Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is very near to herbal therapy ad Ayurveda ( Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient Hindu system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent) . On other words, aromatherapy is the branch of plant medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. In Ayurveda, we use various herbs, their extracts and their combinations to treat the particular health problem. Similarly, in Aromatherapy treatment, we use the essential oils extracted from those plants. Aromatherapy is become easier to practice than Ayurveda ad herbal therapy because the essential oils effects more than the herbs. They penetrate the skin because they are the soul (Phytohormone) of the derived plant material.

Glimpse towards the chemistry - Essential Oil is basically a Phytohormone (also known as Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)) of particular plant material which produces in special area of the plant. They serve the same work in the plant that animal hormones serve in the human body. In the plant, the essential oils work as a bactericide, assists in photosynthesis, is the agents that repel the pest and assist in cross pollination. The characteristic smell of the plant is comes from the essential oil it contains. In other words, the essential oils are responsible for smell of plant material. The purpose of odor is to attract insects that carry pollen from other plants. Once the plant is pollinated, it stops emitting the scent and essential oils are then reabsorb into the plant to serve other purposes.

The Essential Oils are well soluble in alcohols and fats. They are very volatile and aromatic. One can get the essential oils from plant in so many ways. The most used method is steam distillation. In this method, the plants are boiled along with water and then condensed the steam into receiver and then separate the volatile oil using special apparatus. The oils are also extracted by using solvent and they can also be produces by pressing the plant in certain pressure. Because of oil tendency to mix with fats, two methods of extraction with fat are used. The first is Enfleurage, in which the plant material is mixed with hot fats with tendency to solidify in room temperature, where the oils are absorbed. The second is maceration (Hot Enfleurage), in which the plants are bathed in hot fat.

Essential Oils have four basic properties that make them usable in skin care:

1. They are germicidal.
2. They stimulate or calm.
3. They penetrate
4. They contain Phytohormone.

Ankur Tandon - Shiva Exports India - http://www.shivaexportsindia.com

I am a distiller of essential oils, absolutes and attars. I have several years experience on distillation, customized perfumery etc.