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What are Essential Oils?




Essential oils are the ultimate gift from nature made from the aromatic essences of plants and flowers, Their fragrances have a remarkable ability to affect a person's well-being and improve the environment around them.

Essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant and contains the true essence of the plant it was derived from and are highly concentrated, a little goes a long way. Essential oils, contrary to the use of the word "oil" are not oily-feeling at all. Most essential oils are clear, but some oils such as patchouli, orange, and lemongrass are amber or yellow.

Essential oils are not the same as perfume or fragrance oils. Essential oils are derived from true plants, perfume oils are artificially created fragrances or contain artificial substances and do not offer the therapeutic benefits essential oils offer.

The Essential oils' chemical composition and aroma can provide valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits. These benefits are usually achieved through methods including inhalation and application of diluted oil to the skin and can also provide therapeutic benefits as the oil molecules enter the lungs and are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Essential oils can vary greatly in quality and price. Various factors that can affect the quality and price of the oil include the rarity of the plant, the country and conditions in which the plant was grown, the quality standards of the distiller, and how much oil is produced by the plant.

Essential oils can often be purchased for individual use in very small bottles or blends and mixes of several essential oils. The advantage of it being a blend of pure essential oils is that you can save from having to buy every essential oil individually. The disadvantage is that you have no control over the blend by not mixing it yourself nor can you reliably mix the blend with other oils. Essential oils are often used by diluting them with a carrier oil (sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil) and then applying this blend to the skin for absorption.