An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds from plants. It is produced by distillation. Other extraction processes to obtain aromatic plant compounds include expression, or solvent extraction. Essential oils are used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, incense, for flavoring food and drink, and in health care, and household cleaning products. They are valuable commodities to the fragrance and flavorant industries.
Essential oil is also known as volatile oil and ethereal oil. It may also be referred to as "oil of" the raw plant material from which it was extracted, such as oil of clove. The term essential is intended to indicate that the oil is the fragrant essence of the plant from which it is extracted and not in the more common grammatical sense of being indispensable. It is not to be confused with essential fatty acids.
The medical use of vegetable oils has a long and distinguished history. Many oils that are used medicinally are essential oils, which are distilled rather than pressed or otherwise extracted. Medical properties claimed by those who sell medicinal oils vary 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 correspondingly more vague, to stay within these regulations.
Interest in such uses of essential oils has enjoyed a revival in recent decades, with the popularity of aromatherapy, in which oils are volatilized or diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage. (wikipedia.com)
The following list includes common essential oils and is by no means all inclusive. Please contact us if you would like information on an essential oil not listed here. Also be sure to click on our Essential Oil Safety page for important information!
This list is currently under construction. We apologize for any inconvenience, and ask that you see our Ingredients List information for details about the essential oils used in Herbaluna's all natural products.