What exactly are Essential Oils?
What are Essential Oils?
At the most basic level essential oils are natural substances created by plants. They are the aromatic molecules that give plants their distinct aroma. Scientifically speaking, an essential oil is comprised of hundreds of chemical constituents, the combination of which provides plants with distinctive qualities and healing properties. Hidden in the roots, bark, seeds, and flowers of plants, essential oils cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are natural compounds found within plants, and are highly concentrated, which makes them very potent.
Depending on the plant type and structure, essential oils can be found in several different parts of a living plant. For example, in some plants, the essential oil can be found within the flowers, while other plants contain essential oils in the leaves or bark. Regardless of where an essential oil is found within a plant, essential oils are known to play an important role in plant life because they can perform many functions.
Essential Oils are volatile aromatic compounds but what does this mean?
It means they are tiny, organic molecules that are known to quickly transform from their liquid or solid state into a gas when they reach room temperature.
Essential oils are 50-70 times more powerful than herbs ! Did you know that 1 drop of doTerra peppermint essential oil contains the equivalent of 28 cups of peppermint tea!
In many cases, essential oils give a plant its aroma. In addition to giving a plant a distinct smell, essential oils can have defensive properties that protect the plant by keeping insects and herbivores away. Essential oils also play an important part in plant pollination and the reproductive processes of a plant, and can even help a plant heal itself when injured.
Keep in mind that not all plants produce essential oils, and not all essential oils found in plant parts will hold meaningful benefits. However, with such a wide range of plants and plant parts to choose from, there are still plenty of sources that produce useful essential oils with significant benefits.
Essential oils are made by steaming or pressing various parts of a plant to capture the compounds. It can take several pounds of a plant to produce a single bottle of essential oil. Approximately three pounds of lavender flowers are required to produce just one 15ml bottle of doTerra Lavender oil !
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