If you have ever enjoyed the scent of a rose, you’ve experienced the
aromatic qualities of essential oils. These naturally occurring,
volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots,
flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and
powerfully fragrant. Essential oils give plants their distinctive
smells, essential oils protect plants and play a role in plant
pollination. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and their
beautiful fragrance, essential oils have long been used for food
preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices.
But
what exactly is a volatile aromatic compound? In short, these compounds
are small organic molecules that tend to change quickly from their solid
or liquid state to a gas at room temperature. They are called volatile
because they change state quickly. When you first open a bottle of
essential oil, you instantly notice that the aroma is potent and you can
smell it typically even from some distance. The physical and chemical
properties of the volatile aromatic compounds that compose essential
oils allow them to quickly move through the air and directly interact
with the olfactory sensors in the nose. Such unique properties make
essential oils ideal for applications inclusion in aromatherapy – using
these compounds from plants to help maintain a healthy mind and body –
as well as other applications. The type of volatile aromatic compounds
present in an essential oil determines both the oil’s aroma and the
benefits it offers.
Over 3,000 varieties of volatile aromatic
compounds have been identified to date. The nature of an essential oil
varies from plant to plant, within botanical families, and from species
to species. The delicate ratio of aromatic constituents found in any
given essential oil are what make it unique and give it specific
benefits.
Even with pure essential oils the composition of the
oil can vary depending on the time of day, season, geographic location,
method and duration of distillation, year grown, and the weather, making
every step of the production process a critical determinant of the
overall quality of the essential oil product.
Essential oils can
be used for a wide range of emotional and physical wellness
applications. They can be used as single essential oils or in complex
essential oil blends depending on user experience and desired benefit.
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