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Aromatherapy Massage

sometimes receive mail from men that ask how they can include aromatherapy in their daily lives without risk of being teased or feeling effeminate. Some men have even written to ask if they can use aromatherapy. I sympathize with these questions. I am certain that wrongful American social stereotypes and ignorant views about aromatherapy, natural health and masculinity are coming into play by those who negatively tease men about their pursuit of aromatherapy.

Holistic aromatherapy isn't just for women!

Men have played a huge role in aromatherapy since its onset. The term aromatherapy was originally coined in the early 20th century by Ren?Maurice Gattefoss? a French male chemist. Robert Tisserand is the English aroma therapist who is hugely responsible for bringing the knowledge of aromatherapy to English speaking nations. For this article, I planned to include a sidebar that listed the men who have held a prominent position within the field of aromatherapy. As I was compiling the list, I realized that it was absurdly long. And I risked possibly forgetting (and thus offending!) many additional men whose work I admire.

To get back to the point at hand, aromatherapy is not a health modality just for women. I am actively involved in aromatherapy and natural skin care on a daily basis and there are as many men as women (possibly more) professionally involved in aromatherapy and natural skin care.

Both genders can take advantage of the emotional, physical and therapeutic benefits of floral essential oils. But even if you want to skip on the floral and/or skip on the baths, there is a wide range of ways that you can enjoy aromatherapy and there are a large array of essential oils that possess an earthy, spicy and masculine aroma.

History Of Aromatherapy Massage

In brief, aromatherapy is the use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. Although the term aromatherapy was not used until the 20th Century, the foundations of aromatherapy date back thousands of years. The use of essential oils in particular date back nearly one thousand years.

The Chinese may have been one of the first cultures to use aromatic plants for well-being. Their practices involved burning incense to help create harmony and balance.

Later, the Egyptians invented a rudimentary distillation machine that allowed for the crude extraction of cedar wood oil. It is also thought by some that Persia and India may have also invented crude distillation machines, but very little is known.

Oils of cedar wood, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and myrrh were used by the Egyptians to embalm the dead. When a tomb was opened in the early 20th century, traces of the herbs were discovered with intact portions of the body. The scent, although faint, was still apparent. Although the cedarwood the Egyptians used was distilled by a crude distillation process, the other oils the Egyptians used were most likely infused oils.

The Egyptians also used infused oils and herbal preparations for spiritual, medicinal, fragrant and cosmetic use. It is thought that the Egyptians coined the term perfume, from the Latin per fumum which translates as through the smoke. Egyptian men of the time used fragrance as readily as the women. An interesting method that the men used to fragrance themselves was to place a solid cone of perfume on their heads. It would gradually melt and would cover them in fragrance.