Essential oils have been used by many civilizations for thousands of years.
The art of aromatherapy was first perfected by the Egyptians: the antimicrobial properties of essential oils were an important part of the ancient Egyptians embalming process.
Aromatherapy was often associated with ritual and religious ceremonies in the ancient civilizations of India and China.
In the 10th century AD, Avicenna (Persian philosopher and scientist) perfected the art of distillation and wrote many books on the healing arts, including the use of essential oils. Avicenna used distillation to produce essential oils such as rose.
Exotic perfumes from the Middle East, and the use of floral waters became popular in Europe during the middle Ages.

Modern aromatherapy was founded in France by a French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé. Around 1910, Gattefossé discovered the healing properties of lavender essential oil when he applied it to a burn on his hand caused by an explosion in his laboratory. He then started to analyze the chemical properties of essential oils and how they were used to treat burns and skin infections. In 1928, Gattefossé created the term “aromathérapie”.
Dr. Jean Valnet was a surgeon in the French Army during World War II. There was a shortage of supplies and the standard medicines ran out, including antibiotics. He used natural essential oils to treat injuries. Many soldiers were saved because of his treatment with essential oils.
During World War II, the Australian army and navy incorporated tea tree essential oil in first aid kits as an official germicide

The concept of chemotype is a fundamental principle of modern scientific and medical aromatherapy. It was developed in 1975 by a French researcher, Pierre Franchomme. The chemotype (CT) is the original name identifying an essential oil from a botanical and biochemical point of view. Only knowledge of the chemotype can guarantee the therapeutic quality and safe use of an essential oil.

The first English book about aromatherapy, The Art of Aromatherapy, was written in 1977 by a British aromatherapist, Robert Tisserand. He defines aromatherapy as “a caring, hands-on therapy which seeks to induce relaxation, to increase energy, to reduce the effects of stress and to restore lost balance to mind, body and soul.”

Pierre Franchomme and Daniel Penoel are the authors of a reference book in aromatherapy: l’aromathérapie exactement. This book gave the therapeutic properties of essential oils a scientific foundation.