Defining Aromatherapy



Aromatherapy is an incredible holistic and complementary therapy that is gaining recognition more and more each year. However, in the United States especially, the term has often been used as a meaningless buzz word to sell you smelly products. As a result aromatherapy is often misunderstood and very much undervalued by the general public. In this first lesson I will try to shed some light on what aromatherapy actually is.

Defining aromatherapy can be a difficult task in some ways. This is primarily because of the common misuse of the word. This misuse in addition to some of the elitist behaviors in the essential oil world itself has led to a gross lack of understanding by the common person. That is not to say all people who deal with essential oils are snobs by any means but I have witnessed personally certain people who work in the field behave snobbishly towards the public. Instead of making polite conversation and attempting to enlighten them they simply turn their nose up at the “obvious stupidity” and leave them flapping in the wind. When I witness this it annoys me to no end. If it has not been for the kindness of the woman mentioned in my last post I may have never had the same depth of understand I do now. She was kind to me and helpful in my quest for knowledge, despite my young age at the time.

I think that knowledge should be shared. Learning is vital to life and kindness is a virtue to cultivate. So here I will pass the kindness forward. I will teach you as best I can.

To begin with lets start with some history.

There is virtually no group of people in the history of humanity who has not at some time used plants for medicinal purposes. Aromatherapy is the use of aromatics or aromatic plants to support well being. Modern aromatherapy, as most people know it today, is quite young and has a rather short history. However, the history of medicinal and aromatic plants has an ancient lineage indeed.

Our primitive ancestors may have learned that smoke from a certain herb or berry dropped into the fire made them feel calm or opened there chest to breath easier. The Egyptians used resins, barks, oils and balsams for medicine, food preparation, spiritual activities and burials. It is thought that the Greeks learned much of there aromatic knowledge from the Egyptians and of course added there own experience to the history of it’s use. Hippocrates, considered to be the “father of western medicine” and a renowned Greek physician, is often quoted has having said, “the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day” And, of course, the Romans where well known for there decadent aromatic bathhouses.

In the middle ages aromatics where often burned in the streets and in homes to ward off infections and the bubonic plague. It is commonly suspected that tanners, perfume and glove makers where often immune to the plague because they where constantly surrounded by the aromatic essential oils of there trade.


During the eighteenth century essential oils where used extensively and much research was being done on their medicinal properties. However this was also a time that a growing specialization of medicine was occurring, which would eventually attempt to take medicine out of the hands of the common person. In the nineteenth century the family doctor was established.

In many ways the history of aromatherapy is the history of herbal medicine. Aromatherapy as we know it today, however, is a modern development based on how these aromatic plants where previously used. For this I would most like to thank Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who coined the term in 1937 and the respective Gattefosse family.


Rene-Maurice Gattefosse



Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was the son of Louis Gattefosse, who owned and operated the Gattefosse perfume business, which still remains today. During Rene’s youth perfumes where still created with a mixture of natural essential oils, alcohol extracts and floral pomades. He, his father and brother worked closely together to define the compositions under which perfumes where prepared to set a standard of quality in strength and odor.

One of my most lovingly prized possessions, a gift from my husband, is a book called, “Formulary of Perfumes and Cosmetics” by R.M. Gattefosse. This first American edition published in 1959 being the English translation and revision of the French text published by the family in 1906, 1911 and 1920.

The original publication being based on the efforts for mentioned.

Due to this connection to essential oils for there perfumery business Gattefosse was already well connected with the herbal trade but it was not until the now famous laboratory explosion took place that aromatherapy, as we know it, came to be.

The story has been retold just a little different here and there but here is the quote from Rene’s book, “Aromatherapie” (1937)

“…External applications of small quantities of essential oils rapidly stops the spread of gangrenous sores. In my personal experience, after a laboratory explosion covered me with burning substances which I extinguished by rolling on a grassy lawn, my hands where covered with a rapidly changing gas gangrenous. Just one rinse with lavender oil stopped the gasification of the tissue. This treatment was followed by profuse sweating and healing began the next day. (July 1910)….”

Rene-Maurice Gattefosse had some 50 years experience with essential oils before he wrote this book. It is was this above mentioned incident that led him to a lifelong passion and commitment for uncovering the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. He is the forefather of “aromatherapy” and therefore aromatherapy is defined, most simply as “the therapeutic application or use of aromatic substances (essential oils).”

In addition to the Gattefosse family, Dr Jean Valnet was another individual who contributed greatly to the shape of modern aromatherapy. Dr. Valnet was trained as a traditional physician at the University of Lyon in 1945. By 1953 he began his research into essential oils. He focused mainly on the best methods of application as well as dosage levels needed for maximum benefit without risk of side effects. During World War II Dr Valnet was successful at treating the wounds of war by using essential oils as antiseptics. He additionally created a number of effective remedies for issues ranging from skin conditions, respiratory conditions, muscular aches and pain and so on, utilizing essential oils. In 1964 he published, “The practice of aromatherapy” and it has since grown to be considered a classical text on the subject.

Also, Marguerite Maury deserves special notice as she pioneered the dermal application of essential oils for both psychological and physiological benefits gained threw pathways of the skin. She also is notable for emphasizing the importance of the individual. Thus contributing to an evolution of aromatherapy.
In modern practice, aromatherapy is dynamic, diverse and often divided. This is perhaps a reflection of both the industries youth and seemingly endless growth.

In England, holistic or traditional aromatherapy was made popular threw standardization. There a standard aromatherapy program includes, basic pathology, basic counseling skills, basic nutrition, anatomy and physiology, Swedish massage and basic reflexology. Oh, and of course, Essential oil therapeutics. This is to a lesser degree similar to many of the more comprehensive massage therapy programs offered in the united states. However, aromatherapy as a standardized practice has yet to be established in the US.

The original introduction of aromatherapy into the US mainstream was threw the retail and gift industries rather than threw the profession. With this original introduction so came poor quality oils and synthetic fragrances being sold as “the best of the best”. It’s no wonder that the average consumer is confused about what aromatherapy is and if there is a difference between essential oils and synthetics.

In my next article I will address this issue of synthetics vs. essential oils further.

I hope you have enjoyed this first lesson and that the content has been enlightening. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below and I will try to address them as either in return comment or in the next lessons as they follow.

A Special Announcement for the Aromatherapy enthusiast

I have decided to offer a free class on aromatherapy.

Topics will include things such as:

- What is Aromatherapy?
- Synthetic fragrance oils Vs Essential oils
- What are Essential oils?
- Chemistry concepts
- How smell effects the body
- How aromatherapy works when used for inhalation
- How dermal applications effect the body
- Blending basics
…and so much more

Before I get started I would first like to introduce myself a little bit and give some background on my experience with aromatherapy.

I first became interested in herbal therapies at a very young age. My grandparents raised me on a small three acre plot off the intracoastal waterway. We lived in a little, two bedroom cinderblock shack, we had a large garden, my grandfather fished and my grandmother made fishing nets and cared for our home. I was surrounded by nature and the wisdom of an older generation. The area we lived was primarily populated by people over the age of 50, give or take. As most of the residents in the area where retired and had grown children, I spent my days playing in the trees and along the water. I made friends with the elderly because there where rarely any children to play with. I also very much enjoyed listening to there stories of times gone by. The result was a deep love and respect for the land and the old ways of life.

During my early years in school the one topic that grabbed my interest most closely was that of mythology. I was fascinated by the far away lands and mysterious tales. I also had a keen interest in horses and read much about Arabian culture because of it’s relationship with then. I had been raised in a Christian home but around the age of ten or so I started having an interest in learning about other spiritual beliefs.

During the early 1990’s a social fascination with the topic of witchcraft came into play. Although it never overtook my spiritual beliefs about God, per say, it did impart a broader scope of cultural understanding to my life. Pagan cultures, especially, have continued to keep detailed records of herbalist lore and I took to the study of that very strongly.

By the age of twelve I was now more a part of the boarder world. While wandering downtown one day, exploring, I came across this little shop and was enormously enthralled by the strange products it held. It was filled with an intoxicating smell and the little brown bottles and herbalist books immediately drew me to adore every corner.

The shop owner, who I have now been acquainted with for well over fifteen year, was beautiful and wonderful. She had a mysterious air and a head full of long curly red hair. I asked her questions about her shop and she recommended to me my first book on aromatherapy, “The Aromatherapy Book” by Jeanne Rose. I still own that book to this day and it is still an irreplaceable asset in my ever broadening collection.

My first experiment was a concoction of a plain base cream mixed with rosemary oil. I was suffering with excessively oily hair due to the onset of puberty and made a hair mask with these basic ingredients. I slathered it on and soaked my hair in it for probably an hour. Once washed, my hair was beautiful and my oil problem greatly reduced like magic. I was hooked.

Over the years I continued to study and love essential oils, yet my formal education did not happen until many years later.

At the age of 25 I found myself a single mother in the process of a divorce. I was working for just better than minimum wage and made the decision to take a risk and enroll myself in college.

The subject that drew closeset to my heart was massage therapy. Over the course of my life not only had I continued to love essential oils and herbalist lore but I had also developed a healthy interest in medical science and alternative therapies. Massage seemed the way to go.

The coursework for the program was two years and in addition to the massage technique we also had intensive study in anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, pathology and of course spa and aromatherapy. My aromatherapy class with the highlight of my studies there and in retrospect, where aromatherapy degrees available in the US, I might have gone that route rather than massage.

I graduated and am still a licensed massage and bodywork therapist but my real passion resides in aromatherapy.

So how did I get from there to here? Well a couple years ago I got the idea to utilize my interest in cosmetics and chemistry to make products for my friends and family for Christmas. Being a family with three children money gets tight, especially during the holidays.

I began an extensive study into making balms and salves. I also did a fair deal of research on the FDA and it’s requirements for the distribution of home made cosmetics.

I made lip balms, body butters and candles for Christmas and afterwards I decided to open an online store to share some of my best creations.

The store did well but I was unprepared for the demand and after 6 months closed shop to get myself in better order and to prepare better for the demand. I actually have plans to reopen in January of 2012.

In the meanwhile I also though I might start work on a book of my own. An encyclopedia of sorts for aroma therapists. However, after many extensive hours of research and work the book was lost via a massive virus that got onto my computer. The result of this virus being that my entire operating system has to be wiped and reinstalled. I lost everything.

A close friend of mine has since commented over and over, “When are you going to get back to your book?” I told her recently that I would begin re writing it in January. It so happened that I had started this blog a few months back to just randomly vent and write about what interested me. If your already a reader of my blog then you’re aware that over the last month my obsessions have been the topic of soap and aromatherapy. It was a no brainier. Why not use this medium to write a class on aromatherapy? So here I am.

I have already begun the writing process and will begin posting my lessons soon. However, I also understand that we‘re all focused on the holiday season right now so I have decided to wait until after Christmas to officially begin.

Feel free to leave comments and Please subscribe if this interests you so you wont miss the upcoming topics.
　Thanks for readings and Happy Holidays!