The beauty of modern aromatherapy diffusers is that you can tuck them away in a corner, and they’ll fill your space with aromas that inspire happiness and bliss. More incredible still is the fact that these unobtrusive devices have a rich history that spans millennia. To use an aroma diffuser is to add your voice to a story that’s been handed from person to person for the duration of recorded history. To prove this point, let’s dust off the history books and take a look at some of the most interesting moments from the history of aromatherapy.
1. You could once pay for goods with essential oils
Imagine going to your local grocery store, and when the cashier offers you the payment options, essential oils are on the list. As ridiculous as that would be in the 21st century, it was a completely normal thing in ancient Egypt, India, and China. Oils were loved for practical and aesthetic reasons and were used in ceremonies and for healing purposes. As a luxury item, their purchasing power was strong.
2. Essential oils are our link to ancient Egypt
Without cedarwood oil, we would likely know very little about ancient Egypt. Both papyrus scrolls and mummies were rubbed with the essential oil, which did a marvelous job of preserving them for millennia.
Some of the deciphering work done on ancient Egyptian clay tablets also involved essential oils. By revealing the ancient recipes for incense, salves, and other products made from essential oils, archaeologists have furthered our collective understanding of this ancient culture.
3. Aromatherapy eased the horror of the black death
The bubonic plague of the 14th century killed somewhere in the range of 75-200 million people over a period of around seven years. Though it hadn’t yet officially been dubbed aromatherapy, the practice played an important role in helping people deal with the horrors of the plague. Whether or not the herbs and oils had any medicinal effect is unclear. However, their aromas certainly helped mask the heavy smell of death that otherwise clung to the air, and this gave people the will to persevere.
4. Essential oils have gone to war
Aromatherapy was formalized in 1937 with the publication of Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales, a book written by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé. Though it wasn’t translated to English for nearly 60 years, the book’s ideas still influenced every one of those decades.
Gattefossé claimed that he had successfully treated his badly burned hand with lavender oil. So, during WWII, when medical supplies were low, French surgeon Jean Valnet began using essential oils to treat wounded soldiers.
5. The modern world is torn
In modern times, aromatherapy is hotly debated. Essential oils can be a health risk for people with allergies or sensitive skin. There are also problems surrounding the fact that they are treated like a form of medicine by proponents, but since they aren’t medicines, they aren’t strictly regulated. Then, of course, there are the unscrupulous MLMs that have sprung up around the industry, adding yet another layer of controversy.
Much of the evidence supporting the efficacy of aromatherapy is anecdotal, and more scientific research is needed. However, two things are certain – essential oils smell divine, and if you have some papyrus you need to preserve, cedarwood oil will get the job done.
The next time you drop some eucalyptus or lavender oil into your aromatherapy diffuser, you’ll know you’re taking part in an ancient tradition that’s been part of human life for centuries.
Feature Image – Photo: Eva Elijas/Pexels
