What Are Essential Oils?

The term, “essential oil” is actually the shortening of a historical term: “quintessential oil,” alluding to the oils as the spirit or life force of the plant. Of course the oils are a physical substance, not supernatural; however their ethereal aromas and therapeutic talents can have a spiritual, as well as a mental/emotional effect on us.

Essential oils are in fact NOT oils at all, they’ve simply acquired that name because they do not mix with water, just like regular oils. They are a vital liquid present inside living plants—a natural solution of various complex chemical constituents. Scientifically, essential oils are concentrated aromatic volatile plant compounds (‘volatile’ meaning they can change state or evaporate very easily). They are mostly derived from the flowers, leaves, stems and fruits of plants, while some are extracted from the bark and even the sap of trees.