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The practice of aromatherapy is believed to be over 6000 years old. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used aromatherapy in their baths, massage and even in the embalming process. Studies have proved that scents made from essential oils, have an effect on the brain and body.

Majority of people have their own personal experiences related to incidence that a specific smell evokes a sensory memory. Be it the lavender perfume mother used to wear or the warm tempting smell of baking cookies. Aromatherapy utilizes this same effect to address many health issues. Certain aromatherapy scents can induce reactions within the body, helping the person become relaxed, alert, and free of pain.

Aromatherapy Scents – Use

Essential oils can be used on their own or in mixture to create specific scents that can be used for a variety of conditions. Some studies have been conducted by using aromatherapy scents on mice in attempt to evaluate the incidence of response. The outcome was that certain scents like, sandalwood and lavender helped calm agitation in mice.

Aromatherapy scents are also beneficial since they cover a wide range of conditions. For instance, Clary Sage - that is characterized a warm, soothing smell, can be used in addressing conditions like muscular pain, asthma, throat and colic infections among others. Geranium is one of the scents which have a soothing and relaxing scent. Eucalyptus is used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, flu, colds, and skin conditions.

Both of the mentioned scents can help with skin problems including acne, broken capillaries, and bruises. Lavender is one of the scents with the widest range of application, and can be used in nervous disorders, depression, skin problems, shock, sprains, asthma, sunburns, flu and many others. Other useful scents, usually administered in form of scented candles, include Jasmine, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang – to name just a few.

From the historical perspective, aromatherapy scents have been successfully used for curing ailments, inducing relaxation, and supporting patients in becoming healthier in body and spirit. Nowadays, certain aromatherapy agents are used in commercial application. Studies indicate that when a Lavender scent is gently used with senior patients, they begin having less difficulty falling asleep, and many stop needing sleeping pills. The conclusion of Japanese research was that when certain scents, Lavender, Jasmine or Lemon, were administered, the mistakes in keyboard typing were dramatically reduced. The Lemon scent induced the biggest decrease in mistakes, they fell down for 54%. A Discovery of this mind-body-scent connection may lead towards a new path to health wellness.

The history of aromatherapy is nearly as long as our civilization. Although the term was first introduced in 20th century, the practice of using plants and plant oils for treating physical and mental ailments has been with us for thousands of years. Various cultures all over the globe are known to have studied and used aromatherapy methods for health benefit.

The Chinese people were among the first cultures that practiced the methods of aromatherapy. The famous Chinese Yellow Book of Internal Medicine is an old manuscript (dating back to 2500BC) that discusses a number of plants and their application in medical treatments. It is also known that the Chinese always used aromatic plants oils and incense in order to maintain a natural life balance. Even today, in China and related cultures, there is equally wide use of scents in creating a peaceful and healthy balance both at homes and at work places.

History of Aromatherapy – Egypt

There is a well documented usage of aromatherapy methods is ancient Egypt. Many papyruses dating back to 1^st century BC, describe the uses and methods of application of various plants. Some of the mentioned plants are still used and applied in the same way as was the case in ancient times. Ancient Egyptians, being advanced in a wide range of scientific areas, are proven to have used the plants in the procedures related to embalming for their dead. Egyptian culture was also advanced in sense that they kept a record of the body of knowledge for future generations.

History of Aromatherapy – Greece and Rome

Both civilizations have a long history in aromatherapy. Hippocrates, the famous philosopher and physician, was an advocate of aromatherapy use for both the fragrance benefits and the medicinal benefits. Many Greek people used certain plant oils for treating wounds and soothing inflammation.

In Rome, massage oils were used for treating the skin and other tissues following the baths. Romans also utilized aromatherapy for distilling and makeup techniques. There is the evidence that the history of aromatherapy in Rome comprised the use of aromatic fragrances.

History of Aromatherapy –Other Cultures

There is a number of other cultures that have the history of using aromatherapy over the centuries. In spite of the fact that this history of usage and records are scattered and not entirely conclusive, it is evident that aromatherapy had an important place in many cultures: European, Asian, African and Indian. Along with the exploration of the world, the cultures shared information from the world of aromatherapy – to our global benefit.