Introduction to Essential Oils

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic substances found in the glandular cells of plants and flowers. The term "essential" refers to the fact that the oil has the characteristic aroma (essence) of the part of the plant from which it is derived.

Most plants produce a single essence, such is the case with chamomile. Chamomile essential oil is only contained in the flowering tops of the plant.

However, some plants produce multiple essences. For example, the orange tree has 3 different essential oils (essences) found in 3 distinct parts of the plant. The fruit peel produces a sweet, fruity smelling essence known simply as orange. The blossoms produce a rich, floral smelling essence know as neroli. The leaves & twigs produce a fresh, herbaceous smelling oil known as petitgrain.

At Lavish, we only use essential oils to scent our products. We do not use synthetic fragrances. Lavish chooses to use essential oils because they smell wonderful and have health benefits.

Do all plants have essential oils?

NO! Many plants do not contain essential oils. Do not be fooled! Just because a plant has a smell does not mean it produces an essential oil. Confused? Let's explore this further by looking at the example of the peach.

Indeed, a real peach fruit smells wonderful and sweet. However, for whatever reason of mother-nature, peaches do not contain an essential oil. Sure, peaches have juice, but juice is not essential oil. Instead, the "peachy" smell comes from hundreds of un-capturable gaseous molecules. There is no definitive aromatic substance (oil or liquid) that can be collected.

If a product is peach scented, it is almost certainly synthetic chemical fragrance, trying to mimic the smell of a peach.

A few more examples of plants/fruits that do not produce essential oils are: apples, coconuts, lilac, honeysuckle, freesia, cranberries, cantaloupes, bananas and strawberries.

What do essential oils look like?

Some essences are thin and water-like, others are thick and sticky. Some are even solid or semi-solid. Essential oils are not really oils in the sense that they do not feel "greasy" and will evaporate when exposed to air.

How are essential oils obtained?

The three most common methods for capturing essential oils are:

Steam distillation The most common process used to obtain essences is steam distillation. The resulting substance is what is known as essential oil. The plant materials are placed in a large vat and heat in the form of steam is passed through them, causing their oil-containing glands to rupture. The plant oils then vaporize with the steam into a collection container where it cools back to a liquid state. Essential oils are insoluble, thus they float on the surface and are easily separated from the water.

Solvent extraction
This method is used for delicate plants such as jasmine, where the heat from steam distillation would destroy the essential oil. Solvent extraction is also a preferred method for low yielding plants such as rose, where steam distillation is not as economical.

The aromatic material is extracted from the plant via a multi-step process which involves using a solvent, an alcohol, and a series of vacuum distillation, agitation, freezing and filtering techniques. The resulting fragrant product is called an absolute.

Cold expression
Essences collected in this way are squeezed (expressed) from the rind or peel of a citrus fruit.

Why do certain essential oils cost more than others?

You might have noticed the cost of frankincense essential oil is double the price of tea tree essential oil, or that sandalwood essential oil is five times the price of eucalyptus essential oil. Why is this?

The huge variation in the price of different essential oils reflects above all, the volume of material available, transportation cost, growing conditions and crop yield. For example, it takes vast quantities of hand-picked, tiny jasmine petals from India to produce just a few drops of jasmine oil. In contrast, the US farms produce tons of domestically grown oranges that hold large amounts of oil in their rinds.

Lavish's pure essential oils are sourced from over 30 countries.

What's the difference between essential oils and synthetic fragrances?

Essential oils come from plants. They have medicinal properties and are useful for human healthcare.

Synthetic fragrances come from synthetic petroleum chemicals. They do not come from plants. They have no medicinal value. Their sole purpose is to lend scent to a product.

Lavish Aromatic Botanical Products DO NOT contain synthetic fragrances. We create 100% of our aromas with pure essential oils. Lavish is one of the few companies that refuses to use synthetic fragrances.

Consumers should be aware most products on the market, even those sold at health stores labeled "natural" are scented with fragrance oils, or a combination of synthetic fragrance oils and essential oils. Unfortunately, there is lack of regulation in the use of the terms botanical, natural and essential oil. Thus, companies often purposely misuse these words to make their product appear more wholesome. The most effective way to distinguish the good from the bad is to familiarize your nose with how real plant oils smell, and learn which plants do not have essential oils so you can spot the fakes.

That said, the table below outlines some of the main reasons companies use synthetic fragrances to scent their products.

Consumers should be aware there are disadvantages to using products containing synthetic fragrances. A synthetic fragrance may contain up to 200 chemical components which can put stress on the body and immune system. Some of the more common side-effects include skin reactions, respiratory allergies and headaches.

Q: What do Aveeno soap, designer perfumes, Johnson's baby lotion, Glade air fresheners, suntan oils, Burt's Bees and Origins products all have in common?

A: They are all scented with synthetic fragrances.

Q: Do the fragrances in "relaxing" body products such as Dove brand Calming Night Body Wash or similar national brands really have a relaxation effect on the body?

A: No way! Again, products perfumed with synthetic fragrances cannot facilitate physiological relaxation. In fact, the chemicals can stress the system, having the opposite effect. For real relaxation, try using mandarin essential oil, for example. It contains the component citronellal which has been proven to have a sedating effect on the nervous system.

Lavish is aware of the health concerns linked to synthetic fragrances, and is committed to creating the purest, most therapeutic products anywhere. Lavish products contain essential oils not only because they smell amazing, but more importantly because they are welcomed by the body and promote good health.

Essential oils have restorative effects and help strengthen the immune system while fighting infection and disease. Most every essential oil is anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Well documented scientific studies and practical application in the form of aromatherapy prove essential oils have amazing impact on the body. They can regulate hormones and blood pressure, cure acne and skin disorders, treat stomach ailments and ease psychological conditions.

Many people who normally cannot tolerate scents or have adverse reactions to perfumed products are able to use and enjoy Lavish products because there is no synthetic component to trigger an allergy.