| Chemistry?!? Are your eyes glazed over yet? It | | | | Many factors in an essential oil's production affect the |
| happens...yet if you're interested at all in the | | | | total number and relative amounts of individual |
| therapeutic use of essential oils, a little primer on their | | | | chemicals found in the final product. These include |
| chemistry can be very useful. Not only will you better | | | | where the plant was grown, soil and climate |
| understand how and why essential oils work, but the | | | | conditions, time of harvest, distillation equipment, plus |
| great importance of using natural, high-quality oils - | | | | the time, temperature and pressure of distillation. This |
| oils that are pure, properly distilled, AND smell nice - | | | | can give you an idea as to why two varieties of the |
| will be made clear. It's not just an aromatherapy sales | | | | same oil can smell so different: The full, beautiful |
| pitch; essential oils with exceptional bouquets have | | | | bouquet of a fine essential oil will contain a myriad of |
| different chemical make-ups than flat or otherwise | | | | notes, telling you that all natural components are |
| uninteresting oils. The differences can significantly | | | | present and in balanced amounts. Poorly distilled oils |
| affect the healing potency of therapeutic applications | | | | may lose some of the secondary constituents during |
| for you, your family and/or your clients. Much of the | | | | production, and adulterated or synthetic oils may not |
| time, you can discern the difference of therapeutic | | | | have some of the trace components at all, |
| value between two oils just by their aroma - one | | | | detectable by your nose as a flat or uninteresting |
| needn't always have the proof of fancy, expensive | | | | aroma. |
| machines to make an educated choice. | | | | To best understand this, we'll examine Lavender |
| So, why are essential oils called 'oils' anyway? They | | | | essential oil; more than fifty individual molecules have |
| don't feel greasy, and they tend to evaporate | | | | been identified in pure lavender essential oil. The |
| completely, unlike common 'fixed' oils (such as olive, | | | | aromatherapist must remember that ALL of these |
| grapeseed, hazelnut and the like). Essential oils and | | | | chemicals found in pure and natural lavender oil work |
| fixed oils share a similar chemical foundation: their | | | | together to produce a therapeutic effect. For |
| structures are based on the linking of carbon and | | | | example, the linalool molecule is antiviral and |
| hydrogen atoms in various configurations. But this is | | | | antibacterial; the linalyl acetate is also emotionally |
| really where the similarity ends. Fixed oils are made | | | | calming; other major components including cineol, |
| up of molecules comprised of three long chains of | | | | limonene, pinene and others are all noted for specific |
| carbon atoms bound together at one end, called a | | | | biologic and aromatic activity. It is the combined, |
| triglyceride. Every fixed oil is made up of just a few | | | | balanced, synergistic action of these chemicals that |
| different triglyceride arrangements - olive oil, for | | | | make pure, high-quality lavender such a great healer. |
| example, is primarily made up of oleic, linoleic and | | | | No one chemical can be singled out and used to give |
| linolenic acids (the names of particular | | | | the same profound results as the complete pure |
| carbon-hydrogen chains forming the triglycerides). | | | | essential oil. |
| Their long-chain shape holds them in a liquid state | | | | So how is this synergy reflected in Lavender's |
| which does not easily evaporate. | | | | aroma? Each of these chemicals has a unique smell; |
| Essential oils are 'volatile' oils - oils that DO easily | | | | some are sweet, some are camphorous, some |
| evaporate. Their chains of carbon atoms to which | | | | citrusy and some herbaceous. It is all these chemicals |
| the hydrogens attach are not as long or heavy, and | | | | together, a precise amount of each, that gives each |
| are much more complex. Many essential oil structures | | | | lavender variety its distinct aroma. And your nose |
| are not really chains, but ring, or multi-ringed shapes | | | | knows this! One can tell the difference between a |
| with diverse sub-units - called 'functional groups' - | | | | well-made, complex lavender oil with many notes |
| sticking out in various directions. Like their fixed oil | | | | within the aroma, and one that is flat or plain, which |
| counterparts, essential oils are lipophillic - meaning 'fat | | | | may be chemically imbalanced or missing some trace |
| liking'. The fat-liking nature of both fixed and essential | | | | constituents. |
| oils makes them easily absorbed by our bodies. | | | | One can easily tell the difference, for example, |
| Because of their typically smaller structures however, | | | | between common Lavendula officinalis, and the finer |
| essential oils are absorbed more rapidly than fixed | | | | Lavendula angustifolia, which contains a higher |
| oils, and can easily penetrate deep into the body. | | | | proportion of sweet-smelling linalyl acetate and less |
| Despite their plant origins, this lipophillic nature of | | | | sharp-smelling camphor. Further, lower quality lavender |
| essential oils makes their profound healing action on | | | | plants may occasionally be sprayed with linalool |
| the human body possible. | | | | before harvest to enhance the production of linalyl |
| Most of the therapeutic activity of an essential oil can | | | | acetate by the flowers. While the end-product may |
| be attributed to the functional groups of the individual | | | | smell sweeter, the process actually creates an |
| chemicals that make up the oil. There can be over a | | | | imbalance in the overall healing synergy of the |
| hundred identifiable molecules in one essential oil. Each | | | | primary and trace molecules. All these oils will be |
| of these molecules, as mentioned earlier, is a chain or | | | | labeled 'Lavender' on the store shelf, yet the finer, |
| ring (or multiple-ring) structure of carbon atoms linked | | | | natural lavender will have a more beautiful, balanced |
| together with hydrogen atoms bonded to them in | | | | aromatic bouquet, and is considered the most |
| various configurations. Every chain or ring has a | | | | holistically healing variety by the world's leading |
| functional group attached - a functional group is | | | | aromatherapy practitioners. |
| defined by Salvatore Battaglia in 'The Complete Guide | | | | This of course is not true of only lavender essential |
| to Aromatherapy' as: "a single atom or group of | | | | oil. All essential oils are subject to similar variations in |
| atoms that...has a profound influence upon the | | | | production methods or the manipulation of their |
| properties of the molecule as a whole. It is often | | | | molecular make-ups through the addition of synthetic |
| referred to as the chemically active center of the | | | | chemicals. For the most therapeutic benefit, it is |
| molecule". | | | | always best to use true, carefully-made essential oils. |
| As you can see, essential oils are really very complex | | | | To do this, find a source that is dedicated to |
| in their chemical nature. There are nearly infinite | | | | supplying only the highest grades of oils. Examine |
| possibilities of functional group and ring or chain | | | | their product's aromatic quality and business practices |
| combinations. And ONE essential oil alone can be | | | | and so that you are comfortable with their dedication |
| made up of HUNDREDS of these different molecular | | | | to your health, not just their bottom line. Listen to |
| arrangements. Don't worry, though! While it sounds | | | | your intuition and your own nose; they won't lie to |
| complex, one needn't know all the precise chemical | | | | you! With experience, your ability to discern between |
| details to use essential oils therapeutically. When | | | | subtly different grades of oils will become more |
| selecting between varieties of an essential oil, It IS | | | | astute. With even more education and skill, you'll start |
| helpful to know that any particularly oil is often | | | | to recognize individual chemicals within an oils aroma, |
| composed of one or more primary molecular forms, | | | | and make the best decisions as to which oils will have |
| with many minor or 'trace' constituents, and that ALL | | | | the most profound therapeutic affects for you, your |
| these molecules contribute to the oil's aroma and | | | | family, or in your professional practice. |
| therapeutic action. | | | | |