Origins & Nature Of Essential Oils

A quick look at essential oils, their origins
Keywords: Fragrance, Scents, Odours, Perfumes from aromatic plants

Perfumed plants and their essential oils?

The scents of plants and flowers have fascinated many throughout the ages and have often been given divine origins. The fragrance many aromatic plants exude at certain times of day or night is entirely due to the presence of essential oils found in aromatic plants.

Aromatic plants belong to different botanical families and each of these families have their therapeutic characteristics such as Labiatae/Lamiaceae (ex: lavender) have good antiseptic properties. Although must essential oils are safe when used in the correct manner and with the appropriate dosage some plants and their essential oils can be quite toxic or dangerous.

Different parts of plants for different essential oils:

Essential oils can appear in the seeds, roots, barks, berries, branches, fruits, leaves, rhizomes and gums & resins of these plants and can be moderately or strongly scented.

A plant may produce more than one type of essential oils. For example: a particular plant can produce 3 or 4 essential oils, as is the case with an orange tree.

It can produce an essential oil in the rind of the fruit - Orange oil.
A similar oil is produced in its leaves and twigs - Petitgrain oil.
An essential oil is also distilled from its flowers its flowers - Neroli oil.

Part of plants where essential oils are found:

1. Some essential oils are obtained from flowers or flower petals such as: Carnation, Hyacinth, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Mimosa, Narcissus, Orange blossom, Tuberose, Rose, Violet and Ylang-Ylang.
2. Aerial tops (stems, leaves and usually small clusters of flowers) provide us with essential oils of: Basil, Camomile, Fennel, Lavender, Marjoram, Rosemary, Peppermint, Rosemary, Thyme and others.
3. Branches and leaves give us the essential oils of: Cinnamon, Cypress, Eucalyptus & the Melaleuca, Geranium, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Pine, Verbena, and
4. Berries: Juniper berry essential oil is produced from the unripe berries of the Juniper tree
5. Bark: Cinnamon essential oil produced from the leaf is used in aromtehrapy but the oil from the bark of the tree is not used as it has very strong skin irritant properties.

Other essential oils are produced from:

1. Fruits - bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange.
2. Gums or Oleo-resins: labdanum, myrrh, olibanum, Peru balsam, Galbanum, Storax Benzoin, and tolu.
3. Rhizomes: calamus and ginger.
4. Roots: angelica and vetivert.
5. Seeds: angelica, anise (both kinds), fennel, and nutmeg.
6. Woods: cedarwood, rosewood and sandalwood

Then again, the same plant, grown under different conditions and in different soil, will often yield an essential oil with an entirely different bouquet, as is demonstrated by the lavender from Norfolk and the one from France.

Essential oils in the plant?

Essential oils are thought to be excretory products formed during the metabolism of substances vital to the life of the plant. They are said to occur when chlorophyll from the plants’ leaves come into contact with photons (UV and IR rays) from the sun.

Their odour properties may have a specific relationship with insects and of animals, but not much to do with the life of the plant itself.

In the flower, essential oils occur in the internal surface of the epidermis of the cells in special secretory glands and are store in the plant in minute sacs.

Extraction of essential oils

1. Expression for citruses
2. mostly steam distillation
3. some solvent extraction (absolutes).

Latin & Common names of essential oils

1. Angelica archangelica (Angelica)
2. Aniba rosaeodora (Rosewood).
3. Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense, Olibanum)
4. Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang)
5. Cedrus atlantica (Atlas cedarwood)
6. Chamaemelum nobile - Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile)
7. Chamomilla recutita- Matricaria (German Chamomile)
8. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon leaf)
9. Citrus aurantium var. amara (Neroli Bigarade)
10. Citrus aurantium var. amara fol. ( Petitgrain Bigarade)
11. Citrus bergamia (Bergamot)
12. Citrus paradisii (grapefruit)
13. Citrus Limetta (lime)
14. Citrus Limon (Lemon)
15. Citrus reticulata (Mandarin)
16. Citrus sinensis (Sweet orange)
17. Commiphora myrrha (Myrrh)
18. Coriandrum sativum (Coriander)
19. Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress)
20. Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon-grass)
21. Cymbopogon martinii (Palmarosa)
22. Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum)
23. Foeniculum vulgare (sweet fennel)
24. Jasminum grandiflorum (Jasmine)
25. Juniperus communis (Juniper berry)
26. Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender)
27. Lippia citriodora (Lemon verbena)
28. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea tree)
29. Melaleuca leucodendrom (cajuput)
30. Melaleuca viridiflora (Niaouli)
31. Melissa officinalis (Melissa)
32. Mentha piperata (Peppermint)
33. Myrtus communis (myrtle)
34. Ocimum basilicum
35. Origanum majorana (Sweet Marjoram)
36. Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium)
37. Pinus sylvestris (Pine)
38. Piper nigrum (Black pepper)
39. Pogostemon patchouli (Patchouli)
40. Rosa damescena / centifolia (Rose Otto)
41. Rosa centifolia/damascene (Rose absolute)
42. Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary )
43. Salvia sclarea (Clary)
44. Santalum album (Sandalwood)
45. Styrax benzoin (Benzoin)
46. Thymus vulgaris (linalool type) (Sweet thyme)
47. Vetiveria zizanioides (Vetiver)
48. Zingiber officinale (Ginger)

Possible hazards and dangers of the use of essential oils

Essential oils are highly concentrated once they are extracted from the plant and this should alert us to the specific safety issues connected with their use. Toxic effects of essential have been comprehensively reviewed and a number of books exist on the subject.

Potential dangers of the use of essential oils

Some essential oils have been classified at an earlier time as toxic, (Pennyroyal, Tansy and parsley) and are said to be abortifacients. When tested later on, it was found that these oils do not have any direct or indirect stimulation on uterine muscles and they were found instead to inhibit uterine contractions. Their abortifacient activity is more likely to be due to poisoning or irritation of the peristalsis reflex. This makes them unsuitable or even dangerous for use in aromatherapy.

Essential oils are very concentrated substances both as a liquid and as a smell. It is therefore important to remember that people have different degrees of sensitivity and react accordingly. Another factor to take into consideration is the power of essential oils on a person in a hypersensitive or weak state; deeply upset, unwell, tired, coming down with a cold, etc…

In regard to the scents of essential oils, different people are accustomed to different intensity of smells and this is often connected to the climatic conditions and cultural use of particular aromatic plants where they grew up .e.g. fennel is commonly used in Greece, Basil in Italy, Camomile in England and Lavender in France and many other European countries

Rules for safe preservation of essential oils and safe application

Never leave essential oils in the sun or near heat as they can decay and may become hazardous or even become toxic. Ensure that they are stored in dark containers, preferably glass and the cap is tightly screwed on.

Always make sure they are labelled properly, read the label, replace the individual cap immediately after use to prevent confusion and oxidation.

Do not leave essential oils diluted or not within reach of children, pets or disabled persons.
It is always preferable to dilute the oils properly as they are very concentrated although occasionally a small amount may be used directly on the skin (check first if the particular essential oil you intend to use is suitable).

If attempting to treat a condition or ailment at home remember that unless you are a doctor you will only be able to help small common problems and you may still need the guidance of a professionally trained aromatherapists before doing D.I.Y. aromatherapy.

Some Essential Oils Therapeutic Properties

Please note this is a only a guide to essential oils and do not constitute medical advice of any sort, if you are not feeling well or have a medical condition please consult you medical doctor. Some essential oils can be mildly to severally toxic if used on their own.

Some essential oils are photosensitive and can cause brown skin patches and sometimes skin cancer. Some essential oils are highly irritant and some are mildly irritant. If unsure please contact an IFA aromatherapist.