What is essential oil? What types are included? The benefits of essential oils

Essential oils are widely used for many different purposes, considered as a safe and effective natural remedy for health care. So what are essential oils? What types are included? What are the uses of essential oils? Please refer to the article below!

What is essential oil?

An essential oil is a liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds extracted by various methods, from leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots or other plant parts.

Essential oils and their classification

Here are some essential oils and their classifications.

Pure essential oil

Pure essential oils are essential oils that have not been mixed with other chemical ingredients. Extracted from 100% natural plants, with a certain amount (can be drunk), very good and safe for health (except for some essential oils extracted from non-edible herbs). be in raw form such as lode, cypress, etc.).

Mixing pure essential oils with other chemicals will create a non-pure essential oil (which retains the aroma of the essential oil).

Synthetic essential oil

A product with a scent similar to an essential oil formed through chemical synthesis (fragrance oil). Synthetic essential oils are made up of a combination of chemicals that mimic the smell of natural essential oils.

Methods of production of essential oils

Some methods of producing essential oils, let’s refer!

Steam distillation method

This method produces high purity essential oils, used for essential oils extracted from leaves, flowers, roots and bark. For example: essential oils of lavender, jasmine, mint, sandalwood, lemongrass,…

The ingredients will be put in a sealed jar and then cooked. The steam carries the essential oil through the condenser to a liquid mixture. At this time, the separation of the water and essential oils will occur. People conduct water separation and remove impurities, then pure essential oil is obtained.

Highlight: can make essential oil quickly. The operator can know the nutritional change of the essential oil. Note, if the temperature is too high, the compounds can be transformed in a negative direction.

Solvent extraction method

Usually applied to essential oils (usually flower essential oils) that are difficult to extract, volatile. We need a solvent (alcohol, acetone, propane and hexane) to pull the essential oil together, reducing the evaporation of the essential oil by this method.

Advantages: extracting very high pure essential oil.

Method of marinating

The marinade method is applied to extract essential oils from flowers. Using a wooden mold, put on it a glass plate covered with lard on both sides, the glass layer is about 3mm thick. Place on the surface a thin layer of silk, spread on it 30 – 80g (depending on the need to use) fresh flowers dry, not crushed.

About 35-40 wooden molds are stacked on top of each other, kept in a closed room. After 24-72 hours depending on the type of flower, people change the new layer of flowers until the fat is saturated with essential oils. You can use a grease containing natural essential oils, or separate the essential oils with alcohol. This process is very elaborate and requires a long time to perform.

Cold pressing method

Usually used for essential oils extracted from the peel of the fruit (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon …) or plants that are easy to extract essential oils.

Essential oils are extracted by cold pressing method and are not affected by heat, so they produce essential oils with the highest quality and taste.

Uses of essential oils

Health benefits of essential oils

• Helps balance hormones
• Increase immunity and fight infection
• Strengthen the digestive system
• Energy boost
• Improve brain function
• Helps relieve stress and relax
• Pain relief
• Helps to cure snoring, improve sleep
• Clean living space

Benefits of essential oils for beauty

• Skin and hair care: Essential oils penetrate well through the skin, absorb directly through cell membranes, slow down the aging process, soften and whiten skin. Besides, essential oils are also very good nutrients to nourish the hair.
• Supports weight loss: Grapefruit essential oil helps boost metabolism, you can add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil (potable type) to water to drink before each meal, helping to curb appetite. Body massage with grapefruit essential oil to reduce excess fat, very popular with many people.

​

Notes on using essential oils

Who should not use essential oils:

• People who are allergic to fragrance (when exposed to smelly chemicals will have headaches, nausea, fatigue, respiratory problems, secondary asthma…).
• People with open wounds, sensitive skin, prone to inflammation, allergies, ..
• People with high blood pressure should not use essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, and vetiver. People with low blood pressure should avoid using lavender, marjoram, and ylang-ylang essential oils.
• People who have been and are suffering from epilepsy, nerves and kidneys should stay away from essential oils of eucalyptus, anise, rosemary, sage leaves, cypress, black pepper, pine, fennel.
• Have prostate problems avoid using melissa essential oil, pine… People with glaucoma should avoid using melissa essential oil…
• Women in the early stages of pregnancy should not use any essential oils. In the later stage, if you want to use it, you need to have a doctor’s appointment or advice and dilute it very well.

Notes when using essential oils:

• Using high concentrations of essential oils can cause burns.
• Do not let essential oils get into eyes or open wounds.
• Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin
• Do not eat or drink essential oils unless directed by your doctor.

How to store essential oils:

• Store essential oils in a dark glass jar.
• Limit exposure to oxygen after use, so screw the cap back to avoid reducing the shelf life of the essential oil.
• Store away from direct light and high temperature.

Above is an article that provides information about essential oils. If you have any questions regarding the above content, please leave a comment below!