What Is Aromatherapy?
Scientists have long known that certain scents have the power to evoke strong physi-
cal and emotional reactions but rarely has that knowledge been used in conven-
tional medicine. Healthy humans can smell as many as 10,000 different odors,
ranging from the deep fragrance of jasmine to the putrid stench of sewage. Most
people, however, do not realize how much the sense of smell affects their daily lives.
Aromatherapy has been forgotten and ignored for many years but is now one of the
fastest growing alternative therapies in Europe and the United States. The term aro-
matherapy has become more than a buzzword since the mid 1980s. In the United
States, it is now a generic term in the public domain and, as such, it cannot be
trademarked by an individual or business.
Essential oils come from all over the world—lavender from France, sandalwood and
jasmine from India, rose from Turkey and Bulgaria, geranium from the island of
Reunion, eucalyptus and tea tree from Australia, and mint from the United States.
Today, only 3% of essential oils are used in therapy; the remaining 97% are used in
the perfume and cosmetic industry. With increased popularity, aromatherapy has
become a $300 million-a-year market in the United States.The History of Aromatherapy
Almost all ancient cultures recognized the value of aromatic plants in maintaining
health. Ancient Egyptians used scented oils daily to soften and protect their skin
from the harsh, dry climate. They created various fragrances for personal benefit as
well as for use in rituals and ceremonies. Fragrances were considered a part of the
personal purification necessary to reach a realm of higher spirituality. Oils were dis-
persed into the air to purify the environment and provide protection from evil spir-
its. Egyptians were the first to perfect embalming with the use of aromatic plants
and oils.
Priests and physicians used oils thousands of years before the time of Christ. The
Romans diffused oils in their temples and political buildings and bathed in hot tubs
scented with oils. Ancient Arabian people studied the chemistry of plants and devel-
oped the process of distillation for extraction of essential oils. Throughout Asia per-
fumes were prized for both medicinal and cosmetic properties. Hundreds of
references are made to oils in the Bible such as frankincense, myrrh, and cinnamon.
Many were used as protection against disease and for anointing and healing the
sick. Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, reportedly said, “The way to
health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.” Sounds like
good advice to us.116 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE