Let's travel back to Ancient Egypt 

The mystery and magic behind Aromatherapy uncovered. Let's explore together and take a deeper look into the buzz around Aromatherapy and how it began

History of Aromatherapy 

Ancient Egyptians were the first in the world to invent extraction of flower essences, credited as the first perfumers in history, and the first civilization to incorporate perfume into their culture. The Ancient Egyptians also used fragrant oils in incense, medicine, massage, skincare and cosmetics.

The goal of aromatherapy is to provide holistic therapy in such a manner that the body cannot be separated from the mind, soul, or spirit.

Ancient Egyptians were masters of the holistic living and believed that beauty, magic, and medicine were inseparable. They recognized body care and beauty, starts with cleansing the body. Pleasant scents were considered sacred. 

Body care was a prerequisite for all Egyptians, during this time. It was a common practice for both, men and women to moisturize their bodies daily through the use of oil.

At this time, the Pharaohs used their magnificent gardens to grow a vast array of medicinal herbs from all over the world.These oils were used for anointing the Pharaohs in times of prayer, war and love.

Ebers Papyrus ( the Ebers papyrus, is anEgyptian compilation of medical texts dated about 1550 bc, one of the oldest known medical works. The scroll contains 700 magical formulas and folk remedies meant to cure afflictions) 1500BC contains one of the earliest recorded recipes for a body deodorant to be discovered, demonstrating that Egyptian physicians had a thorough knowledge of the properties of a large number of herbs.

The use of perfume was especially important to the Egyptians and was closely linked with religion. In fact, it was so important, that each Egyptian god was assigned a particular fragrance, which was often used to anoint their statues. Some prescriptions and formulae to improve sanitation have also survived, being recorded on stone tablets.  

Preservation Ritual 

The Ancient Egyptians were experts at using plant resins, essences in embalming and to perfume the temples. When the tomb of Tutankhamen was opened in 1922, by Howard Carter and his team, several pots and jars were discovered which contained scented unguents of frankincense, Indian Spikenard and kyphi  – they had been sealed for over 3,000 years.

The strong antiseptic and antibacterial properties of oils were used to embalm the dead, assisting in prevention of flesh decomposition, with the intention of preserving mummies for 3,000 years. It was believed it took 3,000 years for the soul to pass through all the animals of the earth and then back into a human being.

In Ancient Egypt the dead were rubbed with cedarwood oil, which has a preservative effect, during mummification. The same applies to preserving ancient papyrus scrolls.

Cedarwood oil was also used as incense or as an additive in hair and skincare products.

Being able to read and decipher secret recipes on Ancient Egyptian clay tablets was made possible by using salves, pastes and incense made with pure natural oils.

Perfumes were also dedicated to a deity in Ancient Egyptian mythology, Nefertem, the god who protected perfumes, salves and anointing oils.

Frankincense, myrrh, galbanum, cinnamon, cedarwood, juniper berry, and spikenard are all known to have been used at some stage to preserve the bodies of their Royalty in preparation of the afterlife.

Extensive knowledge of the Egyptian beauty regimes can be credited to the burial customs and preservations of artifacts through the use of oil.

Ancient Perfumes

One of the well known Egyptians perfumes at this time, was Kyphi. Kyphi, is an ancient Egyptian incense which is considered to be the first perfume created.  Ancient scripts have also stated that Kyphi was used for to relieve anxiety and brighten dreams.  Kyphi contained a mixture of 23 different ingredients, that included cassia, cinnamon, peppermint, citronella, juniper, acacia, henna,  cedarwood, frankincense, myrrh, raisins to name a few. 

Use of essential oils in antiquity

Ritual 

The advanced Egyptian cultures used perfumes and parts of plants for therapeutic, cosmetic and ritual purposes.  Pure natural oils played an important role in Egyptian ceremonies; they were used to purify the air within ceremony

Medical

The scented essences were used for medical purposes in the form of baths, ambient perfumes and massage oils, as well as medicine.  A well known use was  incorporated into salves and pastes. 

Start of aromatherapy in medicine

The French chemist and perfumer René-Maurice Gattefossé appreciated the effects of essential oils by chance around 1920 and caused a resurgence in aromatherapy. During a chemical experiment in his laboratory, Gattefossé burnt his arm and immersed it in the nearest liquid, luckily a barrel of lavender oil. The pain quickly subsided, the burns healed very quickly and did not leave any scars, to Gattefossé’s amazement. This moment was the start of the scientific study of the healing properties of essential oils. René-Maurice Gattefossé, devoted his life to researching pure natural oils for therapeutic, medical and aesthetic purposes.

 

Jumping back to Present time 

What is Aromatherapy today? 

Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It enhances both physical and emotional health.

When aromatherapy is mentioned today, we mean the process of essential oils to treat mood disorders and alleviate pain.  The oils are also used to increase wellbeing.

Aromatherapy is regarded as a form of phytotherapy (plant-based healing) and is used around the world. In many countries aromatherapy is even part of medical treatment in schools.

Aromatherapy for Healing

Over the last 30 years aromatherapy has become increasingly well known in holistic healing modalities with proven effectiveness of essential oils for body and soul.

 Today, aromatherapy is more frequently the focus of scientific studies, being recognized as a branch of medicine. Over 17,000 articles on aromatherapy have appeared in international high-level scientific publication.

How to use Aromatherapy for your RELAX 

Inspirational use of Essential Oils 

There are many different ways that you can start to incorporate essential oils into your daily RELAX routine.

A diffuser, is a great choice to start your journey, a device that disperses essential oils into the air through a gentle mist. You can try a diffuser in your work space, living room or bedroom to get into your RELAX.

What’s considered a RELAXing scent will vary from person to person, but here are some well known scents based on their well-documented RELAXing properties:

*It important to note that when you start your journey into the world of essential oils, ensure you are buying  from a reputable outlet that does not use oils polluted with synthetic materials, fillers or toxins.

*Not all essential oils are created equal and buying the right product will make a world of difference when using them to assist in reducing anxiety. It is very important to educate yourself on how to use essential oils safely.  

Ancient Egyptian Credit and Thank YOU

There is a great deal of historical evidence, that we explored today, that ancient Egyptians used essential oils for medicinal, spiritual, and cosmetic applications to establish the foundation of what we know, today, as modern aromatherapy. 

Thank you for this beautiful gift to the world that has lasted generations