Where Did the Use of Essential Oil Begin? Part ll

History of Essential Oils 

by Dr. Josh Axe

Aromatic plant oils are a vital component of ancient culture that dates back to nearly the beginning of time. It appears that it was the Egyptians who first made the extensive use of herbs with distillation methods around 3,500 B.C. 

When King Tut's tomb was opened, 350 liters of essential oils were were discovered in alabaster jars. It's been documented that Cleopatra, who was famous for her beauty and charm, owned the first spa near the dead sea where she used essential oils for her personal beauty treatments. 

Also, essential oils were used by Moses, and were referenced in the Bible. In fact, in the book of Exodus, when the Lord refers to holy anointing oil, it was a specific formula God recommended.

This formula was used to anoint priests and kings. And, this holy anointing oil was used when someone went to the priest for healing. The oil was poured unto their head, and they were prayed for. And this wasn't just a ritual, this oil was known to have powerful properties. 

Dr. Axe related:

"In the Bible, essential oils are referenced 264 times and 33 different types of oils are mentioned."

In the book of Numbers 16, Moses tells the high priest Aaron to burn oils as incense to stop a plague. Cinnamon  have powerful antibacterial properties that can help balance the digestive tract and defend the body. Other essential oils used frequently during that time period include frankincense, hyssop, spikenard and cedarwood.

The wisdom then sailed accross the Meditirranean and evidently reached Hippocrates who utilize aromatherapy to enhance massage techniques a few centuries before the coming of Christ. Somewhere in the midst of this knowledge transfer, China and India also started to employ herbal remedies and embraced essential oils extensively. 

Then, as the Bible tells us, 3 wise men gave the infant King of Israel gifts of gold to honor his royalty, frankincense as a perfume, and myrrh for anointing oil. Although there is probably some truth to this, other sources claim that the wise men from the far east were actually being more practical by giving the baby Jesus these precious, costly items that could double as potential health remedies. 

During that time, frankincense was used to support the immune system and healthy inflammation response. Myrrh was known to help recovery after pregnancy and support hormonal health. 

As civilizations transferred world power, the essential oil techniques from Greece traveled to Rome which favored aromatherapy and fragrances. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Persia picked up these techniques and perfected the essential oil distillation process. 

Sadly, the Dark Ages brought with it a disdain for Hippocrate's holistic approach. However, because the Catholic Church, viewed bathing as inappropriate, high esteem was given to aromatics, which coincidently are also antimicrobial, to keep foul odor at bay. Little did they know that their perfume was also helping stave off airborne germs. 

During this era, it's believed that Monks continued the tradition of essential oils and secretly kept herbal tradition alive in the halls of their monasteries. Unfortunately, traditional herbalism was viewed as "witchcraft," and many herbalists were either burned at the stake or persecuted. 

Thankfully, the Renaissance resurrected herbalism and physicians such as Paracelsus challenged his medical colleagues with testimonials of successfully using plant in patient's protocols. 

What we know as modern "aromatherapy" was not introduced formally until French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse first coined the phrase in 1937. Although he wasn't necessarily a natural health advocate, he became interested in essential oils after a 1910 accident where he badly burned his hand. Gattefosse used the first available salve in his laboratory - a pure undiluted lavender oil compound that not only immediately eased the pain, but aided in wound healing without infection or scar. 

Because of Gattefosse's work, Dr. Jean Valet used essential oils with injured soldiers in World War ll. This led to Margarite Maury being the first person to "individually recommend" essential oil combinations using a Tibetan technique for back massage applied to nerve ending along the spine. 

May I end this post about what Coco-Moringa Herbal Oil Mix can do to burns, wounds, cuts, bruises and swelling lumps that get healed . With the information from Dr. Axe's e-Book above about burns and wounds, I now understand that by combining coconut (super food), moringa, and betel makes a real powerful remedy because of its nutritious contents...a real natural remedy.

More in part 3...