Aromatherapy Information

Aromatherapy has become fashionable and marketable.  Products touting themselves as “made with aromatherapy oils” or “or aromatherapy line” seem to pop up on store shelves or on the internet everyday.  These products are usually shown with smiling, gorgeous women standing in a garden or bouncing about in a field.  But what is aromatherapy, anyway?

What’s Old Is New Again

Aromatherapy had been around for thousands of years – just under different names.  Ancient texts from India (the Ayurveda), Egypt and even tablets from Samaria describe herbal remedies, which included the essential oils of plants, fruits, wood chips and spices.  Some of these oils were considered special offerings to the Gods, as the spirits could be placated or petitioned with pretty smells.

What is aromatherapy?  It’s not technically magic, but it does feature in spells and charms from millennia ago to modern witches’ spell books today.  Aromatherapy is a branch of natural (not supernatural) healing that, at one time, was considered mere superstition.  During the time of the Witchcraft Trails in the Middle Ages, to work with herbs or oils could be seen as dabbling in black magic.

Then, in the 1920’s, a French chemist named Dr. Rene’ Gattefosse’ was burned in an explosion in his lab.  Fortunately, he was studying lavender oil at the time.  He plunged his burnt hand in the lavender oil and they were soothed.  When the burns eventually healed, they did not leave any disfiguring scars.  The good French doctor came up with the name “aromatherapy” and spent the rest of his life studying and writing about it.

Modern Aromatherapy

What is aromatherapy?  As the name implies, it’s the medical science of healing your body and emotions with scented oils.  The oils are usually mixed with a carrier material such as a hot bath, lotions, facial cream, flower water or vegetable-based oils.  Oils can be added to bandages, hold or cold compresses, cleaning buckets and even your laundry.  What is aromatherapy?  A healing science where you are expected to be one of the scientists in your own health plan.

Aromatherapy oils, products with the oils added and books answering the question “What is aromatherapy?” in great detail exist and more come out every day.  It might seem a little confusing at first, but if you decide to only really study four or five of your favorite smelling oils, then it seems less of a challenge.  You can learn about more oils when you are ready.