Hey there! 👋🏻
Long before essential oils became part of our skincare, massage, and wellness routines, they were already shaping civilizations. The history of essential oils spans Babylon, Egypt, India, China, and the Roman Empire, where they were treasured for healing, beauty, food preservation, and spiritual rituals. 💫 A fascinating read, like opening a time capsule filled with temples, trade routes, and ancient healing wisdom. Curious too? Let’s get to it!
Essential Oils in Ancient Babylon and Egypt
The earliest records go back to Babylon around 2000–1000 BC, where aromatic plants and spices were traded across South and Central Asia. 🫚 These weren’t just prized for fragrance—they were medicine, sacred offerings, and cultural treasures.
In ancient Egypt, essential oils such as chamomile, frankincense, and myrrh were elevated into powerful tools for medicine, cosmetics, and religious ceremonies. They were even used in the mummification process, with inscriptions in temples like Deir el-Bahari, Philae, and Edfu describing aromatic rituals. Cleopatra, herself, was said to have used fragrant oils and perfumes quite a lot, sailing to meet Mark Antony with scented sails. A boss queen move, if I do say so myself. 👑
China, India, and the Healing Power of Aromatics
At the same time, China was embracing incense and aromatic oils as early forms of aromatherapy, cleansing environments and harmonizing health. ☯️ India’s Ayurveda placed essential oils like sandalwood, jasmine, and saffron at the center of healing practices, using them in massages, steam baths, and rituals to balance the body’s doshas.
The Greeks and Romans followed suit, integrating essential oils into their daily lives. Roman baths, famous for luxury and indulgence, often included aromatic oils to relax the body and elevate the senses. 🛀🏻
The Islamic Golden Age and the Science of Distillation
Essential oils entered a new chapter during the Islamic Golden Age. Scholars such as Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber), Al-Kindi, and Avicenna refined the art of extracting oils, with Avicenna credited for perfecting steam distillation—a method still central in modern aromatherapy. ♨️
Albucasis (Abū al-Qāsim al-Zahrawī), in his medical encyclopedia Kitab al-Tasrif, described distillation techniques and therapeutic uses of oils, even classifying fragrant substances based on their qualities. This era transformed essential oils from cultural practice into a science that would influence medicine and perfumery worldwide.
Essential Oils Across Healing Traditions
What’s striking is how these oils were never just about scent. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger balanced Qi. In Ayurveda, sandalwood and jasmine restored harmony. In Unani medicine, oils were categorized by temperament—hot and dry like amber, or cold and wet like fig—and applied through baths, inhalation, and massage. 💆🏻
Religious and spiritual rituals also leaned on oils like frankincense and myrrh, which supported meditation and connected people to the divine. 🙏🏻Across continents, essential oils were medicine, ritual, beauty, and comfort rolled into one.
From Ancient Aromatherapy to Oleia Oils
Fast forward to today, and the uses feel wonderfully familiar. Lavender and chamomile still ease stress and support sleep. Peppermint and eucalyptus help us breathe easier. Tea tree oil remains a staple for acne and skin care, while rosemary is loved for hair and scalp health. Modern science now confirms the antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and even anti-aging benefits that ancient civilizations trusted for centuries. 🤩
Essential oils have carried wisdom through centuries, and today, Oleia blends that heritage with modern science. By a biochemist combining essential oils with olive oil, moringa, pomegranate seed oil and more, Oleia offers a natural way to soothe pain, calm stress, and protect the body at a cellular level—continuing the role that oils have played for thousands of years. ✨
And that, my friend, is how essential oils went from ancient temples and royal baths straight into our daily lives. From calming stress to soothing aches, boosting beauty, and even fighting off germs, these little bottles of magic have been doing their thing for thousands of years—and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. 🌿
Show me your bottle and I’ll show you mine? ’Til next time! 😊
xo, L
Reference:
Aromatherapy: Historical, Phytochemical Insights, and Therapeutic Applications, Chadi Khatib
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/1197168