The History of Perfumed Oils

The production and us of perfumed oil has a long history, olive oil based oils in particular. An ancient recipe for making sacred perfumed oil in-part consists of cinnamon, myrrh, and other aromatic plants. Water was scarce in the middle east, so scented oils were used in their hygiene routine. Oil was used not only for protection of the skin in the hot dry climate but also for its cosmetic benefits. Perfumed oils were a valued commodity on a level with silver and gold. Only tiny amounts of perfume or oil could be extracted from the various flowers, fruits, leaves, resins, or bark. Some of the aromatic plants include, aloe, balsam, bdellium gum, calamus, cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, saffron, and spikenard. Many of these oils originate from India, South Arabia and Africa. Excavations have uncovered furnaces, jars, and various metal and bone objects used for perfume-making. Balsam oil, in particular, was so highly prized that the methods of cultivation and production were kept secret. And because of that fact, during a war in the first century C.E. there was an attempt to destroy all the balsam plants which, unfortunately, contributed to the discontinuation of the production of balsam oil from that time up to today.