Essential Oils

Essential Oils are the volatile aromatic compounds extracted from a plants cellar structure under intense pressure and heat extracting a concertrated liquids or resinous form with a distinct fragrance.

Index

Different Parts and Plants
Major Growing Regions
Distillation
Also See

Different Parts and Plants

Also called volatile or ethereal oils, essential oils are extracted from different parts of a plant. Your favourite essential oil could be extracted from just the flowers or leaves, others the whole plant is used.

Part of the plant extracted for essential Oils include..

The leaves (Basil, Tea Tree, Pine)
The flower (Rose Otto, Lavender, Ylang Ylang)
The bark (Cinnamon)
The wood (Sandalwood, Cedar)
The peel (Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime)
The seed (Amond, Nutmeg, Celery, Anise, Cumin)
The resin (Frankincense, Myrrh)
or, The roots (Valerian)

Different parts of the same plant can be distilled to create variations of an oil, or result in a completely different essential oil. The goal is producing a uniquely scented oil, prized for its flavorful, therapeutic or aromatic properties.

Major Growing Regions

Australia - Tea Tree Oil
Bulgaria - Rose Oil, Lavender Oil
China - Eucalyptus Oil, Cedarwood Oil
France - Lavender Oil
India - Palmarosa Oil, Lemon Grass oil
Italy - Bergamot Oil
Indonesia - Citronella Oil, Patchouli Oil
Madagascar - Ylang Ylang Oil
Turkey - Oregano Oil, Basil Oil
USA - Cedar Oil, Peppermint Oil and Spearmint Oil

Distillation

Essential Oils have been extracted around the world for hundreds of years. It is the desire to bottle the intense fragrance properties of a plant that has resulted in various methods of extraction being used. Different plants and parts of plants will give off varying quantities of essential oils. Rose Otto is the very rare and expensive oil extracted from the rose petals. So little oil is created in the process it scarity makes its so valuable. On the other hand, with such an abundance of cold-pressed citrus fruit to extract oil from. These oils are available cheaply and in large quanities.

Steam Distillation

The process of forcing steaming water through the plant membrane at high pressures and collection of the vapour mixed. The water vapour is separated from the oil, leaving a sented water behind, sometimes refered to as a Hydrosol or Floral Water.

Other forms of Essential Oil Distillation

Water Distillation
Solvent Extraction
Cold Pressed - Used to express citrus peels of lemon, orange and bergamot fruits.
CO2

Also See

List of essential oils
Aromatherapy Oil

Disclaimer
This information is just a guide and readers should consult their medical practitioner before using essential oils.