Aromatherapy is a term coined in 1928 by a French pharmacist, René-Maurice Gattefossé, to describe the use of essential oils from aromatic plants to treat physical or psychosomatic diseases and improve health and well-being. The essential oils are obtained by distilling the water vapour of aromatic plant parts in an alembic, following traditional Arab methods used at the time of the Crusades. Distillation was invented by the Persians in 1000 BC. The essences are released, captured in vapour form, modified slightly and then re-condensed to produce the essential oils. The chemotype defines the predominant, biologically active molecule(s) in a particular essential oil. The aromatic oleo capsules or softgels, are a Galenic form of delivery that is particularly well-suited to internal use. They contain 50g or 75g of essential oils in a vegetable oil – in this case, rapeseed oil.