It is viewed by its practitioners as a natural alternative to traditional medical treatments. These days, almost anything that smells pleasant is marketed by gift stores as being aromatherapy.
True aromatherapy uses the scents of essential oils derived from herbs and plants.
These essential oils are collected using steam distillation or cold pressing of a plant's flowers, leaves, branches, bark, or roots. Essential Oils are highly concentrated, and very volatile and flammable. To use safely, they must be mixed with an inert vegetable oil or water. Aromatherapy originated in France in the late 1930s when a chemist by the name of Ren -Maurice Gattefosse burned his hand quite badly. Seeking relief from the pain, Gattefosse submerged his hand in a container of pure lavender oil.