What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of pure essential oils which are either blended or used individually for therapeutic and hygienic purposes. Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plants, herbs and trees and are extracted via distillation, expression and solvent extraction from plant matter such as leaves, flowers, bark, roots and stems.

The practice of using essential oils for therapeutic purposes goes back to a number of ancient civilizations including the Chinese,Native American Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans who used them in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs. The concept of aromatherapy was first derived by a small number of European scientists and doctors, in about 1907. In 1937, the word first appeared in print in a French book on the subject: Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales by René-Maurice Gattefossé, a chemist. An English version was published in 1993. In 1910, Gattefossé burned a hand very badly and later claimed he treated it effectively with lavender oil.

Benefits of Essential Oils?

Different essential oils have different purposes in their use in aromatherapy for example Lemon and Tea Tree are a great example of oils that have antiseptic properties whilst others feature anti-inflammatory such as Benzoin and Eucalyptus. Chamomile is an anti-histamine whilst Black Pepper and Ginger are warming oils which are useful for muscular aches where there is no inflammation.