An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds extracted from plants. It may be produced by distillation, expression, or solvent extraction. Essential oils are used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, incense, medicine, household cleaning products, and for flavoring food and drink. They are valuable commodities in the fragrance and food industries. Essential oil is also known as volatile oil and ethereal oil. It may also be referred to as "oil of" the raw plant mat ...

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Essential oil - Production Essential oil - Perfumery Essential oil - Aromatherapy Essential oil - Popular uses Essential oil - Dangers Essential oil - Raw Materials

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Essential oil, Essential oil - Production, Essential oil - Perfumery, Essential oil - Aromatherapy, Essential oil - Popular uses, Essential oil - Dangers, Essential oil - Raw Materials

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Aromatherapy is a form of herbal 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, though some are stronger than others. In addition, many have an uplifting effect on the mind, though diffe ...

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Essential oil, Essential oil - Production, Essential oil - Perfumery, Essential oil - Aromatherapy, Essential oil - Popular uses, Essential oil - Dangers, Essential oil - Raw Materials

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In perfumery, a base note is a class of odorants that evaporates very slowly and are typically not perceived until perfume drydown. Essential oils used as fixatives are often considered to be base notes. sandalwood patchouli frankincense Categories: Perfumery | Olfaction Other related archivesEssential oils, Olfaction, Perfumery, fixatives, frankincense, patchouli, perfumery, sandalwood

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Citronella oil is one of the important essential oils obtained from different species of Cymbopogon. The oil is used extensively as a source of important perfumery chemicals like citronellal, citronellol and geraniol, which find extensive use in soap, perfumery, cosmetic and flavouring industries throughout the world. Citronella oil is classified in trade into two types: Ceylon citronella oil, obtained from Cymbopogon nardus Rendle, is the inferior type, while Java Type citronella oil obtained from Cymbo ...

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Absolutes are similar to essential oils and are used in aromatherapy. The difference is that where essential oils are created through a process of distillation absolutes are extracted with the use of chemical solvents. Absolutes may be more concentrated than essential oils but can sometimes contain traces of the solvents used. This is in stark contrast to the idea of purity generally associated with aromatherapy. Absolutes are more commonly used in perfumery applications, since, if both an essential oil and an absolute o ...

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The bergamot orange (Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia) is a citrus fruit, small and roughly pear shaped. The fruit, produced in Italy, is a cross between the pear lemon and the Seville orange or grapefruit. The fruit is sour, and its aromatic peel is used to produce an essential oil that is used in Earl Grey tea, in perfumery, and in aromatherapy to treat depression. It is also used as a digestive aid. It was a component of the original Eau de Cologne developed in Germany in the 17th century. The Berg ...

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Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, objects, and living spaces a lasting and pleasant smell. The amount and type of solvent mix with the fragrance oil dictates whether a perfume is considered a perfume extract, Eau de parfum, Eau de toilette, or Eau de Cologne. Perfume - Obtaining odorants. Before perfumes can be composed, the odorants used in various perfume compositions must first be obtained. Synthetic odorants are prod ...

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Perfume - Obtaining odorants Perfume - Fragrant extracts Perfume - Composing perfumes Perfume - Description of a perfume
Perfume - Olfactive families Perfume - Fragrance Notes Perfume - Concentration
Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery
Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation
Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics
Perfume - Plant sources Perfume - Animal sources Perfume - Synthetic sources
Perfume - Health and ethical issues
Perfume - Use of Aromatics Perfume - Natural Musk
Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes Perfume - Reference

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The essential oil is obtained by the steam distillation of ground nutmeg and is used heavily in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. The oil is colorless or light yellow and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It contains numerous components of interest to the oleochemical industry, and is used as a natural food flavouring in baked goods, syrups (e.g. Coca Cola), beverages, sweets etc. It replaces ground nutmeg as it leaves no particles in the food. The essential oil is also used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for instance in ...

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Nutmeg, Nutmeg - Culinary uses, Nutmeg - Essential oils, Nutmeg - Nutmeg butter, Nutmeg - History, Nutmeg - World production, Nutmeg - Risks and toxicity

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Perfume - Plant sources. Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. These aromatics are usually secondary metabolites produced by plants as protection against herbivores as well as to attract pollinators. Plants are by far the largest source of fragrant compounds used in perfumery. The sources of these compounds may be derived from various parts of a plant. A plant can offer more than one source of aromatics, for instance the aerial portions and seeds of coriander h ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Obtaining odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Reference

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Perfume - Plant sources. Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. These aromatics are usually secondary metabolites produced by plants as protection against herbivores as well as to attract pollinators. Plants are by far the largest source of fragrant compounds used in perfumery. The sources of these compounds may be derived from various parts of a plant. A plant can offer more than one source of aromatics, for instance the aerial portions and seeds of coriander h ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Obtaining natural odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Celebrity Scents, Perfume - Promotional scents associated with fictional characters, Perfume - Reference

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Although fragrant extracts are known to the general public as the generic term "essential oils", a more specific language is used in the fragrance industry to describe the source, purity, and technique used to obtain a particular fragrant extract. Of these extracts, only absolutes, essential oils, and tinctures are directly used to formulate perfumes. Absolute: Fragrant materials that are purified from a pommade or concrete by soaking them in ethanol. By using a slightly hydrophil ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Obtaining odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Reference

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Although fragrant extracts are known to the general public as the generic term "essential oils", a more specific language is used in the fragrance industry to describe the source, purity, and technique used to obtain a particular fragrant extract. Of these extracts, only absolutes, essential oils, and tinctures are directly used to formulate perfumes. Absolute: Fragrant materials that are purified from a pommade or concrete by soaking them in ethanol. By using a slightly hydrophil ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Obtaining natural odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Celebrity Scents, Perfume - Promotional scents associated with fictional characters, Perfume - Reference

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Before perfumes can be composed, the odorants used in various perfume compositions must first be obtained. Synthetic odorants are produced through organic synthesis and purified. Odorants from natural sources require the use of various methods to extract the aromatics from the raw materials. The results of the extraction are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product. All these techniques will to a certain extent, distort the odour of the aromatic compounds obtain ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Obtaining odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Reference

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Before perfumes can be composed, the odorants used in various perfume compositions must first be obtained. Synthetic odorants are produced through organic synthesis and purified. Odorants from natural sources require the use of various methods to extract the aromatics from the raw materials. The results of the extraction are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product. All these techniques will to a certain extent, distort the odour of the aromatic compounds obtain ...

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Perfume, Perfume - Description of a perfume, Perfume - Olfactive families, Perfume - Fragrance Notes, Perfume - Concentration, Perfume - Famous perfumes classified by year of creation, Perfume - Natural and synthetic aromatics, Perfume - Plant sources, Perfume - Animal sources, Perfume - Synthetic sources, Perfume - Obtaining natural odorants, Perfume - Fragrant extracts, Perfume - Composing perfumes, Perfume - History of perfume and perfumery, Perfume - Health and ethical issues, Perfume - Use of Aromatics, Perfume - Natural Musk, Perfume - Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes, Perfume - Celebrity Scents, Perfume - Promotional scents associated with fictional characters, Perfume - Reference

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ENFLEURAGE: a French perfumery term describing the process of extracting essential flower oils, with purified fat. Also known as POMMADE.

(See also: ENFLEURAGE, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

AROMA THERAPY

"If the day and night are such that you greet them with joy and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs - that is your success. All nature is your congratulations."

Henry David Thoreaux.

The use of pure essential oils from plants dates back many centuries, and history of aroma therapy is in many ways part of the history of herbal medicine as a whole. The Arabic countries are usually credited with first discovering the process of distillation of oils about a thousand years back. It then spread to India and then the west. In modern times much research has taken place on this - from perfumery applications to medicinal uses.

Highly concentrated extracts, essential oils thus need to be treated with respect and care. Preferably used sparingly - large doses not only increase immunity and reduce effectiveness, they can prove irritating and even toxic to the skin - a large part of their effect on our moods and emotions occurs through our sense of smell.

When we breathe in air, the aroma molecules are translated into signals by the receptor cells in the nose. This signal is sent to the olfactory bulb and then on to the limbic and hypothalamic parts of the brain. Although not scientifically proven, it is believed that the essential oil aroma activates the `pharmacy' within our brains - neurochemicals as seretonin, endorphins etc. Which are `words' that our brain uses to communicate with our nervous and other body systems. Thus the aroma of a calming oil would cause release of seretonin - a euphoric aroma.

Relief from pain and other physical effects are also experienced when these neurochemicals are released. Studies done on effects of essential oils on brain waves have shown that a rhythm exhibiting calmness was produced when a oil with sedative potential was inhaled and a stimulating aroma caused an alert response. Our minds can thus play an important role in our well being.

Aroma therapy thus works through the brain, through the mind and through the emotions e.g the tender yellow flower of the Ylang Ylang tree is considered so worthy of love that it is placed on wedding beds in Indonesia. Just as to calm your mind you need to close your eyes and feel the lush coolness of an immense forest filled with cedars, trees of frankincense and sandalwood through deep breaths of the lovely, fresh scent of those trees.

(See also: AROMA THERAPY, Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

The smoke from burning essential oils may contain potential carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Essential oils are naturally high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The internal use of essential oils should be fully avoided during pregnancy without consulting with a licensed professional, as some can be abortifacients in dose 0.5–10 ml. Toxical data: LD50 of most EO or their main componen ...

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Essential oil, Essential oil - Production, Essential oil - Perfumery, Essential oil - Aromatherapy, Essential oil - Popular uses, Essential oil - Dangers, Essential oil - Raw Materials

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