Fragrant Essential Oils Plant Extracts That Smell Divine

Remember those aromatic oils that the masseur used on your back during your spa vacation. Well, those sweet smelling oils are known as essential oils. These oils are vital raw materials used in the fragrance and flavoring business. Common products which contain essential oils are perfumes, makeup, incense and flavored food or drinks.

What exactly is an essential oil?

Essential oils are volatile and ethereal oils. As they are extracted plants, they may also be known as the 'oil of' that plant. For example the oil extracted from the peels of an orange is also known as oil of orange. Essential oils are a concentrated, water repelling liquid which are gathered from various plants by the process of distillation. They contain volatile aromatic compounds from the original plant. The term 'essential' comes from the word 'essence' meaning fragrance and has nothing to do with the oil being extremely important.

A Bit Of History

Folks have been using essential oils for thousands of years. Even 5,000 years ago people of ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia had invented technology to make extraction of plant oils easier. The popularity of essential oils spread to nearby civilizations of Egypt, India, Greece, and Rome. Proof of their use has been found in the 3,000-year-old Pyramids of Egypt, books by Hippocrates of Greece, Roman scrolls and the tradition of Ayurveda medicine in India.

Essential oils were used for various reasons. Greeks used them as a mood enhancer and as a healing product. The Romans thought they attracted wealth and success while in India they were used to treat a variety of medical conditions. Even today, essential oils from vegetables are used in medicines to treat conditions as varied as skin allergies and cancer. The only difference today is that most plant oils are distilled and not pressed during the process of extraction.

Essential Oil Plants

There are around 3,000 different plants from which essential oils are extracted. Unlike vegetable oils which are also extracted from plants, essentials oils are sweet smelling, fixed oils which are mainly triglycerides of fatty acids. The oil can originate from different parts of the plant like petals, spices, bark of a tree, fruit peels and roots. Some of the popular plants from which essential oils are made are jasmine, rose, cinnamon, ginger, pine and orange.

Today, essential oils are readily available in the market because of their popular use in Aromatherapy where they are heated and volatilized to reduce stress and cure ailments. So, if you have always wondered why that antiseptic cream you bought smelt so heavenly, now you know. It is all because of the magic of essential oils.