The Essentials of Essential Oils (And How They Work) Part 1

Essential oils are potent substances as they are concentrated extracts of the oils of the material used. This company, Nature's Sunshine, sells organic and wildcrafted.

          Essential oils are quickly becoming a popular interest that many people have started acquiring. When starting my first semester of college, I assumed that I'd prefer my Herb 101 class over my Aroma 101 class. This proved to not be the case! I have actually shown more interest in aromatherapy and essential oils, more so than expected.  I've been using these oils, learning about them, and putting everything I can into practice for a while and now I want to share a small amount of what I know. 

          Feel free to ask questions!

          First off, what exactly is an essential oil? An essential oil is a concentrated substance extracted from the plant. That means: the oil itself is stronger than if you used the herb as a whole (such as a tea, infusion, etc.) These oils are extracted through steam distillation or cold pressed. For example, lavender Lavandula angustifolia is steam distilled and bergamot Citrus bergamia (a type of citrus fruit) is cold pressed from it's peel. Essential oil lies in various places depending on the plant. Some essential oils are extracted from the stem of the plant - or the bark - such as in sandalwood Santalum album. 
 
          The oil has various purposes for the plant. It helps attract proper insects, such as bees for pollination, and deters unwanted pests. Try planting a boarder of lavender around your herb garden - it will act as a natural pest control. It is believed that the oil is also able to to help protect the plant from disease.

          Essential oil is more plentiful and thrives when the plant struggles. Don't tend to your plant as much and it will create more essential oil for aid to itself. It takes a lot of plant material for a decent quantity of essential oil. Rose Rosa damascena essential oil is far more expensive than eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus because it takes far more plant material for even less the amount of substance. This is because, for rose, the essential oil lies in the petals. In situations where you need an oil but may not be able to afford it, look for another oil similar in constituents and healing properties. 

          What in the world are "constituents"? To answer that, think of what makes up a person's body. Don't think skin, bone, nails - think: calcium, keratin, iron. Constituents are the chemical components of a plant. You have alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, etc. When getting into the detail of the plant and its constituents, we label this as "phytochemistry". 

          When choosing an herb or its essential oil, you want to look at its active constituents. An herb or oil high in the active constituent "alkaloid" would not be recommended to be used. Herbs high in alkaloids would include Atropa belladonna (nightshade) and Tsuga (hemlock).

          Don't worry! When using essential oils and herbs, you don't have to be a scientist. It is wise to do your research and ask questions to an experienced user before acting, until your are comfortable enough in your own knowledge. You'll learn if you make it a habit to use these oils and study them and the outcomes.