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

Aroma Oils

The terms "essential oil" and "Aroma oil" confuse people because of the frequent incorrect practice of using these terms interchangeably. Aroma oils are synthetic products and therefore do not possess the natural healing properties of essential oils. Aroma oils are essentially a "pleasant" aroma, and many modern perfumes are created using fragrance oils. It is possible to create almost any aroma in a fragrance oil, unlike an essential oil, which is extracted from a plant.

Absolute Oils

Absolute Oils (absolutes, absolute essential oils) Absolute oils are extracted from flowers, leaves or bark. The majority of essential oils are produced by the process of steam distillation. Some flowers, however, are too delicate for steam distillation (as they damaged) and so their oils are more prolifically produced by solvent extraction or enfleurage. These oils are called absolute oils (absolutes). An Absolute oil has a very high concentration of fragrance and a little goes a long way. An absolute oil is volatile, meaning it evaporates as opposed to a fixed oil which does not. Absolute oils are generally more expensive to buy than steam distilled oils. Production of Absolute Oils The common method used to process absolute oils is either solvent extraction or enfleurage and the second step being the distillation using alcohol.

Carrier Oils

A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts. If applied to the skin undiluted, essential oils, absolutes, CO2s and other concentrated aromatics can cause severe irritation or reactions in some individuals. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential and other oils prior to application. They carry the essential oil onto the skin. Each carrier oil offers a different combination of therapeutic properties and characteristics. The choice of carrier oil can depend on the therapeutic benefit being sought.