Welcome to the the History of Essential Oils
If you have found your way to this page, you may have noticed that talk of essential oils has been popping up all over the place lately. They seem to be the latest craze hitting the alternative healing world, but contrary to the belief of many, essential oils are not some new fad that has blown in and will blow out just as quickly. On the contrary, essential oils are no fad at all. They have been around for thousands of years and have been used medicinally, ceremonially, and aromatically for just as long.
Ancient Uses of Essential Oils
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| Alabaster Jar recovered from King Tutunkhamun's tomb |
Plants and plants as essential oils were the original medicines. Records date back to 4500 BC of the use of plant substances with aromatic properties used for medicinal, spiritual, and ceremonial applications. The Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical scroll over 870 feet long and dating back to 1500 BC, was discovered in 1817. In it was found over 800 different herbal remedies, many of these referring to essential oils. In this scroll, it is said, “Frankincense is good for everything from gout to a broken head.” Many other ancient scrolls, including the Bible, mention different essential oils such as myrrh, frankincense, pine, juniper, cinnamon, and spikenard. In 1922, King Tut’s tomb was discovered and with it 50 alabaster jars designed to hold 350 liters of oil. Because essential oils were known to be such a valuable commodity, tomb raiders chose to steal this precious oil over the other treasures that could have been taken from the tomb. The image on the left if of one of the alabaster jars found in King Tut’s tomb.
Egypt was not alone in its usage of essential oils for many purposes; other cultures also recognized the value of essential oils. Ancient civilizations from the Mediterranean and the Middle East studied and applied the use of essential oils. Hippocrates, the Greek “Father of Medicine,” studied at the school of Cos in Egypt where he learned many uses for essential oils. The Romans diffused essential oils in their temples, political buildings, and bath houses to purify, increase vigor, and ward off disease. Roman soldiers were known to rub a blend of essential oils on their feet to instill courage before going off to war. Essential oils were even used during the Middle Ages. During this time, an enterprising band of thieves used herbs and essential oils in a vinegar blend, known as Marseilles Vinegar, in an effort to ward off the Black Death while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying.
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| Terra cotta distillery from 350BC. Photographed by Gary Young in the museum in Taxila, Pakistan |
These ancient cultures used various methods of extracting essential oils from plant matter. One of the oldest methods of doing this was crushing plant matter and mixing it with animal fat to draw out the essential oils, which is known as effleurage. Other methods of removing essential oils from the plant included soaking plant parts in boiling water, cold pressing, soaking in alcohol, and steam distillation. The Ancient Arabians perfected the process of distillation. Young Living Essential Oils founder, Gary Young, has himself discovered many distilleries in his travels through the Middle East. In 1975, on an archeology trip in the Indus Valley, Dr. Paolo Rovesti recognized a distillation device made from terra cotta in the Taxila Museum in Pakistan dating to circa 3000BC. This is currently the oldest know distiller in the world. The image pictured to the left was photographed by Gary Young of a terra cotta distiller in the Taxilla Museum.
Modern Uses of Essential Oils
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| Mid- 20th Century French lavender distillation |
Unfortunately, over time the knowledge of the use of plants and essential oils for healing was largely lost, especially in the West. Essential oils were rediscovered again in the late 19th and early 20th century. During World War I, essential oils were used in military and civilian hospitals and were recognized for their antibacterial and wound healing qualities. In 1907, René-Maurice Gattefossé led a group of scientists in the research and study of essential oils. In his book, Aromatherapy, he documented the story of how he used essential oils to heal a severe wound he received when his lab exploded. The use of essential oils during World War II on battlefield injuries was prompted by the information shared by Gattefossé and his colleagues pertaining to the use of essential oils in his recovery. The success of this usage eventually led to continued research into essential oils, including their antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.
Today, Young Living continues to make history as we lead the way in improving the essential oil industry. By monitoring the process of the production of our essential oils from Seed to Seal we ensure we have the highest quality, most therapeutic essential oils on the market. Gary Young and a team of scientist that partner with him continue to innovate new ways to improve upon the cultivation, harvesting, distillation, and testing process as well as research plants and species to discover the many properties that contribute to the wellness of Young Living members around the globe.
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| Gary Young at French Distillery in the 90's |
As we can see, the use of essential oils is not a fad; they have been used for many purposes for thousands of years. Much research is being done to add to the plethora of historical information we have on these amazing oils. If historical evidence gives us any indication to their effectiveness, we can expect them to continue to be used long into the future. Maybe it’s time to take a look back into history to discover what we have forgotten about the information our ancestors knew and how they effectively used essential oils.
