Aromatherapy involves the art and science of essential oils, which are applied to the body through massage. The essences that are absorbed through the skin, is a holistic therapy. Throughout recorded history, humans have been aware of the marked effects of scented plants on their minds, bodies and emotions. The techniques of massage and the use of plants are a very ancient form of healing. It is instinctual to rub an area of the body that is troubling you. The ancient Chinese had a system of massage over 5000 years ago, as did the ancient Egyptians, who were using aromatics 3000 years before Christ for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The Bible talks of "the laying on of hands," a form of healing usually practiced by holy men.

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To this present day Aromatherapy is largely credited to Rene Gattefosse. He was a chemist in his family's perfume company in the 1920's. Once he burnt his hand badly in a laboratory explosion. He immediately plunged his hand into a bowl of Lavender oil which he had close by. This soothed the pain and greatly enhanced the healing of his hand. Gattefosse became interested in the medicinal properties of the oils he was using. He did a great deal of research into the medicinal use of essential oils, and first coined the phrase 'aromatherapie' in a scientific paper published in 1928.

 

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