Essential oil

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Production

Distillation

Expression

Solvent extraction

Production quantities

Oil	Tonnes
Sweet orange	12,000
Mentha arvensis Mentha arvensis Mentha arvensis is a species of Mentha native to the temperate regions of Europe and western and central Asia, east to the Himalaya and eastern Siberia....	4,800
Peppermint Peppermint Peppermint is a Hybrid Mentha, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world....	3,200
Cedar Cedar Cedar is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs , sharing a very similar cone structure.... wood	2,600
Lemon Lemon The lemon is the common name for Citrus limon. The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world....	2,300
Eucalyptus globulus Eucalyptus globulus The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia....	2,070
Litsea cubeba Litsea cubeba May Chang is an evergreen tree or shrub 5-12 meters high in the Lauraceae family. It is native to China, Indonesia, Taiwan and other parts of Southeast Asia....	2,000
Clove Clove Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisine all over the world....  (leaf)	2,000
Spearmint Spearmint Mentha spicata is a species of Mentha native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation....	1,300

Essential oil use in aromatherapy

Dilution

Raw Materials

Berries Berry In everyday English, a berry is a broad term for any small edible fruit. Most berries are juicy, round or semi-oblong, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, and don't have a stone or pit.... Allspice Allspice Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Kurundu, Myrtle pepper, pimento, or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant, a tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico and Central America.... Juniper Juniper Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the mountains of Central America.... Seed Seed A seed is a small Plant embryogenesis plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some Food storage. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant.... s Almond Almond The Almond is a species of tree of the genus Prunus, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae and native to the Middle East.... Anise Anise is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia known for its flavor that resembles licorice, fennel, and tarragon.... Celery Celery Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten.... Cumin Cumin Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India.... Nutmeg oil Nutmeg oil Nutmeg oil is a volatile essential oil from Nutmeg containing borneol and eugenol.... Bark BARK BARK was an early Electromechanics. BARK was built using standard phone relays, implementing a 32-bit binary machine and could perform addition in 150 ms and multiplication in 250 ms.... Cassia Cassia Cassia is an evergreen tree native to southern China, Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam. Like its close relative, cinnamon , it is used primarily for its aromatic bark, which is used as a spice, often under the culinary name of "cinnamon".... Cinnamon Cinnamon Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree 10?15 metres tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, and is native to Sri Lanka.The leaf are ovate-oblong in shape, 7?18 cm long.... Sassafras Sassafras Sassafras is a genus of three species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.Sassafras trees grow from 15?35 m tall and 70?150 cm in diameter, with many slender branches, and smooth, orange-brown bark.... Wood Wood Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc.... Camphor Camphor Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula carbon10hydrogen16oxygen.... Cedar Cedar Cedar is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs , sharing a very similar cone structure.... Rosewood Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for Parquetry, furniture, Woodturning, musical instruments, John Parris, and chess piece .... Sandalwood Sandalwood Sandalwood is the name for several Fragrance woods. From the Sanskrit candanam the name is borrowed as the Greek sandanon. The local name in Indonesia and Malaysia is "Cendana" .... Agarwood Agarwood File:Agarwood.jpgAgarwood is the resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, large evergreens native to southeast Asia. The trees occasionally become infected with mold and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack.... Rhizome Rhizome In botany, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal plant stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes.... Galangal Galangal The Galangal plant is a rhizome with culinary and medicinal uses . It used in various oriental cuisines . Though it resembles the ginger root that it is related to, there is little similarity in taste.... Ginger Ginger Ginger is a spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole as a delicacy or medicine. It is the rhizome of the Zingiber, Zingiber officinale....

Leaves Leaf In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues.... Basil Basil Basil , of the Family Lamiaceae. Basil is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a Perennial plant in warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.... Bay leaf Bay leaf Bay leaf , Greek Daphni, Romanian Dafin, Portuguese Louro; is the aromatic leaf of several species of the Laurel family . Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance.... Cinnamon Cinnamon Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree 10?15 metres tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, and is native to Sri Lanka.The leaf are ovate-oblong in shape, 7?18 cm long.... Common sage Common sage Salvia officinalis is a small perennial evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean region and commonly grown as a kitchen and medicinal herb or as an ornamental garden plant.... Eucalyptus Eucalyptus Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of Flowering plant trees in the Myrtus family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia.... Lemon grass Melaleuca Melaleuca Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. There are well over 200 recognized species, most of which are endemic to Australia.... Oregano Oregano Oregano or is a species of Origanum, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and southern and central Asia. It is a perennial plant herb, growing to 20-80 cm tall, with opposite leaf 1-4 cm long.... Patchouli Patchouli Patchouli is a species from the genus Pogostemon and a bushy herb of the lamiaceae family, with erect Plant stems, reaching two or three feet in height and bearing small pale pink-white flowers.... Peppermint Peppermint Peppermint is a Hybrid Mentha, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world.... Pine Pine Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.... Rosemary Rosemary Rosemary is a woody, perennial plant herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaf. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs.... Spearmint Spearmint Mentha spicata is a species of Mentha native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation.... Tea tree Tea tree Tea tree or Ti-tree is a popular name that has been applied to a number of different, unrelated plants:*Camellia sinensis , from which black, green, oolong and white tea are all obtained.... Thyme Thyme Thyme is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to* any or all members of the plant genus Thymus ,* common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.... Wintergreen Wintergreen Wintergreen is a group of plants. Wintergreen once commonly referred to plants that continue photosynthesis throughout the winter. The term evergreen is now more commonly used for this characteristic.... Resin Resin Resin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly Pinophyta. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume.... Frankincense Frankincense Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an Aroma compound resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra .... Myrrh Myrrh Myrrh is a reddish-brown resinous material, the dried Plant sap of a number of trees, but primarily from Commiphora myrrha, native to Yemen, Somalia, the eastern parts of Ethiopia and Commiphora gileadensis, native to Jordan....

Flower Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds.... s Cannabis Cannabis flower essential oil Cannabis flower essential oil, also known as hemp essential oil, is obtained by steam distillation from the flowers and upper leaves of the Cannabis plant.... Chamomile Chamomile Chamomile or camomile is a common name for several plants. The word, a combination of ?a?a? "on the ground" + ????? "apple", derives from their applelike scent.... Clary sage Clove Clove Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisine all over the world.... Scented geranium Pelargonium Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants which includes about 200 species of perennial plants, succulent plants, and shrubs, commonly known as geraniums or storksbills.... Hops Hops Hops are the female flower cones, also known as strobiles, of the hop . They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and Herbalism.... Hyssop Hyssop Hyssop is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or subshrub plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia.... Jasmine Jasmine Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family ,with about 200 species, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World.... Lavender Lavender The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India.... Manuka Leptospermum scoparium Leptospermum scoparium is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. It is found throughout New Zealand but is particularly common on the drier east coasts of the North Island and the South Island, and in Australia in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.... Marjoram Marjoram Marjoram is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial plant herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. It is also called Sweet Marjoram or Knotted Marjoram and Majorana hortensis.... Orange Orange (fruit) An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine .... Rose Rose A rose is a perennial plant flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colors.... Ylang-ylang Ylang-ylang Ylang-ylang Cananga odorata, is a small flower of the cananga tree. It is a fast-growing tree that exceeds 5 meters per year and attains an average height of 12 meters.... Peel Peel (fruit) Peel, also known as rind or skin, is the outer protective layer of a fruit or vegetable which could be peeled off. The rind is usually the Botany exocarp, but the term exocarp does also include the hard cases of nut , which are not named peels since they are not peeled off by hand or peeler, but rather shells because of their har... Bergamot Bergamot orange File:Dscf0545.jpgFile:Bergamotfruit.jpgThe bergamot is a small and roughly pear-shaped fragrant citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. Today it is also commercially grown in Calabria, Italy.... Grapefruit Grapefruit The grapefruit is a subtropics citrus tree grown for its bitter fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados.These evergreen trees are usually found at around 5-6 m tall, although they can reach 13-15 m .... Lemon Lemon The lemon is the common name for Citrus limon. The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world.... Lime Lime (fruit) Lime is a term referring to a number of different fruits , both species and Hybrid , which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3?6 cm in diameter, generally containing sour pulp, and frequently associated with the lemon.... Orange Orange (fruit) An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine .... Tangerine Tangerine The tangerine is an orange - or red -coloured citrus fruit. It is a variety of the Mandarin orange . Tangerines are smaller than most orange , and the skin of some varieties will peel off more easily.... Root Root In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating .... Valerian

Rose oil

The most well-known essential oil is probably rose oil

Rose oil

Rose oil, meaning either rose otto or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose. Rose ottos are extracted through steam distillation, while rose absolutes are obtained through solvent extraction or supercritical carbon dioxide, with the absolute being used more commonly in pe...
, produced from the petals of Rosa damascena

Rosa damascena

Rosa ? damascena, more commonly known as the Damask rose or simply as "Damask", or sometimes as the Rose of Castile , is a rose Hybrid , derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata ....
 and Rosa centifolia

Rosa centifolia

Rosa ? centifolia , the provence rose or cabbage rose or Rose de Mai is a Hybrid rose developed by Netherlands rose breeders in the period between the 1600s and the 1800s, possibly earlier....
. Steam-distilled rose oil is known as "rose otto" while the solvent extracted product is known as "rose absolute".

Dangers

Because of their concentrated nature, essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or "neat" form. Some can cause severe irritation, or provoke an allergic reaction. Instead, essential oils should be blended with a vegetable-based "carrier" oil (a.k.a., a base, or "fixed" oil) before being applied. Common carrier oils include olive, almond, hazelnut and grapeseed. Only neutral oils should be used. Common ratio of essential oil disbursed in a carrier oil is 0.5–3% (most under 10%), and depends on its intended purpose. Some essential oils, including many of the citrus

Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world....
 peel oils, are photosensitizers (i.e., increasing the skin's vulnerability to sunlight, making it more likely to burn). Industrial users of essential oils should consult the material safety data sheet

Material safety data sheet

A material safety data sheet is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. An important component of product stewardship and workplace safety, it is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such...
s (MSDS) to determine the hazards and handling requirements of particular oils.

Gynecomastia

Estrogen

Estrogen

Estrogens are a group of steroid compounds, named for their importance in the estrous cycle, and functioning as the primary female sex hormone....
ic and antiandrogen

Antiandrogen

An antiandrogen, or androgen antagonist, is any of a group of hormone receptor antagonist compounds that are capable of preventing or inhibiting the biologic effects of androgens, male sex hormones, on normally responsive tissues in the body ....
ic activity have been reported by in vitro study of tea tree oil

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil or melaleuca oil is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor. It is taken from the leaf of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia....
 and lavender

Lavender

The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India....
 essential oils. Case reports suggest that the oils may be implicated in some cases of gynecomastia

Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia, or gynaecomastia, is the development of abnormally large mammary glands in males resulting in breast enlargement, which can sometimes cause secretion of milk....
, an abnormal breast tissue growth, in prepubescent boys.

Pesticide residues

There is some concern about pesticide

Pesticide

A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest .A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest ....
 residues in essential oils, particularly those used therapeutically. For this reason, many practitioners of aromatherapy buy organically

Organic farming

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pest s, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and gen...
 produced oils.

Ingestion

While some advocate the ingestion of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, this should never be done except under the supervision of someone licensed to prescribe such treatment. Some common essential oils such as Eucalyptus are toxic internally. Pharmacopoeia

Pharmacopoeia

Pharmacopoeia , in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of samples and the preparation of compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society....
 standards for medicinal oils should be heeded. Some oils can be toxic to some domestic animals, cat

Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
s in particular. The internal use of essential oils can pose hazards to pregnant women, as some can be abortifacient

Abortifacient

An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mating undesirably are known as mismating shots.Common abortifacients used in performing medical abortions include mifepristone, which is typically used in conjunction with misoprostol in a two-step approach....
s in dose 0.5–10 ml.

Smoke

The smoke from burning essential oils may contain carcinogen

Carcinogen

The term carcinogen refers to any substance, radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the increase of its propagation....
s, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Essential oils are naturally high in volatile organic compound

Volatile organic compound

Volatile organic compounds are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere....
s (VOCs).

Flammable Liquid

The flash point

Flash point

The flash point of a flammability liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in air. At this temperature the vapour may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed....
 of each essential oil is different. Many of the common essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, and citrus oils are classed as a Class 3 Flammable Liquid

HAZMAT Class 3 Flammable Liquids

A flammable liquid is a liquid with flash point of not more than 60.5?C , or any material in a liquid phase with a flash point at or above 37.8?C ....
 as they have a flash point of 50-60 °C.

Toxicology

LD₅₀

LD50

In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 , or LCt50 of a toxic substance or radiation is the Dose required to kill half the members of a tested population....
 of most essential oils or their main components are 0.5-10 g/kg (orally or skin test).

Additional references

See also

• Alternative medicine
  Alternative medicine
  
  The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world, encompasses any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine"....
  
• Aromatherapy
  Aromatherapy
  
  Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils , and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health....
  
• Enfleurage
  Enfleurage
  
  Enfleurage is a process that uses odorless fats that are solid at room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds exuded by plants. The process can be "cold" enfleurage or "hot" enfleurage....
  
• Fragrance oil
  Fragrance oil
  
  Fragrance oil, also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended Chemical synthesis aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil....
  
• List of essential oils
  List of essential oils
  
  Essential oils are volatility and liquid aroma compounds from natural sources, usually plants. Essential oils are not oils in a strict sense, but often share with oils a poor solubility in water....
  
• List of vegetable oils
  List of vegetable oils
  
  This list of vegetable oils includes all vegetable oils that are extracted from plants. There are three methods for removing the oil....
  
• Volatility (chemistry)
  Volatility (chemistry)
  
  Volatility in the context of chemistry, physics and thermodynamics is a measure of the tendency of a substance to vaporize. It has also been defined as a measure of how readily a substance vaporizes....