Since man discovered fire, they have undoubtedly been aware of the potent power of burning herbs and spices.

All ancient cultures have left behind evidence of using Aromatherapy, but in my belief it is the Ancient Egyptians who left behind the most persuasive legacy.

While other civilizations were using Aromatic Substances for medicinal purposes exclusively, the Ancient Egyptians had incorporated it into all aspects of their life.

Records dating back to 4500 BC tell of perfumed oils, scented barks and resins, of spices, aromatic vinegars, wines and beers all used in medicine, ritual, astrology, beautification and embalming.

The importance of body care to the Ancient Egyptians is illustrated in records which show that sufficient body oil for daily use was one of the basic supplies, issued in the form of wages paid to even the lowliest workers. According to an inscription on the Pyramid of Cheops, every morning the workers involved in building the monumental Pyramid were given a clove of garlic each to provide them with strength and good health.

Translations of hieroglyphics inscribed on Papyri in the Temple of Edfu indicate that aromatic substances were blended to specific formulations by the High Priests and alchemists to make perfumes and medicinal potions.

It is widely believed that Imhotep, the great vizier, scribe, physicians, priest and adviser to Third Dynasty King Djoser was responsible for the introduction of Aromatherapy but as this tomb has never been discovered, this cannot be definitively proven. He was, however, identified as a God of wisdom and medicine.

A healing sanctuary was dedicated to Imhotep within the confines of Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir-el-Bahri on the west bank of the Nile. Queen Hatsheupsut was so enthralled by the potency of Aromatic fragrances that she led an expedition to the land of Pont to bring back precious resins, incenses, spices, and fragrant woods which she then had planted on the terraces of her Temple.

In 1962 the unguents of oil found in the Tomb of Tutankamun were sent to France for analysis. Among the Essential Oils discovered were Frankincense, Myrrh, Spikenard, and Black Seed Oil, all of which were discernible even though they had been placed there in 1400, BC.

The Ancient Egyptian embalming process was based primarily on principles of Aromatherapy. They obviously knew about the antiseptic and antibiotic properties of plants and how they could be utilized in the preservation process. Even now when mummies are unwrapped, traces of Cedarwood and Myrrh are still perceptible on the inner bandages.

Incense was widely used in Ancient Egypt for a variety of purposes, but was especially prized as an offering to the Gods. The most famous incense called "Kyphi", which was make of 16 ingredients, was burned at sunset to appease the Gods as they began their journey into the Underworld and to ensure the safe return of Ra (the Sun God) the next morning. While the exact composition of Kyphi is now known, it contained raisins, wine, honey, Myrrh, sweet rush, asphalathos, juniper, cypress, grass, cassis, cinnamon, cardamom and spinekard. According to Plutarch, it could "heal the soul" and "rock a person to sleep, create pleasant dreams and chase away the troubles of the day. Burning Kyphi in the evening is sure to bring the gift of peace and quiet."

We owe a wealth of our current information on Aromatherapy to the Ancient Egyptians, who it could be said invented the word holistic.

For them, beauty, magic and medicine were inseparable and to be healthy, attractive and magically protected one must also maintain high standards of hygiene.