History of perfumes

tanya · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 167

Despite the name, none of oils contain nor fats nor oils. Their name – essential and etheric oils, origins from ancient times where alchemic view is expressed, concentrated only on their production – destillation – procedure, where etheric and essential are separated from hard aggregate state with the help of fire. This separating alchemic process of “life force” from a plant is still alive in theory of Swiss doctor Paracelsus von Hohenheim (1493-1541). He thought that quinquesection is what makes every medicine effective and that this is goal of every medicine preparation. Basis of highest concentrated form is connected to ether, thus the name etheric oils.
Etheric oils are made only from plants which create them in certain parts, although most of parts which are used for etheric oil production do not participate in direct metabolism of a plant. Despite that it was established that etheric oils as secondary metabolism are very important for plants. They are used for different aims – to attract bugs which help in polilination, to protect them form microorganisms and diseases, to deduct hawks, etc. Newest researches show that plants use etheric oils for communication among plants themselves.
Ex orient lux – Brightness from East- this old saying is talking about east as first civilization where history of etheric oils was started. Process of destillation was created in old civilizations of Egypt, India and Persia, and as is the case with many other things, this process was totally developed later on West.