Defining Essential Oils in Aromatherapy
Essential oils are used throughout the various types of aromatherapy treatments. They have been referred to as the quintessence of a plant’s being. The Oxford English Dictionary defines quintessence as “An extract from anything, containing in concentrated form its most essential principle.” Essential oils are concentrated aromatic liquids extracted from a variety of aromatic plant material through the process of distillation. These natural organic substances are produced in various glands and sacs within aromatic plants. Each essential oil is usually produced in one part of the plant, except in a few cases. Where a plant produces essential oils in more than one of its parts, differences of odor and in chemical composition occur. For example, the oil from the leaves of the cinnamon tree has a cinnamon and clove like odor; whereas the oil from the bark has the characteristic ‘cinnamon’ odor. Another example is from the bitter orange tree: Bitter orange oil is produced from the peel, petitgrain from the leaf and neroli from the blossom; all have different odors yet similar properties.
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Topic: Aromatherapy Information
