Pure and Natural Essential Oils

Published: 6 November, 2023 | 7'

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are generally obtained by steam distillation of herbs, flowers, fruits, woods, and resins. These natural and organic essences each have their essential characteristics and a unique aroma.

How are essential oils used?

Essential oils can be used individually or mixed together to create your own blend. There are many ways to enjoy their benefits: through massage, in bathwater, by vaporization and/or inhalation, to scent rooms, through compresses, etc.
Additionally, essential oils can be used on many levels - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual - and are ideal in combination with other therapies.
The effectiveness and speed of aromatherapy treatments depend on the purity and quality of the essential oils.

In Aromatherapy, certain oils are used as carrier oils to dilute essential oils because of their purity and concentration.

Next, the most commonly used essential oils:

BASIL (Ocimum basilicum). Obtained by steam distillation of the flowering plant. It has a fresh, sweet, spicy aroma with a low balsamic note. It blends well with essential oils of camphor, bergamot, sage, and geranium.

CAMPHOR (Cinnamomum camphora). Obtained by steam distillation from the bark of the Camphor tree. It has an acrid and camphoric aroma. It blends well with essential oils of basil, cajeput, and lavender.

TEA TREE (Melaleuca alternifolia). Steam distilled from the leaves of Australian tea trees. It has a strong and fresh aroma. It blends well with essential oils of lavender, sage, rosemary, pine, geranium, and marjoram.

BERGAMOT (Citrus aurantium bergamia). Obtained by cold pressing the fresh peel. It has a fresh, sweet, fruity, and slightly spicy aroma. It blends well with essential oils of cypress, geranium, lavender, and lemon.

CAJEPUT (Melaleuca cajeputi). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It has a pungent and camphoraceous aroma (compared to eucalyptus). It blends well with essential oils of tea tree, eucalyptus, and citruses.

CINNAMON (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). Oil obtained from the leaves by steam distillation of the leaves and branches. Cinnamon essential oil blends well with citrus oils, incense, and spiced oils. It is highly prized for fragrance, massages, and baths.

VIRGINIA CEDARWOOD (Juniperus virginiana). Obtained by steam distillation of the wood. It has a high camphoraceous note and a sweetly tenacious, low balsamic woody note. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, cypress, and patchouli. Traditionally used to repel insects.

CYPRESS (Cupressus sempervirens). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves and branches. It has a refreshing aroma. It is optimal for use in baths for foot odor. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, cedar, lavender, lemon, mandarin, pine, sage, and marjoram. To use it, you can mix three drops of cypress oil with three drops of lemon oil once or twice a day.

CITRONELLA (Cymbopogon winterianus). Obtained by steam distillation from the fresh, semi-dry, or dry plant. It has a fresh, woody, and sweet aroma. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an insect repellent.

CLOVE (Eugenia Caryophyllata). Obtained by aqueous distillation of the buds and leaves, and by steam distillation of the stems or canes. It has a sweet, spicy smell. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, lavender, sage, and ylang-ylang.

EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus globulus). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It has a fresh, medicinal aroma. It blends well with essential oils of cedar, lavender, lemon, marjoram, and pine. It is traditionally used as an environmental antiseptic where germs and bacteria thrive. One way to use it for this purpose is to add ten drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a diffuser.

GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It has a powerful floral aroma, making it valuable in perfume making. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, lavender, lemon, orange, and patchouli. It also has traditional use as an insect repellent.

FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare). Obtained by steam distillation of the seeds. It has a sweet and spicy aroma. It blends well with essential oils of geranium and lavender.

FRANKINCENSE (Boswellia carterii). Obtained by steam distillation of the fresh resin. It is primarily used in aromatherapy. It is widely used in cosmetics and perfumery for its balancing properties.

GINGER (Zingiber officinale). Obtained by steam distillation of the dried, ground, and unpeeled root. It has a fresh, woody, and spicy aroma. It blends well with essential oils of cedar, orange, and patchouli.

LAVENDER (Lavandula officinalis). Obtained by steam distillation of fresh flower buds. It has a sweet and herbaceous floral aroma with a low balsamic woody note. It blends well with citrus and floral essential oils as well as cedar, clove, geranium, pine, sage, marjoram, and patchouli.

LAVANDIN (Lavandula hybrida). Obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. It has a soft and refreshing aroma. It blends well with citrus and floral essential oils as well as cedar, clove, geranium, pine, sage, marjoram, and patchouli.

LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citratus). Traditionally known to keep insects away, such as mosquitos. The oil is obtained by steam distillation from the leaves.

LEMON (Citrus medica limonum). Obtained by cold pressing the fresh peel. It is recognized for its refreshing citrus aroma. It blends well with essential oils of eucalyptus, geranium, fennel, lavender, and ylang-ylang.

RED MANDARIN (Citrus reticulata blanco). The essence is obtained by pressing the fresh peel. It blends well with citrus oils and clove. It is known for its aroma. To do this, mix ninety-five parts of sweet almond oil or jojoba oil with five parts of red mandarin. It can also be tried in baths by mixing ten drops in hot water.

MARJORAM (Origanum majorana). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It blends well with essential oils of tea tree, cedar, cypress, eucalyptus, lavender, and rosemary. It has a warm, woody scent with a particularly camphoraceous note.

FIELD MINT (Mentha Arvensis). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves and stems. It blends well with essential oils of eucalyptus, geranium, fennel, lavender, and ylang-ylang. This essential oil contains more menthol than other mints.

PEPPERMINT (Mentha piperita). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It blends well with essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, marjoram, and rosemary.

MYRRH (Commiphora abyssinica). Obtained from the gum resin of the myrrh tree by steam distillation.

ORANGE (Citrus aurantium dulcis). Obtained by extrusion of the peel. It is recognized for its refreshing and pleasant aroma. It blends well with essential oils of cinnamon, clove, lavender, lemon, and sage. You can use it by adding ten drops of orange in 6 ml of almond oil or neutral soap and disperse it in bath water.

OREGANO (Origanum vulgare). Obtained by steam distillation of the dried flowering plant. It has a warm, spicy, herbal, and camphoraceous aroma.

PATCHOULI (Pogostemon cablin). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It has a sweet, herbaceous, and earthy aroma. It blends well with essential oils of clove, geranium, lavender, and sage.

BLACK PEPPER (Piper nigrum). Obtained by steam distillation of dried, crushed black seeds. It has a fresh, dry woody aroma, warm and spicy. It blends well with essential oils of lavender, marjoram, and rosemary.

PINE (Pinus sylvestris). Obtained by steam distillation of the needles. It has the invigorating aroma of the forest. It blends well with essential oils of tea tree, cedar, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, rosemary, and sage. It can be used for chest, back, and throat massages with a base of 25 ml of almond oil and three drops of pine essential oil and three drops of eucalyptus essential oil.

GRAPEFRUIT (Citrus grandis). Essential oil obtained by pressing fresh peel. It has a fresh, sweet citrus aroma. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, cypress, geranium, lavender, lemon, and rosemary.

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis). The essence is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. It blends well with essential oils of basil, cedar, clove, citronella, lavender, peppermint, and thyme. It can be used by vaporizing ten drops of rosemary and five drops of thyme.

SPANISH SAGE (Salvia lavandulifolia). The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers and stems. It has a fresh, herbaceous aroma, camphoraceous, similar to pine. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, cedar, geranium, lavender, lemon, and mandarin.

THYME (Thymus vulgaris). Obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, lavender, lemon, marjoram, and pine. You can use it by adding 8 drops of thyme to 6 ml of almond oil or neutral soap and disperse it in bath water.

VETIVER (Vetiveria zizanoides). Obtained by steam distillation of the root. Traditionally used for environmental asepsis due to its properties as an antiseptic and insect repellent. The oil is obtained from the leaves by steam distillation of the roots.

YLANG YLANG (Cananga odorata). This oil is obtained by steam distillation of fresh flowers. It has a very sweet, soft, floral, and slightly spicy scent. It blends well with essential oils of bergamot, geranium, and sage. Its exotic aroma makes it ideal for creating ambiance.