Father of Aromatherapy
If I ask you who the father of our country is you will no doubt tell me George Washington. Or how about the father of medicine? Hippocrates, you will say. Or even the father of the bride? Everyone will tell me it’s Steve Martin! But if I ask if anyone can tell me the father of aromatherapy I’m sure I’ll get a lot of blank stares. Yes there actually is a father of aromatherapy, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a little known French chemist and scholar born in 1881. While experimenting in his family’s cosmetics firm, which is still in business today, he badly burned his hand one day in 1910. He plunged the affected hand in the nearest tub of liquid he could find, which happened to be a vat of lavender essential oil. Amazed at how quickly his hand healed Gattefosse dove head first into the study and distillation of all essential oils. During the first world war he applied essential oils to wounded soldiers just back from the front. Lavender, thyme, lemon and clove were copiously applied to infected areas due to their highly antiseptic properties. He wrote numerous books on the topic and even coined the word “aromatherapy.” This “Babe Ruth” of aromatherapy even relocated to Provence in France, where lavender is grown in copious amounts, and helped local farmers cultivate and distill the plant.
A story like the journey of Gattefosse and his accidental discovery of the healing power of essential oils is an inspiration to the team here at Gifts of Nature Organics. Our quest to introduce a better, safer and natural alternative to over the counter products is our goal and part of our mission statement.
Our first location was a store on Main Street in Manasquan. Our certified hospital trained aromatherapist, Judy Ryan, began to receive more than one request to see if we could combat a small head lice outbreak in a local school. She formulated a special spray designed to drive the critters away and which performed admirably. This led to a visit by a local pediatric doctor inquiring about a natural, safe and effective spray to be used against strep. Judy introduced a new strep fighting spray which incorporated cinnamon oil, among others, in a base of jojoba and aloe vera. Her command of the subject matter as well as a desire to help was what drove her toward this formulation. Judy was well aware that cinnamon essential oil is as effective as amoxicillin and is widely used throughout Europe to treat infections.
What sets us apart from other organic products is the fact that our aromatherapist, Judy, is also a physical therapist who has been practicing for 30 years. Her wealth of knowledge about human anatomy and bodily systems greatly informs her decisions when formulating products. A quick visit to our website www.giftsofnatureorganics.com can be formative as well as fun!