Brief History for Aromatherapy Although the term Aromatherapy was not coined until the late 1920s, the roots of this widely used method of plant-based therapy ran deep throughout our history. It is believed that the Egyptians invented the first distillation equipment, albeit rudimentary, and created oils infused with herbs for use in rituals, medicine, cosmetics, and perfumery. Years later Hippocrates (commonly referred to as the “Father of Medicine”) studied the effects of essential oils on health, and promoted their use for medicinal benefits. Fast forward a few hundred years, and a painful burn experienced by French chemist René-Maurice Gatttefossé gave birth to the word commonly used to describe the use of Hydrolats and essential oils today – Aromatherapy. While working in his laboratory, Gatttefossé quenched a bad burn when, out of reflex, he plunged his arm into the nearest liquid, a vat of Lavender water. He was amazed by how quickly it healed.
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