Updated in January 2026. Reviewed by Dorene Petersen, ACHS Founding President
Aromatherapy has a rich and remarkable history that stretches across civilizations, continents, and spiritual traditions. While modern aromatherapy emphasizes evidence-informed applications and the safe and effective use of essential oils, its roots run deep into the ancient world. Exploring the origins of fragrance reveals how humans have long relied on aroma for memory, ritual, healing, and connection.
Let’s take a journey through time to see how fragrance evolved into what we know as aromatherapy today!
Early Uses of Fragrance
The human fascination with scent dates back thousands of years. As far back as 3000 BCE, ancient peoples in Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, China, and India discovered that inhaling aromas could evoke memories, emotions, and a sense of presence. They learned that certain scents helped imprint memories, so when the aroma was encountered again, the memory resurfaced.
Burning aromatic materials, oils, and incense became one of the earliest methods for releasing fragrance. During animal sacrifices or ceremonial offerings, incense was burned to mask strong odors, honor the gods, and create a more pleasing environment for participants.
China: Scent and the Six Harmonies
China was among the first to document aromatic use with great sophistication. Incense was believed to create six distinct “harmonies”—tranquil, reclusive, luxurious, beautiful, refined, and noble. These harmonies supported héxié (harmony), a core principle in Chinese philosophy. For the Chinese, fragrance was not merely sensory; it was a pathway to balance and cultivation of the inner life.
Egypt: Perfume, Ceremony, and Preservation
The Egyptians elevated fragrance to an art form and became one of the most influential cultures in the history of fragrance. Priests oversaw a thriving perfume industry, crafting aromatic blends for ceremonies, daily beauty rituals, mummification, and healing.
For daily life, Egyptians used fragrant oils to protect their skin from the heat and as part of beauty and hygiene rituals. At feasts, guests were perfumed with aromatic sprays, and women often wore cones of scented unguent on their heads, melting slowly to fragrance the air1.
Records show Egyptian use of aromatic essences as early as 4500 BCE. Their extraction techniques were surprisingly advanced, such as heating cedarwood in clay vessels and using wool fibers to capture essential oils. The aromatic compounds used in embalming were so effective that traces of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg have been found in mummified remains, with organic tissues preserved for thousands of years.
Greece: Perfume in Daily Life and Literature
The Greeks adopted and expanded on Egyptian aromatic practices. Essential oils and fragrant plants were used to purify the air, reduce household odors, and support spiritual rituals. Homer frequently referenced perfumes in the Iliad and Odyssey, illustrating the profound impact of fragrance on Greek life.
Rome: “Perfumum” and the Spread of Aromatic Traditions
Early Romans actually restricted the sale of exotic fragrances, but once exposed to Greek culture in Italy sparked a flourishing perfume culture. The term perfumum, meaning “through smoke,” reflects the Roman practice of burning aromatic herbs, echoing Greek traditions.
Europe: Aromatics on the Move
As Roman armies moved across Europe, they carried with them knowledge of aromatic plants, sowing the seeds of Western herbal and aromatic practice. These traditions continued to spread throughout England and the broader continent, evolving over centuries into modern herbal and aromatic practices in the West.
From Ancient Rituals to Modern Aromatherapy
The global history of fragrance is more than a story about pleasant smells. It’s also a testament to humanity’s enduring relationship with the natural world. Aromatic plants have always been intertwined with healing, ceremony, memory, protection, and emotional well-being. Today’s aromatherapy draws from this deep heritage, enriched by modern research and evidence-based practice. Understanding the historical journey reveals that aromatherapy remains, at its core, a dialogue between plant and person—an ancient conversation carried into the present with new insights.
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Sources:
- Donato, G. and Seefried, M. The Frangrant Past: Perfumes of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology: Atlanta, 1989.
