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There are a lot of terms that get thrown around when you look into essential oils and aromatherapy practices. Some, like essential oils, make sense to you. They are exactly as the name suggests oils... |
There are a lot of terms that get thrown around when you look into essential oils and aromatherapy practices. Some, like essential oils, make sense to you. They are exactly as the name suggests oils that are made from pure ingredients like bark, flowers, seeds and other plant material. Some other terms, such as absolutes and carriers may make no sense to you at all. If you are confused about the aromatic ingredients used with essential oils, then here is some help to clear up the confusion.
Essential oils: Most people have heard of essential oils. These are oils that are derived, through a variety of methods, with plant material. Common plants uses include seeds, seed pods, flowers, bark, leaves and many more. These are natural oils that come from a product. Think of the juice you get when you squeeze an orange. That is essentially, essential oil. These oils are used for a wide variety of uses in aromatherapy. They can help heal, they can compliment medical treatment, they can be used to fill the home or environment with a great scent, and they can invigorate or relax the mind.
Absolutes: this is another term that you will often hear when you talk about essential oils and aromatherapy. Like the oil you will use, absolutes are also very aromatic liquids that are taken from plant material using a variety of methods. The way these are extracted, however, requires that all chemical solvents are removed at the very end of distillation. Why is this done? Sometimes very small amounts of residue are left over at the end of the process. It is not pure if left in that condition. If you want pure essential oil, then look for absolutes.
Carriers: Carriers are important when dealing with essential oils. Carriers are often other types of oils, such as sweet almond oil, soybean oil and even vegetable oil that will dilute the essential oil. You must remember that it does not take a lot of essential oils to go a long way and used undiluted on the skin can give you some problems with irritation. The carriers will help with that problem and will help you get lasting results from your essential oils. Of course, essential oils can also be added to cr