Fragrance has long been more than a sensory pleasure; it’s a way to identify one’s culture, status, and personal identity. Since ancient times, essential oils have been emblematic, and exclusive, and their owners would have access to these aromatic oils depending on one’s place in society. Through the lens of scent and essential oils, we trace the evolution of the utilization of one from the affluent and off-limits to wellness-focused exposure.
Essential Oils in Ancient Civilizations: A Symbol of Prestige
Essential oils were used in both sacred rituals and for medicinal purposes in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India. Frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood oils; are not just good for aromatherapy, but also valued for their aromatic and healing properties, and even more so for signifying the owner’s affluence and divine favor. These oils were used by royalty and high priests in temples, religious ceremonies, and even for burial practices. With such a variety of expensive oils, only the wealthy could afford them, and the cost of obtaining these oils and transporting them along extensive trade routes was associated with costs.
In Egypt frankincense and sandalwood were integral to embalming and worship, their importance was understood to be the ‘breath of the gods’. The upper class used these oils to raise their spiritual pose, only to leave the commons without them. They describe also how, in India, ancient texts described how sandalwood and myrrh were reserved for kings and gods — blurring the boundaries between the spiritual and social elite.
Middle Ages and Renaissance: Essential Oils for the Affluent
Essential oils retained their symbolism of privilege during the Middle Ages, but for the first time began working as medicines. Protectants were lavender, rosemary, or clove oils that would ward off illnesses and charms that may help with hygiene, qualities that were almost entirely available to affluent households. During this sickly time, noble and wealthy families turned to these aromatic oils as an idea of protection. Perfumed pomanders – sachets of herbs and essential oils carried to mask unpleasant odors and defend against the plague during this era.
Fragrance creation on a custom basis began during the Renaissance, and with it came a renewed interest in perfumery. Fragrance solidified further as a symbol of status, and noble families would commission custom scents with rare essential oils like rose and ambergris. Refinement of perfumery techniques was achieved only because of the interest in blending oils, while the perfumes themselves were priced beyond the means of most, and perpetuated class differentiations with fragrance.
The Industrial Revolution: Essential Oils for the Emerging Middle Class
In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution changed the production of fragrance and made it more available to everybody. As extraction techniques improved essential oils like lavender, patchouli, and lemon became popular among the new middle class eager to full itself into the lifestyle of the aristocrats. It was no longer a luxury reserved for the rich, but it became a personal declaration and the means for the rich to set themselves apart from the common folk, through custom scents and exotic oils the rich did not have to look far to come up as fancier.
Affordable oils were introduced to the middle class but that didn’t mean certain luxurious choices like oud or rose oil were left open to them. Oils were also more widely marketed and a new demographic was swept up into the frugal luxuries just for the rich.
The 20th Century: Essential Oils and Identity
Things started to change in the 20th century when fragrance finally left its status as something luxurious and emerged as an incredibly powerful representation of identity and expression. Natural ingredients helped to bring essential oils back into the limelight as synthetic counterparts made fragrances cheaper, but rose health awareness during the century’s latter period made this a growing interest. Lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree were essential oils that were tied to personal wellness and thus more people, across all social classes, could begin to engage with natural aromatics.
Fragrance had essentially become about signaling status socially to the other people around you, and then in this period you almost transitioned from that to almost, an intensely personal experience. Aromatherapy rose with essential oils not for their smell, but for their health benefits. With an emphasis on fragrance quality and proven origin, people began looking to pure essential oils for personal care and well-being.
Modern Times: Essential Oils for All
Today, essential oils have been used by people of all kinds of demographics. Natural essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, and chamomile are everywhere and most definitely can be found with a simple search online or at your local store, for any use from home ambiance to wellness or even personal fragrance. Despite this, there is still a status attached to rare and exotic essential oils — fans still seek out specialty oils for their one-of-a-kind and luxurious scents.
Premium essential oil brands like HBNO have been making an impact by both making them available to a wider consumer base and ensuring that their quality does not decay over time. Today, wellness, quality sourcing, and environmental sustainability are in the focus versus exclusivity and some oils — such as frankincense and myrrh — continue to convey the air of luxury. Not only does HBNO provide the largest selection of organic essential oils, but it does so in a way that has allowed these natural products to become self-care as the reserve of only the wealthy changes.
Conclusion
Just as social class and access to luxury change throughout history, so does the journey of essential oils through history. Essential oils have come a long way since their incense and cloves forebears of ancient royalty and noble patronage to everyday wellness. Building on this tradition, HBNO also continues to provide quality oils to help present-day fragrance lovers connect to the rich history of these scents. Today, in a world where we can purchase fragrance as a bar of pleasure or as a taste of an expensive past, essential oils are a beautiful evocation of past time, its history, its identity, and one’s expression of self. HBNO’s beautiful selection of aromatic wonders that were only accessible to a certain few, can now be had by everyone.
