A brief history

Aromatherapy is thought by some to be a recent fad, however this is not true. For thousands of years extracts of plants have been used to heal as well as simply for pleasure. Herbs have been used to flavour and preserve foods as well as treat various ailments. Essential oils have been extracted from plants for similar purposes.

The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used essential oils for preservation and healing. In the Middle Ages oils and herb extracts were used and it is held that lavender helped stave off the Black Death for some.

When modern drugs became affordable and popular, the use of essential oils fell by the wayside in the Western World. However in the 20th century, a chemist called Rene Gatfosse, followed by Dr Jean Valnet, a french physician and later an Austrian biochemist called Marguerite Maury, redeveloped the western interest of aromatherapy.

Today essential oils are used in soaps, lotions, perfumes and kitchen cleaners.