For centuries, essential oils have played an important role in healing and aromatherapy. Thought to be among the oldest and most powerful restorative applications known, these oils have been widely admired for centuries throughout the ancient world for their magical, mood enhancing properties.
Oils such as myrrh, frankincense, lotus and sandalwood were popular in ancient Egypt for purifying and embalming bodies as a part of their mummification rituals. The Egyptians were one of the first civilisations to understand the restorative effects of these truly powerful potions. Indeed, when Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened, there among the artefacts were numerous jars of essential oil residue.
Remedies and prescriptions for essential oils dating to 1500 BC have been found, revealing the diverse properties of over 800 different herbs and flowers studied by our ancient ancestors, demonstrating they had successfully developed a distillation process.
During the Middle Ages when the famous epidemic of The Bubonic Plague struck killing millions of people, a band of four thieves took advantage of the situation by proceeding to steal and pillage from the sick and dying. When the thieves were eventually captured and tried, they were offered leniency if they would divulge the secret formula that had rendered them immune to the fatal Black Death, and enabled them to come into contact with hundreds of infected corpses. The thieves revealed they were originally spice merchants by trade but during the epidemic, international shipping had been brought to a halt, and the spice traders had to find other ways to support themselves and their families. They discovered, quite by chance, that by covering themselves with a home-made concoction of highly anti-bacterial aromatics, they effectively immunised themselves from the disease. You will find (one of the versions of) The Four Thieves recipe below. Through the centuries, the distillation of plants and herbs has been harnessed to develop perfumes, cosmetics and eventually pharmaceuticals.
Aromatherapy and essential oils began to grow in the twentieth century after the French cosmetic chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé stumbled on their benefits. During an experiment, Gattefossé accidentally set his arm on fire and, in his panic, he plunged his arm into what he believed to be water, only to find out it was pure lavender oil. Remarkably, the oil began to quickly sooth the burn and after repeated applications the wound healed with little scarring. This intrigued the chemist and he began to investigate the healing properties and benefits of this soothing oil. It was not long before he was studying the healing affects and properties of other essential oils. Thanks to his extensive research, this soon saw the beginning of essential oils being developed for clinical use. For example, they were used extensively throughout World War Two to treat wounded soldiers and to heal gangrene.
Studies were later extended, not only into the healing benefits of these oils, but the many antibacterial antifungal and antiseptic properties they naturally harbour. These highly concentrated oils demonstrate particularly effective antimicrobial properties, which makes them an essential addition to your home-made cleaning kit. Not only do they make your products smell extraordinary, they disinfect, purify, de-grease, cleanse and remove sticky residue and stains, without the addition of one toxic chemical.
Tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender and lemon oil are particularly functional, cost-effective and easy to obtain. Don’t be afraid to combine essential oils to create your own aromatic blends. Peppermint mixes especially well with other essential oils popular for cleaning, including lavender, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary.
Distilled from various elements of fruits, plants, including flowers, leaves, bark and rind, these powerful oils contain the true essence of the plant or fruit from which they are derived. Essential oils are amazingly potent and highly concentrated. Their intoxicating aromas can elevate or enhance our moods. They have been used widely for thousands of years to create feelings of emotional calm and spiritual wellbeing.
It is possible to obtain almost any plant, herb or fruit in essential oil form, which makes them invaluable for producing effective home-made cleaning formulas. Not only does a few drops of your favourite oil transform a bland solution into a delicious fragrant potion, but the correct oils can add extra strength by increasing their cleansing properties.