Quintessence: Essential Oils
Essential oils are the aromatic components of
plants. They can be distilled from the flowers, seeds, leaves,
bark, or roots of plants, grasses, and trees. Though the word "essential" comes
from "quintessence" or the most exquisite and concentrated
component of substance, it is also correct to refer to essential
oils as volatile oils or essences. They are "volatile" because,
if left uncovered, they evaporate or vaporize without a trace.
Many oils are produced as flavorings for the food
industry or fragrances for the manufacture of cosmetics: perfumes,
soaps, and lotions. This latter use is 
ancient
and has a colorful history. They
were also used medicinally, especially by those who subscribed
to the belief that many diseases were contracted by exposure to
malodorous air—malaria—and thus prevented by pleasant
aromas. In fact, this theory held some merit as it was discovered
during the Black Death that persons working in the perfumery industry
who routinely inhaled floral and spice essences did not succumb
to the plague. Especially important is this regard were cinnamon,
cloves, and nutmeg but also lavender, rosemary, and sage.
Most
oils are produced by a process of steam distillation in which the
volatile essence is liberated from the plant material and passed
through a condenser where the vapor is cooled before dropping into
a collection becker. In most cases, the oil is lighter than the
water; so when it separates, it floats to the top where it is siphoned
off. The remaining water retains some of the aroma of the oil and
has some aesthetic uses, such as in spritzers or lotions. The essential
oil is highly concentrated so, before use, most oils are diluted
in what is called a carrier oil. All essential oils disperse easily
in oils and waxes as well as alcohol and egg yolks. They are less
soluble in vinegar and even less yet in water. Very few oils should
be used directly on the skin. However, lavender is one of the exceptions
even though it is usually perfectly effective when not used full
strength.
Carrier oils are of many types, virtually any
vegetable oil. Choosing the right carrier oil for a skin fragrance
or massage oil is a bit of an art, but oils are selected for their
properties, such as lightness or heaviness, penetrability, shelf
life, odor, or other special characteristics. Almost any vegetable
oil can be used as a carrier. The most common are almond and olive
oil, but some oils are very exotic like macadamia nut. One can
also combine an oil and a butter. Again, there fairly familiar
oils or butters that are solid at room temperature like coconut
butter (also called cocoa butter but this is confusing because
coffee, theobroma, is also called cocoa butter) as well as less
well known butters made from avocadoes or mangoes. There are also
various carriers that are technically waxes rather than oils or
butters. Jojoba is one of these. Making a product to suit one's
mood and needs permits of imaginative combining of textures and
aromas, enough to become a serious hobby for some people and careers
for others.
Unlike the standardized perfumes
many people are accustomed to smelling, essential oil products
vary enormously, not just from season to season but batch to batch.
In this respect, the connoisseur not only has a nose for bouquet
similar to that of a champion vintner, but a healthy regard for
the specific end uses suitable for each batch distilled. When selecting
a fragrance for use in soap or shampoo, one can choose any oil
or combination one likes. When it comes to more medicinal uses,
the nuances are much greater.
To an extent, all essential oils
are antiseptic, but the extent of the antimicrobial action varies
enormously from plant to plant as well as plant species, care taken
when harvested and distilled, etc. Moreover, the unique properties
can be more suitable for use in a lymph stimulating product or
one intended more for aches and pains.
Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2003
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