EssentialOilGlossary
There is so much terminology that relates to essential oils, and it can be difficulttofinddecentdefinitions.Soforthat,wedecidedtocreateadefinitive Essential Oil Glossary to help clear up any confusion. You’ll also find links to more in depth explanations and product examples. This is your one stop shoptolearnwhatitmeanswhenweusewordslike,“Chemotype” and,“Estrogenic”.Enjoy! Absolute Absolutes are similar to essential oils but are more costly to produce and createoilswhosefragrancesareclosertothatoftheoriginalplant.Tocreate an absolute,weuseasolventlikealcoholtoextractthebeneficialoilinstead of steam distillation. This method is for delicateplantmaterialthat’sdifficult todistill.AcoupleofabsolutelyfantasticexamplesofabsolutesareRoseand Jasmine. Aromatherapy
This can also be referred to as the “scientific name”. A botanical name is written in Latin and identifies the genus and the specific species of a plant.
The Master Gardener Program has an incredibly informative break down of botanicalnameshere.
The first wordisthegenus,thatis,thelargergrouptheplantbelongsto,and the second word is the species. The botanical name for Bergamot, for instance,isCitrusbergamia.
They can have what’s called “systemic toxicity” leading to cytotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. Some essential oils have naturally occurring chemical constituents that, when used or taken in large doses, have the potential to cause or induce cancer Some of these constituentsincludesafrole,methylchavicol,andmethyleugenol.Thisisone ofmanyreasonswhyproperdilutionsareimportantwhenusingessentialoils.
Originating in the ancient societies ofEgypt,China,andIndia,aromatherapy
has been practiced for thousands of years. Also known as essential oil therapy, it’s a holistic approach to promoting health and well being. This is thepracticethatusesaromaticessentialoilstoimprovethebody,mind,and spirit
It’skindofourthing Blend A blend, or synergy, is simply a mixture of essential oils, carefully crafted by our aromatherapists touseinadiffuserordilutedinacarrierandappliedto yourskin.
Carcinogenic When not diluted properly, essential oilshavethepotentialtobedangerous.
Botanicalname
HowtoDiluteEssentialOils:AComprehensiveGuide
CarrierOilSelections
ADeepDiveIntoCarrierOils
CarrierOil Essential oils aren’t supposed to be applied directly to the skin undiluted because they can cause rashes, burns, and more dangerous side effects. That’swhycarrieroilsaresoimportant theycarrytheoilssafelysothatyou canusethemtopically.Acarrieroilisderivedfromthefattyportionofaplant, usually from seeds, nuts, or kernels. Each one has its own therapeutic propertiesthatcanenhancethebenefitsoftheessentialoilsthatyoudilutein them.
Chemotype Achemotypeisawayofsayingthatthesameplantcanhavedifferenttypes of chemicals. Most essential oils don’t have different chemotypes, but when they do, it’s important to note because the chemotype determines their therapeuticproperties.Thesevariationsusuallyoccurwhenthesameplantis grownindifferentenvironments.Thyme,forinstance,hassixchemotypesthat have differenteffectsonthebodyandmind.Wecurrentlyselltwovariations: Thyme Thymol, and Thyme Linalool “Thymol” and “Linalool” are their chemotypes. ImportanceoftheLatinName
Cold-pressed Also known as “expression” or “mechanical separation,” cold pressing is a way to extract essential oils without using heat As the name suggests, the aromatic parts of plants (peels and rinds, for instance) are punctured and pressed without heat to squeezeouttheessentialoils.Centrifugalforcesare usedtoseparateandcapturetheoilsafterpressing.
Diffuser Most diffusers on the market are ultrasonic. It’s a simple technology with a cool name that uses electronic frequencies to vibrate a small disk at the bottom of the diffuser.Byvibrating,thediskproducesafinemistthatmakes
Constituent Constituents are individual parts of a whole. Caffeine is a chemical constituent in coffee, for instance. Each essential oil is packed full ofdiverse constituents that lend different fragrances and therapeutic benefits to the whole. If you’re looking for an oil that can help you relax before bed, for example,youmightwantonethathasahighleveloftheconstituentLinalool (Thyme, Basil, Lavindin, etc. ). OurGC/MSreportsshowalloftheconstituents (above1%)providedbyouressentialoils.
CommonName Commonnamesarelayman’stermsforouressentialoilsandtheplantsthey are extractedfrom.Itwouldbedifficulttohavetosay,“Tanacetumannuum” everytimewewantedtotalkaboutBlueTansy.ImagineusingLatinnamesfor our DIY videos: “Mix Juniperus communis (Juniper Berry) with Elettaria Cardamomum (Cardamom) and Vetiveria zizanioides (Vetiver) . . . ” That doesn’texactlyrolloffthetongue,doesit?
CO2 extracts are still essential oils, just collected in a different way. This extraction method uses liquid carbon dioxide as a solvent to remove the oil from plant material. Through CO2 extraction, precious oilsarecollectedata muchlowertemperature,meaningthatlessoil(andit’sbeneficialproperties) arelostintheprocess.ThefragrancesofCO2extractsaremorelikethescent oftheactualplantsthattheoilsaretakenfrom. CO2Extracts:What’salltheBuzzAbout?
CO2Extraction
HowtoUseanEssentialOilDiffuser
WhyCan’tIApplyEssentialOilsUndiluted Emulsifier We all learned in grade school that water and oildon’tmix.Sohowcanyou enjoy essential oils in your bath, or in cleaning sprays, and hand soaps?For that,youneedanemulsifier
youressentialoilsairbornesothatyoucanfillanyspacewiththeirfragrances andbenefits.
Wediluteessential oilsbecauseapplyingthemundilutedcanleadtoadversereactions.
PlantTherapy’sDiffusers Dilution A dilution of1%wouldmeanthatoutofevery100dropsinacarrier,onedrop would be an essential oil. Essential oils are composed of hundreds, if not thousands, of different chemicals that make up the overall oil. It’s these different chemical constituents that give the essential oils their “magic powers”,butalsowhatmakesthempotentiallydangerous
Themoleculesinanemulsifierhavetwoportions: oneisattractedtowaterandtheotherisattractedtooil.Theendresultisthat emulsifiersactasasortofgluebetweentheoilandwatermoleculeskeeping them bound together. Otherwise, your oils would just sit on top of the water andnevermix.
WhatIsanEmulsifierandWhyDoINeedIt?
EssentialOil Essential oils capture the “essence” of a plant through distillation or mechanical pressing. Essentially, these oils are concentrated extracts that retain, ormagnifythefragranceandeffectoftheirsource.Oilsfromdifferent
Estrogenic Estrogenisanaturallyoccurringhormoneandisn’tabadthing,butyourbody needs to have a healthybalance.Toomuchortoolittlecanbeproblematic.
Isolates,EssentialOils,Essences
Inbasicterms,somethingthatisestrogeniccanmimicorenhancethebody’s level ofestrogen.Ifyouarepregnantorbreastfeeding,estrogenicoilsshould be avoided because your levels are already high, and adding to that can have detrimental effects. If you have certain conditions such as endometriosis, or estrogen-sensitive cancer, you should also steer clear of estrogenicessentialoils.
plants or different parts of the same plant can have verydifferentchemical compositions, which changes the smell, absorption, and effect on the body andmind.
EssentialOils101 Essence We pull essences from the pulp or the peel of citrus fruits. During the final phase of juiceproduction,volatileoilsfloattothetopoftheconcentrate.We collectanddistillthoseoilstocreateanessence.Theirscentisgenerallymore intensethantheiressentialoilcousins.
EssentialOilsandWomen’sHealth
GC/MS The “GC” stands for Gas Chromatography and the “MS” means Mass Spectrometry. Essentially, these two methods of measurement and analysis separate, identify, and quantify the individual constituents in each batch of our essential oils. Thisprocessisincrediblyimportantforqualitycontrol,asit
helps us ensure that our products contain no synthetic substances, contaminants,oradulterants. GCMSTestingandWhyit’sImportant Hydrosol Withsteamdistillation,steampassesthroughtheplantmatterandtakesthe oils from the plant. The oil laden steam travels into a condensing tube and the essential oil is siphoned off to leave a gentle, aromatic hydrosol. Plant Therapy currently offers seven different organic hydrosols: Roman Chamomile,Helichrysum,Lavender,Melissa,Peppermint,Rose,andTeaTree. AskOurExperts:Hydrosols Infusion Aninfusionistheintroductionofanewelementorqualityintosomethingelse. When you add dandelions, herbs, or other plant material toacarrieroiland letitsitforafewweeks,aninfusionwillbetheresult(nottobeconfusedwith essentialoil carrieroilblends). WhatisaCarrierOilInfusion? Ingestion When it comes to ingestion (using essential oils internally), Plant Therapy’s policy is toavoidit.Withoutcarefuladministrationandsupervision,ingesting essentialoilscancauseseriousdamage.Unlessyou’redirectedbyamedical doctor who is also a clinical aromatherapist, we don’t recommend using essential oilsinternally.Examplesofingestionincludeaddingessentialoilsto beveragesorcapsulesthatareintendedtobeswallowed. WhereWeStandonControversialTopics
Isolate We extract isolatesfromessentialoilssolelyfortheiraromaticqualities.They aresinglechemicalcomponents,orconstituents,thatresidewithintheoils.To capture an isolate, a process called “fractional distillation” repeatedly heats theessentialoilstodifferentboilingpointsandseparatesthevapors.
KidSafe:WhatItMeans EssentialOilswithInfantsandToddlers
These oils are available as 100% pure and undiluted oils, or in pre-diluted roll-onbottles.Asparentsourselves,wewantedtocreateoilsthatcouldhelp supporttheimmunesystem,clearcongestion,sootheexcitableyoungminds, orhelpthemfocus.Ifyouwanttosharethebenefitsofessentialoilswithyour littleones,thereissimplynocomparableproductonthemarket.TheKidSafe labelmeansthatit’ssafeforchildrenagestwoandup.
Naturalfragrance
Isolates:WhatyouNeedtoKnow KidSafe Designed for children but effective for all, our first of its kind KidSafe line featuresessentialoilblendsandsinglesthattargetspecificchildhoodissues
Explained
If you start looking at the ingredients in perfumes, body sprays, soaps, and cleaningproducts,you’llnoticethewords“fragrance”or“perfume.”Thisterm can really mean a whole cocktail of synthetic ingredients. But with the term “natural fragrance,” you can be sure the ingredients arephysicallyobtained from plants using distillation, expression, or extraction. There is absolutely nothingsyntheticaboutthesefragrances.
NaturalFragrancesandFlavors
Neat
WhyCan’tIApplyEssentialOilsUndiluted? Note Basically, each essential oil has a note, and that note helps determine how that oil will interact with others. These notes fall into three categories: top, middle, and base. A top note is usually the first thing you’ll notice in a fragrance. They are usually fresh and uplifting and will be the first to evaporate.Middlenoteshelpgivebodyandfullnesstoablend.They’reoften what holds the blend together and makes it work. Finally, we have the base note. It’s the foundation of your entire blend and will leave a lasting impression.
Whilewecontinuetoscourtheglobeformoresources,Plant Therapycurrentlyoffersoneincrediblestand-aloneoleoresin:Copaiba.
Orderingwhiskey“neat”meansastraight upglassofnothingbutwhiskey.So essentialoils“neat”meanstheoilsarepureandundiluted.Wediluteessential oils because applying them undiluted can lead to painful skin reactions like rashes, burns, immune responses, and more. We don’t recommend going “neat”withoutmedicalsupervision.
Top,MiddleandBaseNotes:AComprehensiveList Oleoresin OleoresinisatypeofoillikeanabsoluteorCO2extraction.It’sthemethodof extraction that makes it an oleoresin. In the simplest terms, we take something like Vanilla Extract and remove the solvent to create a concentratedoil
Olfactory
Organic All of Plant Therapy’s essential oils are 100% pure, additive, and filler free.So what’s the big deal with the organic label? Each organic product iscertified through the strict standards of ECOCERT ICO, and accredited through The National Organic Program (NOP). To qualify, we cannot use any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) when we plant, harvest, or process the oil Furthermore, the soil where the plants grow must not have been free of prohibited substances for at least three years. Noharmfulpesticidescanbe used.Additionally,producingorganicproductshelpspreservebiodiversity.
The olfactory system consists of the nose, nasal passages, and the mucous membranes that create our sense of smell. So the word “olfactory” for our purposes, simply relates to the fragrances and aromas of our essential oils andotherproducts.
Oxidation In scientific terms, oxidation occurs when an atom, molecule, or ion begins losingelectronsduetoachemicalreaction.Whenanessentialoiloxidizes,its smellchangesanditscolorcanbealtered.Ifmoisturegetsintoyouressential oilbottle,itwillacceleratetheoxidationprocess.Ifanessentialoilsitsonyour
Organic,Non Organic:What’stheDifference?
PTOrganicProducts OrificeReducer Not the best name,right?Yeah...butrest-assured,anorificereducerisjust thedeviceplacedintheopeningofouressentialoilbottles.Itreducesthesize of the bottle opening (orifice) so that it’s smaller and limits the flow of oil. You’llalsonoticethatthickeroils,likeVetiver,havealargerreducertohelpthe dropscomeoutofthebottlealittleeasier.
PassiveDiffusion
Phototoxicity
Formoreinfo,andahandydilutionchartclickhere. Plantpart Various partsofplantslikeleaves,peels,roots,andblossomscreateoilswith different benefits and fragrances. One single typeofplantcanproducevery different oils. Distillationsofdifferentportionsoftheorangetree,forinstance, produceSweetOrange,Neroli,andPetitgrain.
shelf for many years, it might become thicker, or even solidify, but this typicallytakesalongtime.
This method of diffusion is the simplest way to enjoy essential oils Passive diffusionisjustafancywaytosay“evaporation.”Afteryouplacefewdropsof essential oil on something like a tissue, or in our Diffuser Locket, the oil will diffuseviaevaporation,fillingtheairwiththeoil’sfragrantmolecules.
Used topically or diffused, essential oils enter your body and your bloodstream. That means if you’re pregnant orbreastfeeding,thoseoilscan affect your little one as well. That’s why Plant Therapy has worked hard to createaPregnancy&NursingSafelineofessentialoils.
There are certain essential oils that intensify the effects of sunlight, causing burns, blisters, and discoloration. Basically, phototoxic oils contain chemical constituentsthatabsorbUVlight,storeit,andreleaseitintotheskin.Because reactions can occur up to 18hoursafterusingtheoil,weneedtobemindful after applying phototoxic oils. Use the recommended dilutionratesforthese oilstoavoidaphototoxicreaction.
Pregnancy&NursingSafe
Women’sHealthBlog PregnancyandNursingSafeChart
Preservative Preservatives like Optiphen ND and GermallPluspreventthegrowthofmold, bacteria, and fungus in water-based products. Any product that useswater as an ingredient, like lotions, spray cleaners, and foaming hand soaps will needapreservative.
Pup&Pony Sensitization Also known as Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD), sensitization is an allergic immune response. This usually happens when essential oils are applied undiluted. Signs you should watch for include itchiness, rash, eczema, shortness of breath, or tightness in your chest. This is why it is so very importanttofollowproperdilutionguidelines
Forhelppickingouttheperfectpreservative,clickhere. Pup&PonyApproved Not all essential oils are safe for your pets. That’s why we continue to work hardtofindoilsandblendsthatworksafelyforyourfurbabies.
EssentialOilsandPets
WhatisSensitization? SolventExtraction
EssentialOilBlends(Synergies)
Whenyoucombinetwoormoresubstances,andtheresultingperformanceis greaterthanthesumoftheirparts,yougetwhatwecalla”synergy”.Sowhen we combine several different essential oils, we are creating asynergistically therapeutic beneficial combination, because the interaction between the chemicalconstituentsleadstosomethingnew,andgreaterthantheoilsused separately. We’re transitioning to rename some of our synergies to simply “blends”,butthatdoesn’tmeanthey’velostanyoftheirpower.
EssentialOilExtraction101 Steam-Distilled We get the vast majority of our essential oils via steam distillation. Passing steam through plant matter releases the essential oils and transports them into a collection vessel where they float on the surface of the water (hydrosol),thenwecanseparateandbottlethem
EssentialOilExtraction101 Synergy
Thismethodofextractionisforpartsofplantswhosetherapeuticcompounds would be damaged by traditional steam distillation. Solvent extraction uses chemicalslikealcoholtoextractthevolatileelements.Thisprocessproduces whatwerefertoas“absolutes.”
TherapeuticGrade(akajustamarketingterm) “TherapeuticGrade”isamarketingtermthatothercompaniesthrowaround to cast doubt on others’ products.Thistermismisleading,meaningless,and backedupbyabsolutelynothingwithnocertification,research,ortesting.It’s 100%make believe.Instead,lookforpublishedtestreports(likebatchspecific
GC/MSreports)thatshowthattherearenoadditivesorfillersintheessential oils. TherapeuticProperties When we talk about essential oils, we’re usually talkingabouttheiraromatic properties(howtheysmell)ortheirtherapeuticproperties(howtheyinteract with thebody).Whenaproducthas“therapeuticproperties,”itmeansthatit contains constituents that are used to treat specific diseases. For example, Eucalyptus Globulus is known to have anti inflammatory properties, so we wouldsayithasatherapeuticpropertythatsupportsmuscleandjointhealth. Conclusion We hope this Essential Oil Glossary has been helpful and is something you can refer back to when continuing your essential education. Our blogs and our educational downloads are always here too if you’re in need of more in depthdescriptions. OriginalSource:https://bit.ly/3ci5aGl