When is an Essential Oil not an Essential Oil?

...an interesting question which expands on essential oil, fragrance oil or hydrosol last month. Plants are capable of producing many things from their 'material' - aside from essential oils, plant material can be eventually made into concretes, absolutes, resinoids and oleoresins, depending on the plant and depending on the material and extraction process. However, aside from essential oils, none of these other substances are completely 'natural', as they involve some sort of chemical processing through solvent extraction.

Concretes and absolutes are often used in the perfumery world as they maintain the fragrance that perfumers require - but they do not possess the therapeutic properties of essential oils for aromatherapy use.

To learn more read When is an essential oil not an essential oil? And methods of distillation and extraction of essential oils will be discussed in my next blog post...

Medieval 'Aromatherapy' Herbals

Herbs and plants were in use in Medieval Europe, despite the Witchcraft Acts and the often misunderstood powers of herbs and plants. Two English herbalists who contributed to the popularity of herbs and plants for medicinal purposes were John Gerard and Nicholas Culpeper. Nicholas Culpeper even mentions the use of 'essential oils' in his famous Culpeper's Herbal; although they were not known as essential oils in the Medieval period, they were essentially similar to the essential oils we use today in modern day aromatherapy.

Read The Use of Medicinal Medieval Herbs to learn more...

When Not To Use An Essential Oil

Essential oils have different safety 'standards' in different countries; as I've mentioned previously, essential oils in France are dispensed through a pharmacist. In the UK and in the USA, this is not the case. Anyone can walk into a store, or order online, any essential oil regardless of their knowledge about essential oils.

Essential oils, if used correctly, are relatively safe to use - those three words, 'if used correctly' are what makes the difference. Before qualifying as an aromatherapist and having no knowledge of aromatherapy or what essential oils actually were, I did not realise the power held in one essential oil bottle. Since qualifying as an aromatherapist, I am asked all sorts of questions about the use of essential oils which makes me question whether essential oils should be on restricted sale! After all, 'knowledge is power', and the lack of knowledge about essential oils could make a huge difference to someone's reactions to a particular essential oil.

I discussed the safety of essential oils in a previous blog post but thought it prudent to mention some of the 'risk' factors (or contra-indicators) on when not to use an essential oil. Essential oils are made up of different chemical components and therefore the chemical make-up of an essential oil can determine the 'risk factor' of a particular oil. Some essential oils are toxic, sensitizing and an irritant. Some other potential risks of essential oils, and therefore 'contra-indicators', include:

- risk to pregnant women

- risk to children and babies

-risk to those with liver problems

-risk to those with kidney problems

-risk if not used in moderation

- risk if used in sunlight

- risk of skin irritation.

Not all essential oils carry these risks, it is dependent on the chemical make-up of the essential oils; some essential oil 'families' do share common characteristics and therefore similar risk factors. For example, the majority of citrus essential oils are photo toxic, and the high menthone content of most mint oils is a huge risk factor for young children and babies; however, there are often exceptions to the rule (and between different botanical species), making it wise to have some knowledge of essential oils before using them.

For those with little or no knowledge of essential oils, it is important to note that essential oils should normally be administered through a carrier oil; only few essential oils should be used neat, and then only with care and knowledge. There are other methods of essential oil administeration, oral and vaginal among them, but these practices are studied at advanced level.

As I continue to learn about essential oils and their uses, I really do believe that education about essential oils is vital in their correct use. I don't think it is necessary to be 'medically qualified' to administer essential oils but I do believe that having some knowledge about essential oils before using them is important. If you want to know more about a particular essential oil, click on any of the essential oil profiles on the left side of this blog to get started - and take note of any 'risk' factors! I would like to finish by saying that essential oils can be used in most cases relatively safely - 'if used correctly'...

Vetiver Essential Oil Profile

Another of the scented grasses which produces an essential oil is vetiver - not as well known as citronella or lemongrass , vetiver is a popular plant used in ancient perfumes of India.

It is also extremely useful for problematic skin and is a gentle, non-toxic, non-sensisitizing and non-irritating essential oil due to its high chemical content of alcohols.

Learn more about vetiver essential oil by reading my latest essential oil profile vetiver...

Quality Testing Essential Oils

Essential oils undergo a number of quality tests to test for their purity; as discussed in the previous blog post on essential oil suppliers, it difficult to know if an essential oil is pure. Many 'pure' essential oils are, in fact, 'fragrance oils'. However, quality testing essential oils with such tests as the GC-MS and GLC means that some 'pure' essential oils will not 'pass the test'. Some essential oil suppliers will provide you with the GC-MS test reports if you ask.

Quality testing essential oils is a scientific and complex process but I have tried to explain, in simple terms, the process of quality testing essential oils in my latest article Essential Oil Quality Testing...

Essential Oil Suppliers - Who Can You Trust?

Essential oils have changed considerably since their inception in modern day aromatherapy practice. In Ancient Egypt, plant oils used were different to the essential oils of today and many of these ancient 'oils' were made at source. In other words, people made a lot of their own plant oils and knew what was going into them. Today, it is a much different practice.



In the UK, when common usage of modern day essential oils became popular, it was in the beauty and massage industry they were used the most; not many people really knew about the therapeutic powers of essential oils and essential oils were often used for their 'nice smells' rather than for healing power. Today, this is true in the USA with the use of fragrance oils, which are synthetically made and are not from nature's plants; indeed, many 'essential oils' are also not of the qualitative and therapeutic standards required for aromatherapy practice, even some of those which claim to be so.



As the use of essential oils for their therapeutic properties has risen, people are learning to educate themselves more on what they are actually buying. It is difficult to know if the information being supplied by the large essential oil companies (and some smaller companies too) is both correct and believable.



Some guidelines for buying from a true and pure essential oil supplier include:



- the reputation and the history of the essential oil supplier - if you have heard rumors or 'bad press' about a particular essential oil supplier, you may believe in the old adage 'there is no smoke without fire'. Check your facts, do your own research and decide for yourself.

- pricing of essential oils - if you study essential oils, you will have some idea of what is a reasonable charge for a particular essential oil - for example, rose essential oil is a really expensive oil. If you see it being sold really cheaply, its probably not the 'real deal.'

- check the latin names of the essential oil - true essential oils will have come from the botanical plant of the same name and not from a 'blend' or 'infusion' of a synthetically engineered oil in a factory.

- essential oils go through a number of qualitative tests for evaluation. These include gas chromatography and mass spectometry (more on that in subsequent posts) and some essential oil suppliers will allow you access to the GS/MS reports.

-ask where the essential oil supplier gets their essential oils from - essential oils are available from plants which only grow in certain areas of the world. For example, if someone tells you they buy their frankincense essential oil from a local farmer and they live in England, alarm bells should be ringing!

- if possible, get a recommendation of a good essential oil supplier from a friend or professional you trust.

Currently, regulation governing the sale of essential oils is little or non-existent in most areas of the world so it is up to the consumer to work out who is 'trustworthy' and who is not. Studying essential oils helps you to have some knowledge of what you are looking for - after all, knowledge is power! But, even then, it can be difficult to identify a trustworthy supplier of true essential oils.

In my time I have spent living in the USA, I have learned from peers, forums, publications and my own internet searches and research about the essential oil suppliers in the USA; after 3 years, I am only just beginning to 'trust' some of the information I have on essential oil suppliers who supply the 'real deal'. I am not going to post a list of the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' on my aromatherapy blog, but if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on essential oil suppliers, I would love to hear from you, either by posting a comment at the end of this post or through my personal contact information in the right hand side column of the blog!

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass is another lesser known essential oil but it a light and fresh essential oil with a number of uses; traditionally used in Indian Medicine for fevers and disease, it has also been used as an insect repellent - quite apt for this time of year!

It can be an irritant to those with sensitive skin so should be used with care. However, for anyone who has experience of using essential oils with animals, it is reportedly a natural way to repel fleas from dogs...

For more information read Lemongrass Essential Oil, my latest essential oil profile.

An Essential Oil Glossary - Understanding Aromatherapy Terms

Aromatherapists use some complicated terms to describe essential oils and what properties essentials hold. To the student of aromatherapy this can be very confusing. A simple list or glossary of essential oil terms can help.

There are many aromatherapy books out there - the good ones will contain a glossary of essential oil terms and their meanings. Some are self-explanantory, such as deodorant; others are more complex, such as emmenagogue.

Then there are the terms used to describe the odor of an essential oil. What does 'green' mean? It doesn't mean the essential oil is green in color, in fact it describes an essential oil which has a grassy odor! Of course, many aromatherapists use different terms and can interpret things slightly differently but in general there are some common aromatherapy terms used by most.

As an initial student of aromatherapy, I found the composition of an essential oil glossary helpful and still add to it today, as I continue to learn, or re-visit, new terms. If you want to know more about an essential oil glossary and some of the more common aromatic terms, check out An Essential Oil Glossary of Aromatic Terms.

If you have any suggestions or thoughts on essential oil terms please let me know!

Avicenna 's Contribution to Modern Day Aromatherapy

Although it is generally accepted that Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was the 'founder' of 'modern' day aromatherapy, there were many great herbalists and physicans who contributed much to plant medicine throughout the centuries and who inadvertently influenced aromatherapy as we know it today.

Last week, I profiled Hippocrates use of herbs and medicinal plants in plant medicine; Hippocrates became the inspiration of, and influence on, one of the greatest Arab physicians of all time - Avicenna (980 A.D. - 1037 A.D.). Avicenna (also known as Ib'n Sina) was accredited with the invention of the refrigerated coil in the distillation process of plants and made it possible to distil essential oils and floral waters (hydrosols). Although, distillation was in practice before Avicenna's invention, the refrigerated coil improved the distillation process.

One of the plants which Avicenna researched and experimented with a lot was the rose (Rosa damascena). The rose was revered in the ancient Arab world and consequently the rose became on one of the first flowers Avicenna distilled with the refrigerated coil.

Today, Avicenna is still a great influence on modern day medicine and plant medicine and it is possible to study the healing traditions Avicenna and the Middle East in many healing and medicinal practices.

To learn more on Avicenn'as work read The Use of Plants in Medicine by Avicenna

Thyme Essential Oil

The herb Thyme produces a number of different essential oils, depending on the distillate and depending on the location in which the herb is grown. Not only is this confusing (they all bear the same botanical name) but it can cause unwanted side effects if you do not know which variety of Thyme essential oil you have.

The two most common Thyme essential oils used in aromatherapy are sweet (or common) Thyme and red Thyme; red Thyme is the more aggressive essential oil whereas sweet Thyme is more gentle. The reasons for this lie in the fact that red Thyme essential oil is composed primarily of the chemical component phenol and sweet Thyme essential oil is made up mainly of alcohols, which are gentler in their actions. However, red Thyme essential oil does have its uses in aromatherapy - if you know what to use it for, exercise caution and do not use it in contra-indicated situations.

Read the latest Thyme essential oil profile I've added to learn more...

The Use Of Clove Essential Oil in Aromatherapy

Clove essential oil is complex - in that there is clove bud, clove leaf and clove stem essential oils to choose from! However, in aromatherapy, clove bud essential oil is the more commonly used because of the slightly less 'toxicity' of its chemical make-up. It contains the active ingredient of eugenol which is responsible for some of the cautions associated in the use of clove essential oil.

Clove bud essential oil is used in aromatherapy and has strong antiseptic properties, amongst others. Although caution should be used when using clove essential oil, used in low dilutions (of less than 1%), clove oil can be used safely and effectively to treat a number of problems.

Read clove essential oil to learn more....

Professional Aromatherapy Training in the Use of Essential Oils

Aromatherapy training widely varies from country to country and from provider to provider. Both the UK and the USA have similar regulations for aromatherapy practitioners, although I would say the UK is slightly ahead in trying to 'standardize' the practice of aromatherapy.

However, that is not to say that the UK has strict guidelines for an aromatherapy practitioner; it is possible in both the USA and the UK to set up as an 'aromatherapist' with no training in aromatherapy or essential oils. At the other end of the scale, in France, only a medically qualified doctor can authorize (professionally) the use of essential oils.

So, for someone who wants to practice as a 'professional' aromatherapist, where do you start? There are hundreds and thousands of aromatherapy courses out there from online, distance learning and taught classes ranging from a couple of hours to years in length.

Probably the best place to start is with an introductory course to aromatherapy or essential oils to discover if you would like to learn more. These are very informal classes and can be done online or at a local college.

Next, if you decide to progress further, choose a quality course that will give you a good grounding in the basic essential oils, an anatomy and physiology course and the safe use of essential oils. Knowing the basic botany of plants is also useful. A quality course will require you to take an exam or be continually assessed through assignments.

So how do you choose a 'good' course provider? In the USA, you can check the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy website for course providers; in the UK, check out the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists. Look for a course provider who has experience and training in their field, is willing to answer your questions before you sign up, can provide you with literature about the training school etc It may also be possible to speak to past students of the aromatherapy school to see what they thought of it. Also ask for recommendations of schools from like minded individuals.

Also consider what you want to get out of the course and what you want to do when you have completed the course. Some courses focus on massage and the use of essential oils; others focus just on essential oil use. Some post-grad courses focus on the science and use of essential oils in more complex ways, but you usually have to have completed the basic course first.

You can use aromatherapy and essential oils practice in many ways. After completing a course, you can:

- practice aromatherapy in a massage setting, either set up your own business or apply for work in spas/massage centers (although in the USA, depending on state, you may have to become a licensed massage therapist (LMT))
- with further knowledge and training, teach aromatherapy
- write about aromatherapy if you have writing skills
- speak about aromatherapy at conferences, groups etc
- launch your own essential oil blend products (but check out local and country regulations required to do so)
- combine aromatherapy with other holistic practices such as reflexology and herbal medicine.

As for my professional training in aromatherapy, I studied with the Penny Price Aromatherapy Academy in England, although training with Penny Price is also available in the USA. I have been in the USA for 3 years now and, having had my own aromatherapy practice for a couple of years, am now considering a change of direction, having learnt a lot about how aromatherapy is practiced in the USA. Just recently, I found the aromahead institute in Florida and will be taking their teacher training course in April 2010 to further my aromatherapy education and business.


In the USA, it is also possible to become a registered aromatherapist, and although not a requirement to practice aromatherapy, it shows, to some degree, the professionalism of an aromatherapist. You are required to take an exam and your registration is good for 5 years. There are differing opinions on the validity or value of the aromatherapy registration in the USA but it is something I hope to do in the near future.

If anyone has any recommendations or comments about their own aromatherapy training or future training in essential oils, please let me know!

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, and the Use of Herbs and Healing Plants

Hippocrates (460 B.C. - 377 B.C), the Greek healer and physician, is known by most people who are interested in plants and who use them to heal. Long before aromatherapy essential oils were in common usage, many people used the actual plant to heal. Hippocrates is accredited with changing the way medicine was viewed and used healing plants as part of his hippocratic theory.

Hippocrates used ginger as ' warming' herb to soothe 'cold' conditions and he used members of the mint family to 'cool' 'warming' conditions; much of what is written about Hippocrates is subject to different verifications/interpretations but he did contribute much to medicine as we know it today.

Read Medicinal Plants and Herbs Used by Hippocrates to learn more...

Chemistry of Essential Oils

.......is complicated! So, I wrote an introductory article on the subject at suite101 today. Chemistry of essential oils fascinates me and is is something which I intend to study more indepth in the near future. Many people do not simply realize what one little essential oil bottle can hold!

For further information check out Chemistry of Essential Oils

I will be sharing some valuable resources for the chemistry of essential oils in the near future too...