hair was a mainstay in the beauty routines of Greek women.

The term ‘Aromatherapie’ was first coined in 1935, by French scientist Rene Maurice Gattefosse whose fascination with essential oils began in 1910 when he discovered the therapeutic properties of pure lavender oil while trying to heal a severe burn of his own. This discovery led to him founding the French Society of Aromatic Products, which subsequently published several studies that are still referenced to this day.

As curiosity around Aromatherapy grew, scientists began discovering new uses and healing properties of essential oils through small but practical experiments. World War 2 was the first time essential oils were used on a large scale for medicinal uses and saw great results. This bolstered confidence in this ancient art of healing and in 1975, Pierre Franchomme, a pharmacologist and aromatologist, proposed that the concept of “chemotype”, and a “plant’s true chemical ID card”, be taken into account, listing the key aromatic compounds characterizing each plant and how they affect its properties.