The earliest known sachets in China date back 3,000 years, and were used to repel insects and ward off evil spirits. They were often worn by children and the elderly, and were filled with powders like wormwood, sandalwood, and realgar. During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE–206 BCE–220 CE), sachets were used as clothing accessories and mosquito repellents. In the Han dynasty, rural Chinese women are thought to have originated the “fragrant sachet”. Sachets are still used in traditional Chinese celebrations today, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, and are often embroidered with flowers to symbolize female beauty. 

In the 8th century, Japanese people used sachets called nioi-bukuro to keep insects away from clothing and books. During the Edo period (1603–1867), women would wear nioi-bukuro in the shape of kimono sleeves as a fashionable part of their etiquette. The scent of the sachet could be chosen to match the impression the giver had of the recipient. 

In medieval Europe, sachets were known as “plague-bags”. In the 15th century, sachets became popular with some Europeans because they could be used to perfume silk and velvet garments that couldn’t be washe