AromatherapyThe origins of Aromatherapy date back 5,000 years. Ancient man depended on the natural world around him for all his basic needs. He soon discovered the benefits of using herbs and aromatics to treat ailments.Aromatherapy as we know it today dates back to the Egyptians who used a method of infusion to extract oils from aromatic plants which were then used in medicine, cosmetics and embalming. Ancient China also used aromatics particularly in religious ceremonies using incense and wood burning, this still continues in China today.Following the Egyptian example, the Greeks then the Romans experimented with oils and their popularity led to trade routes allowing oils and spices to be bought from exotic countries such as India and Arabia.With the decline of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages the practices virtually died out, but today their benefits have been rediscovered and Aromatherapy is as popular now as it was with the Ancients.
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