The term aromatherapy was coined in 1937 by the French chemist Renaurice Gattefoss While working in his family's perfume laboratory, Dr. Gattefoss burned his hand. He knew lavender was used in medicine for burns and inflammation, and immediately immersed his hand in a container of pure lavender oil he had on his workbench. When the burn quickly lost its redness and began to heal, he was impressed enough by the oil's regenerative ability to begin researching the curative powers of other essential oils. This marked the beginning of the modern-day science of aromatherapy for the treatment of common sicknesses. In the United States, the popularity of aromatherapy has grown rapidly over the last ten years, fueled by the increasing demand for nontoxic and nonthreatening restorative therapies.

  Plants and their essential oils have been used therapeutically from ancient times in countries as diverse as Egypt, Italy, India, and China. In most of the world, plant essences remain popular as therapeutic agents and are utilized in everything from antiseptic creams and skin ointments to liniments for arthritic pain.