Every time you smell the petal of a flower, walk through a pine forest, peel a citrus fruit, touch the leaf of a medicinal herb or use a spice, you smell a scent. These are the essential oils inside the plants. But what are these substances, and what is so special about them? Let’s find out together.
Essential oils are complex mixtures of odorous molecules produced by plants. In other words, they are highly concentrate volatile aromatic substances. We can find them in leaves, flowers, pods, berries, resin, seeds, flowering tops and branches, citrus peel and wood.
Sometimes several essential oils can be extracted from the same plant, each with its own physical and olfactory characteristics. A good example is the Orange tree, from which we can get three distinct essential oils. In fact, one comes from leaves and twigs (Petit Grain), one from flowers (Neroli) and one from the peel of the fruit (Sweet Orange). Although the name suggests oily substances, essential oils are not fatty oils such as olive oil, almond oil, wheat germ oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil. In fact, you can dilute them inside these oils with great ease.
The nature of essential oils recalls the element fire. In fact, they are flammable substances, which burn instantly upon contact with flame. Volatility is one of their main characteristics. Not surprisingly, they are the most etheric part of the plant – its scent. Pure essential oils generally have a strong and pleasant smell. Although they are not soluble in water, they can easily be used in any fat or oily compound, as well as in honey, salt or alcohol.
There are several ways to use essential oils, since they have several physical and aromatherapy properties. Let’s try to outline some of the most common ones: