Part 2 ~The Aromatic Essential Oils

Essential oils are popular with a devoted following because of their potent aromas and promises of health when used to remedy a number of body conditions.

The volatility of these aroma products can affect the body, which is why they are not recommended used neat on the skin. They are diluted into one of the carrier oils whose fatty acids help to dilute and carry the volatile compounds in a safe manner.

Plants produce aromatic compounds in multiple parts, not just the flowers: roots, leaves, bark, needles, and seeds. These volatile compounds are composed of carbon molecules so small that they disperse in the air and evaporate into their surroundings.

This volatility is how we smell the scents; they are dispersive and airborne, allowing us the pleasure of scent.

Essential Oil Sources

Essential oils are the most common natural aroma products for aromatherapists or skincare producers. In contrast, synthetic fragrance oils aim to mimic natural aromas and are not considered natural or beneficial in skincare.

True essential oils are produced by steam distillation of plant material to extract the volatile compounds. Copious amounts of plant material are loaded into a closed container with water and heat supplied below to turn the water into steam.

The steam picks up the aroma compounds, carrying them through a cooling coil into a collection vessel, where the essential aroma oils float on the water the steam has reverted into.

Other means of extracting plant aroma compounds are solvent extractions, which give us absolutes, waxes, and concretes. In a method called enfleurage, fats are used to capture the aroma compounds, while carbon dioxide, CO2, is a more recent method. 

Each of these products, which capture the aroma compounds, is included in the discipline of aromatherapy and can be used in the formulation of skincare products.

Plant sources of essential oils

Flowers like rose and orange blossoms are familiar sources of scented plant material, but essential oils are also distilled from a variety of plant parts:

flowers, chamomile, roses, lavender

herb, mugwort, thyme, rosemary

leaves, myrtle, lemon balm, marjoram

roots, vetiver, angelica, bishops weed

rhizomes, ginger, orris root, galangal

peels, lemon, orange, tangerine

needles, pine, fir, spruce

wood, rosewood, sandalwood,

bark, cinnamon, birch, sassafras

seeds, carrot seeds, fenugreek, fennel