The use of aromatic oils in perfumes and in healing dates back over a thousand years but the term aromatherapy did not appear until 1918, credited to Rene-Maurice Gattefosse who coined the term in an article supporting their use without breaking them down. His accidental discovery of their use for medicinal purposes came when he severely burned his arm. He pushed his arm immediately into the nearest liquid, which turned out to be lavender oil. His arm headed quickly and left no scar.
Previously, oils from plants were used mainly as perfumes but the history of aromatherapy also shows the Egyptians used the oils from Cedar wood and other plants, including clove and cinnamon as embalming fluid. During the 19th century, perfume was a growing industry and chemists worked to isolate the essential oils of plants and vegetables.
In the next century the different parts of essential oils were separated to make synthetic drugs with many believing that by separating, the essential oils could have a profound effect on medicine. Along with the use of this new modern medicine, came synthetic fragrances and the perfume industry began to detract from the oils
