The ancient Egyptians are well documented for using the method of infusion to extract the oils from aromatic plants, which were used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes as well as embalming. The Chinese civilisation was also using some form of aromatics; Shen Nung's herbal book (dating back to approximately 2700 BC) contains detailed information on over 300 plants and their uses. The use of aromatics in China was linked to other ancient therapies such as massage and acupressure.

The Greeks learnt the art of natural healing from the Egyptians and made further improvisations through practice. The use of olive oil as the base oil for all their cosmetic and medicinal practices was one such discovery. The Romans followed the Greeks and are still known for their scented baths and massage oils. Let's not forget Cleopatra and her lengthy beauty regimes that included everything from milk and honey to lemon and roses.

Aromatherapy is both simple and complex at the same time. Simple because it's use is very easy and complex because of the large variety of oils, their possible combinations and varying benefits which is a complete study in itself. Inhaling a perfumed oil repeatedly or inhaling the smell of fresh leaves or flowers in the morning is all a part of aromatherapy. Most of our cosmetics and toiletries are made of different essential oils that form the base of aromatherapy.
Essential oils are the concentrated essence of plant material made from botanical matter therefore any fragrance containing musk (an animal product), for instance, is not pure essential oil. Many synthetic fragrance oils that are chemical recreations of scents made primarily from coal tar are commonly confused with essential oils. While these fragrance oils may smell identical to their botanical counterparts, they do not feature the same chemical structure and therefore do not heal; they are more or less plain fragrances.

The extraction of essential oils is the primary reason for it being expensive or not. While some oils can be extracted just by pressing are inexpensive, others that require steam process are quite expensive. Also the availability of the herb is an important factor. If the oil is extracted from commonly available herbs, it's less expensive.

You will be surprised to know that while it can take over 45 kilograms of lavender flowers to make a 350g vile of lavender essential oil, it takes over 450 kilograms of jasmine to make 350g of jasmine essential oil. There are essential oils that cost in excess of $40000 per kilogram weight in their purest undiluted form.

Massage, aromatherapy steam baths or pure inhalation is not the only way to practice aromatherapy. If you are short of time get some aromatherapy candles, an oil burner or incense sticks that you can burn in the house and inhale while moving around and doing other work. However the best way to enjoy and make full use is to just lie on your bed or in your bathtub and relax while inhaling the aroma.