The History of Aromatherapy and Essential Oils through Modern Times

The 16th Century saw the birth of the apothecary, and it would be a fixture in every city and town for hundreds of years to come and lead to the creation of the modern pharmacy. It was also during this time that a change started occurring. During the 16th and 17th Centuries, there started to be a divergence between those using herbs and plants for perfumes and those using them to heal. Perfumes were still highly prized among women, and in fact women would go to the jeweler and have special bottles made to hold their treasured blend. However, apothecaries became more for the medicinal preparations of herbs and in many cities and towns, the local doctor or healer would either own the apothecary, or would work out one. An example of this can be seen in the apothecary in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where visitors can see the office in the back of the store, with the jars and bottles of ingredients and the huge mortar and pestle in the front on the counter.

During the 19th Century, science advanced and the ability to isolate individual properties of the essential oils could be identified. We still use those individual properties today when mixing blends to treat the ailments of patients.

As the 20th Century dawned, this increasing knowledge of the individual constituents of each oil led to the modern pharmaceutical industry. These properties were used as a basis to create synthetic fragrances for the perfume industries and a variety of others, as well as being used to synthesize modern pharmaceuticals. One well known example of this is the drug Valium, which is commonly used for anxiety and insomnia, among other conditions. Valium is a synthesized version of Valerian Root, which is still widely available today and is also used for anxiety and insomnia.

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