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An essential oil is a water-immiscible material produced by distillation from some plant material. The material (flowers, leaves, stems, or roots, depending on the plant) is put in an alembic over water, and the volatile compounds, which require less vapor pressure to evaporate with the presence of steam, distill into a receiving vessel. The upper portion is the oil, the lower being the hydrosol. They are drained with two spigots. Most oils are distilled in a single process. The exception is ylang-ylang, which takes 22 hours to complete distillation. It is distilled fractionally, producing several grades.Many vendors will sell fragrance oils which are not pure and often lack the effect of true essential oil. It is only recommended to use essential oils that have been stored in amber or dark glass, and are labeled therapeutic-grade. Some of the oils are hot, like Oregano. Therefore, caution should be used when putting them on the skin undiluted. If needed, essentials oil can be diluted with a carrier oil like grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil.
Many essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied in folk medicine since ancient times and are still widely used today. For example:
- clove oil is a powerful topical analgesic, especially useful in dentistry.
- Lavender oil is used for aromatherapy, as an antiseptic, and for a number of folk medicinal uses.
- Tea tree oilMelaleucas Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus Melaleuca The plant genus Melaleuca is part of the Myrtle family Myrtaceae and presently contains about 170 species. is a broad-spectrum antiseptic .
However, numerous essential oils (for example, sassafras oil or sage oil ) have been shown to have harmful or potentially harmful effects on the body, and should not be used. Some are carcinogens; others are neurotoxins; others should not be applied to the skin; yet others are toxic when taken by mouth.
AromatherapyAromatherapy is the use of essential oils, absolutes, carrier oils and other fragrances from plants to affect someone's mood or health, and is commonly associated with alternative medicine. One of the best known essential oils for aromatherapy is lavender is a form of alternative medicineAlternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. It may also be described as "diagnosis, treatment, or therapy which can be provided legally by persons who are not licensed to diagnose and trea, in which healing effects are ascribed to particular fragrances.
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