History of Essential Oils (part 3 of 5)

Essential Oils have been used throughout the ages from ancient Egypt through biblical times into the here and now. Oils were used as incense, perfumes, in rituals and ceremonies, as ointments, or for therapeutic benefits. The usage of plant substances date back to 4500 BC. Ancient Egypt was known to fill essential oils into alabaster vessels to be used for rituals, healing yet also for the embalming process. References were made in the bible or in the multi-volume Herbarius and oils were used by Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Merchants kept their trading routes a secret as they brought cinnamon from India or rose from Syria. The Romans started using essential oils as perfumes, to fragrance their bodies and clothes; Cleopatra used them in her baths and after bathing. Later, around 330 AD – 1400AD, rose water was a highly regarded scent that was brought from the East to the West along with other exotic essences, known as Perfumes of Arabia.

In the 19^th century, a process called enfleurage was developed in Southern France. Cold and odorless fats where used to capture the fragrance of plants that were crushed. Herbal prescriptions was the only medicine known in the past. Cedar bark, stripped from trunk and branches, was ground into powder. This powder was then soaked with olive oil. The mixture was put into a woolen cloth, which then was heated. Through this process, essential oils where pulled out of the bark into the olive oil that was captured in a container. The same technique was used for many other plants and flowers. It was only in the early 19th century that polio and penicillin were discovered. Up until that point, people heavily relied on and trusted nature to provide whatever would be needed. 

Today, we have forgotten the ancient ways. We are instead focused on quick-fixes and expect miracles from chemistry. The concept of western medicine is more that of illness whereas the eastern concept of medicine is that of wellness. In Western medicine, we go to the doctor when something is not quite right or outright wrong, when we feel pain and then we expect the doctor to "fix" us. Eastern philosophy teaches us to be responsible for our own health, take pro-active steps and choices geared towards wellness. In ancient times, the doctor was paid to keep the people healthy versus today, the doctor is paid to make us well. It is time that we take charge of our own health and find our way back to the wisdom of the past. 

My absolute favorite, Lavender essential oil (English lavender is Lavendula angustifolia; Spanish lavender is Lavendula stoechas) was used not only as a scent or in perfumes but also in balms, salves, as it was known for its skin restorative properties. The Romans used it in their baths, during the middle ages it was thrown on the floor to fumigate the homes, the plant was carried around to ward off the plague, it was used by hospitals during WWII to disinfect floors and walls, and it was used as a first aid for burns. In fact, René-Maurice Gattefossé, Ph.D. was a French cosmetic chemist who, wrote in 1937 in his book “Aromatherapy” about the use of lavender essential oil for serious burns.

I am using Lavender oil for just about anything. I love to diffuse it in the evening before I go to bed for its calming effect, I put it on chapped skin, on cuts or bruises for its healing properties, I use it for mosquito bites to stop the itching, I rub it over pillows and bed sheets, I use it when I'm stressed, for studying and test taking, and I use it for tension headaches. I even love lavender oil in melted chocolate.