An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile
aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. Essential oils do not as a group need to have any specific chemical properties in common, beyond conveying characteristic fragrances. Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction. They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soap and other products, for flavoring food and drink, and for scenting incense and household cleaning products. Various essential oils have been used medicinally at different periods in history. Medical application proposed by those who sell medicinal oils range from skin treatments to remedies for cancer, and are often based on historical use of these oils for these purposes. Such claims are now subject to regulation in most countries, and have grown more vague to stay within these regulations. Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades with the popularity of aromatherapy, a branch of alternative medicine which claims that the specific aromas carried by essential oils have curative effects. Oils are volatilized or diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage, diffused in the air by a nebulizer or by heating over a candle flame, or burned as incense, for example. Distillation Today, most common essential oils, such as lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus, are distilled. Raw plant material, consisting of the flowers, leaves, wood, bark, roots, seeds, or peel, is put into an alembic (distillation apparatus) over water. As the water is heated the steam passes through the plant material, vaporizing the volatile compounds. The vapors flow through a coil where they condense back to liquid, which is then collected in the receiving vessel. Most oils are distilled in a single process. One exception is Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata), which takes 22 hours to complete through a fractional distillation. The recondensed water is referred to as a hydrosol, hydrolat, herbal distillate or plant water essence, which may be sold as another fragrant product. Popular hydrosols include rose water, lavender water, lemon balm, clary sage and orange blossom water. The use of herbal distillates in cosmetics is increasing. Some plant hydrosols have unpleasant smells and are therefore not sold. Expression Most citrus peel oils are expressed mechanically, or cold-pressed. Due to the relatively large quantities of oil in citrus peel and low cost to grow and harvest the raw materials, citrus-fruit oils are cheaper than most other essential oils. Lemon or sweet orange oils that are obtained as by- products of the citrus industry are even cheaper. Prior to the discovery of distillation, all essential oils were extracted by pressing. Solvent extraction Most flowers contain too little volatile oil to undergo expression and their chemical components are too delicate and easily denatured by the high heat used in steam distillation. Instead, a solvent such as hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide is used to extract the oils. Extracts from hexane and other hydrophobic solvent are called concretes, which is a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other lipophilic (oil soluble) plant material. Although highly fragrant, concretes contain large quantities of non- fragrant waxes and resins. As such another solvent, often ethyl alcohol, which only dissolves the fragrant low-molecular weight compounds, is used to extract the fragrant oil from the concrete. The alcohol is removed by a second distillation, leaving behind the absolute. Supercritical carbon dioxide is used as a solvent in supercritical fluid extraction. This method has many benefits, including avoiding petrochemical residues in the product and the loss of some "top notes" when steam distillation is used. It does not yield an absolute directly. The supercritical carbon dioxide will extract both the waxes and the essential oils that make up the concrete. Subsequent processing with liquid carbon dioxide, achieved in the same extractor by merely lowering the extraction temperature, will separate the waxes from the essential oils. This lower temperature process prevents the decomposition and denaturing of compounds. When the extraction is complete, the pressure is reduced to ambient and the carbon dioxide reverts back to a gas, leaving no residue. An animated presentation describing the process is available for viewing. Supercritical carbon dioxide is also used for making decaffeinated coffee. However, although it uses the same basic principles it is a different process because of the difference in scale.
Production quantities Estimates of total production of essential oils are difficult to obtain. One estimate, compiled from data in 1989, 1990 and 1994 from various sources gives the following total production, in tonnes, of essential oils for which more than 1,000 tonnes were produced. [1]
Use in aromatherapy Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine, in which healing effects are ascribed to the aromatic compounds in essential oils and other plant extracts. Many common essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied in folk medicine since ancient times and are still widely used today. For example, many essential oils have antiseptic properties. [2] Many are also claimed to have an uplifting effect on the mind. The claims are supported in some studies [3][4] and unconfirmed in others. [5]
Dilution Essential oils are usually lipophilic (literally: "oil-loving") compounds that usually are not miscible with water. Instead, they can be diluted in solvents like pure ethanol (alcohol), polyethylene glycol, or oils.
Raw materials Essential oils are derived from various sections of plants. Some plants, like the bitter orange, are sources of several types of essential oil. Berries Allspice Juniper Seeds Almond Anise Celery Cumin Nutmeg oil Bark Cassia Cinnamon Sassafras Wood Leaves Basil Bay leaf Cinnamon Common sage Eucalyptus Lemon grass Melaleuca Oregano Patchouli Peppermint Pine Rosemary Spearmint Tea tree Thyme Flowers Cannabis Chamomile Clary sage Clove Scented geranium Hops Hyssop Jasmine Lavender Manuka Marjoram Orange Rose Ylang-ylang Camphor Cedar Rosewood Sandalwood Agarwood Rhizome Galangal Ginger Wintergreen Resin Frankincense Myrrh Peel Bergamot Grapefruit Lemon Lime Orange Tangerine Root Valerian
Rose oil The most well-known essential oil is probably rose oil, produced from the petals of Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia. Steam-distilled rose oil is known as "rose otto" while the solvent extracted product is known as "rose absolute". Dangers Because of their concentrated nature, essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or "neat" form. Some can cause severe irritation or provoke an allergic reaction. Instead, essential oils should be blended with a vegetable-based "carrier" oil (a.k.a., a base, or "fixed" oil) before being applied. Common carrier oils include olive, almond, hazelnut and grapeseed. Only neutral oils should be used. A common ratio of essential oil disbursed in a carrier oil is 0.5 3% (most under 10%), depending on its purpose. Some essential oils, including many of the citrus peel oils, are photosensitizers, increasing the skin's vulnerability to sunlight. Industrial users of essential oils should consult the material safety data sheets (MSDS) to determine the hazards and handling requirements of particular oils.
Gynecomastia Estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity have been reported by in vitro study of tea tree oil and lavender essential oils. Case reports suggest that the oils may be implicated in some cases of gynecomastia, an abnormal breast tissue growth, in prepubescent boys. [6][7]
Pesticide residues There is some concern about pesticide residues in essential oils, particularly those used therapeutically. For this reason, many practitioners of aromatherapy buy organically produced oils. Ingestion While some advocate the ingestion of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, this should never be done except under the supervision of someone licensed to prescribe such treatment. Some common essential oils such as Eucalyptus are toxic internally. Pharmacopoeia standards for medicinal oils should be heeded. Some oils can be toxic to some domestic animals, cats in particular. [8] The internal use of essential oils can pose hazards to pregnant women, as some can be abortifacients in dose 0.510 ml.
Flammability The flash point of each essential oil is different. Many of the common essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, and citrus oils are classed as a Class 3 Flammable Liquid as they have a flash point of 5060 C. Toxicology LD 50 of most essential oils or their main components are 0.510 mg/kg (orally or skin test). This compares with, for example, the LD 50 of arsenic acid, one of the most common arsenic based poisons which is 6 mg/kg (rabbits). [9]
Standardization of its derived products In 2002, ISO published ISO 4720 in which the botanical names of the relevant plants are standardized [10] . The rest of the standards with regards to this topic can be found in the section of ICS 71.100.60 [11]
Fragrance oil Fragrance oil(s), also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil. Aromatic oils are used in perfumery, cosmetics, flavoring of food, and in aromatherapy.
LIST OF ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils are volatile and liquid aroma compounds from natural sources, usually plants. Essential oils are not oils in a strict sense, but often share with oils a poor solubility in water. Essential oils often have an odor and are therefore used in food flavoring and perfumery. Essential oils are usually prepared by fragrance extraction techniques such as distillation (including steam distillation), cold pressing, or extraction (maceration). Essential oils are distinguished from aroma oils (essential oils and aroma compounds in an oily solvent), infusions in a vegetable oil, absolutes, and concretes. Typically, essential oils are highly complex mixtures of often hundreds of individual aroma compounds. Agar oil, distilled from Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis). Highly prized for its fragrance. [1]
Ajwain oil, distilled from the leaves of Bishops weed (Carum copticum). Oil contains 35-65% thymol. [2]
Angelica root oil, distilled from the Angelica archangelica. [3]
Anise oil, from the Pimpinella anisum, rich odor of licorice, used medicinally. [4]
Asafoetida, used medicinally and to flavor food. Balsam oil, from the Myroxylon pereirae. [5]
Basil oil is used in making perfumes, as well as in aromatherapy Bay is used in perfumery; Aromatherapeutic for sprains, colds, flu, insomnia, rheumatism. Bergamot oil, used in aromatherapy and in perfumes. Black Pepper essential oil is distilled from the berries of Piper nigrum. The warm,soothing effect makes it ideal for treating muscle aches, pains and strains. Buchu oil, made from the buchu shrub. Considered toxic and no longer widely used. Formerly used medicinally. Birch is aromatheapeutic for gout, Rheumatism, Eczema, Ulcers. Camphor is used for cold, cough, fever, rheumatism, arthritis Cannabis flower essential oil, used as a flavoring in foods, primarily candy and beverages. Also used as a scent in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, and candles. [6]
Caraway oil, used a flavoring in foods. Also used in mouthwashes, toothpastes, etc. as a flavoring agent. [7]
Cardamom seed oil, used in aromatherapy and other medicinal applications. Extracted from seeds of subspecies of Zingiberaceae (ginger). Also used as a fragrance in soaps, perfumes, etc. [8]
Carrot seed oil (essential oil), used in aromatherapy. Cedarwood oil, primarily used in perfumes and fragrances. [9]
Chamomile oil, There are many varieties of chamomile but only two are used in aromatherapy- Roman and German. Both have similar healing properties but German chamomile contains a higher level of azulin (an anti-inflammatory agent). Calamus Root, used medicinally Cinnamon oil, used for flavoring and medicinally. Cistus species Citronella oil, from a plant related to lemon grass is used as an insect repellent, as well as medicinally. Clary Sage Clove leaf oil, used as a topical anesthetic to relieve dental pain. Coffee, used to flavor food. Coriander Costmary oil (bible leaf oil), from the Tanacetum balsamita [10][11]
Costus Root, used medicinally Cranberry seed oil, equally high in omega-3 omega-6 fatty acids, primarily used in the cosmetic industry. Cubeb, used medicinally and to flavor foods. Cumin oil/Black seed oil, used as a flavor, particularly in meat products. Also used in veterinary medicine. Cypress Cypriol Curry leaf, used medicinally and to flavor food. Davana oil, from the Artemisia pallens, used as a perfume ingredient and as a germicide. [12]
Dill oil, chemically almost identical to caraway seed oil. High carvone content. Elecampane, used medicinally. Eucalyptus oil, historically used as a germicide. Commonly used in cough medicine, among other medicinal uses. [13]
Fennel seed oil, used medicinally, particularly for treating colic in infants. Fenugreek oil, used medicinally and for cosmetics from ancient times. Fir Frankincense oil, used for aromatherapy and in perfumes. Galangal, used medicinally and to flavor food. Galbanum Geranium oil, used medicinally, particularly in aromatherapy, used for hormonal imbalance, for this reason geranium is often considered to be "female" oil. Ginger oil, used medicinally in many cultures. Goldenrod Grapefruit oil, extracted from the peel of the fruit. Used in aromatherapy. Contains 90% limonene. [14]
Henna oil, used medicinally. [15]
Helichrysum Horseradish oil Hyssop Idaho Tansy Jasmine oil, used for its flowery fragrance.