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A Brief History of Essential Oils
According to “The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils” by Julia Lawless, noted aroma therapy expert, essential oils have been used for the last 4000 years as evidenced by the discovery of a terracotta distillation apparatus in the Indus Valley dating to that time. Essential Oils are highly concentrated essences of plant materials extracted by diffusion, distillation or expression. Often the ratio of plant material to oil is extraordinary; one TON of rose petals are needed to produce 300ml of rose oil!
Only those oils produced from whole plants, and not synthetic “natural identical” oils can provide the molecules which stimulate the limbic system, therefore, essential oils should not be confused with other materials which claim to have a therapeutic effect. Essential oils contain plant hormones and natural insecticides, antifungal and antibacterial substances, not found in fragrance oils. Essential oils can be irritating to mucous membranes and some are toxic if used improperly. (For a list of dangerous essential oils visit www.holisitconline.com.)
Documents describing the proper use of essential oils are some of the most ancient manuscripts ever written. The ancient Egyptians documented the use of essential oils as fumigants and therapeutic substances over 2800 years ago; the inhabitants of the Indus Valley recorded the use of formulations compounded of essential oils and other plant materials as medicines in the Vedas nearly 3000 years ago. The Greeks and Romans also had an extensive history of using essentials oils as well, this knowledge was lost to Europe once Christianity became the official religion of Rome and was not recovered until the Arab invasions of Europe. Not until the 20th Century did essential oils return to use in modern medicine courtesy of the French perfumier Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. In one of those fortuitous accidents famous in scientific investigation, he noticed that the essential oil of lavender healed a severe burn on his hand and prevented scar formation. Gattefosse is responsible for the term “aroma therapy” in 1928. Another Frenchman, Dr. Jean Valumet documented his successful use of essential oils to treat patients in his practice for specific medical and psychiatric complaints in 1964. In the ensuing decades, aroma therapy has become popular with the masses once again, and scientific inquiry has followed suit. The essential oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is approved by the FDA, CDC and EPA as an alternative to DEET. Mothers everywhere use lavender scented baths and sachets to calm cranky children and as a safe insect repellent.
There are many uses for essential oils not listed here. If you’d like to learn more about aroma therapy I recommend the following books and websites.
The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils, by Julia Lawless
The Essential Oils Book, by Colleen K. Dodt
www.holisticonline.com, and www.pureproducts.net
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Note: All prices in US Dollars
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