Essential oil, also known as volatile oil, or aromatic oil, is the natural concentrated extract obtained from various types of plants and herbs often attributed with medicinal properties.

The liquid plant extracts are generally used in the world of aromatherapy. Essential oil is also frequently used in many personal care products (cosmetics), perfumes, diffusers, and even as laundry detergent or cleaning agent.

At Pure Health Store, many of our natural products contain concentrated extracts of these potentially medicinal plants. The essential oil extracted from plants and herbs such as rosemary, lavender, St. John's wort, or others is widely available in our webshop:

Get acquainted with the world of essential oil

There is no difference between the terms 'etheric oil' and 'essential oil'. Etheric is the English term for volatile, referring to the intense scents extracted from the concentrated plant extracts. Essential refers to 'essence', or core substance. This is what remains after pressing the plants for the oil.

Besides the leaves or stems, flowers, branches, fruits, tree trunks, and other parts of a plant can also be used to produce essential oil. Each plant has its own unique properties and effects. The production process can therefore vary depending on the type of oil.

There are many different types of plant extracts that are widely used for highly concentrated essential oil. These can range from herbs, to trees, flowers, spices and fruits. Some examples of popular plant extracts also offered at Pure Health Store are the following varieties:

• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Sage
• Bergamot
• Cedarwood
• Eucalyptus
• Jasmine
• Cinnamon
• Bay Laurel
• Oregano
• Peppermint
• Rose
• Sandalwood
• Orange
• Thyme

What is essential oil and what is it used for?

All methods for producing essential oil boil down to one and the same result: extracting the molecules from the plant that have a possible positive effect on our body.

Essential oil is mainly added as an ingredient in nourishing (skin) products, cosmetics, or bath products. The concentrated oil is not intended for direct use on the skin. Also, essential oil is generally not suitable for direct consumption: oral intake can potentially be harmful to health.

Highly concentrated liquid substances are made from plant material that can have many applications in natural variants of the following types of products:

• Ointment
• Perfume
• Massage oil
• Diffuser (evaporation)
• Aroma burner
• Cleaning agent
• Laundry detergent

Is essential oil healthy?

Essential oil is generally seen as a means to keep the body (and primarily the skin) healthy. Healing properties are attributed to a wide variety of plants, but there is often little or no conclusive scientific evidence for the medicinal effect of the extracts.

Sometimes research shows that a specific substance in a plant could be healthy for certain conditions. But even then, essential oil should never be seen as medicine or a serious alternative to medication. This is also emphasized by science in almost every study on these types of natural extracts.

However, the positive experiences and anecdotes of users are sufficient proof for many interested parties to purchase a product with essential oil. Hence, many people view these types of products as healthy and beneficial for the body. Both critics and interested parties can agree on one thing: the use of essential oil is certainly not unhealthy with normal use.

Is essential oil safe?

As with any substance newly introduced into or onto the body, it is important to handle essential oil responsibly and safely. In all situations, it is strongly discouraged to consume essential oil or apply it directly to the skin in concentrated form.

The safety of essential oil ultimately depends on how it is used. In principle, it is safe as long as it is used responsibly.

Therefore, be smart with these types of products, follow the instructions provided with a product, and find out in advance whether a particular application of your specific type of essential oil is responsible and safe.

In most cases, the extracts will have a positive rather than a negative effect on the body. Exceptions to the rule are people with specific skin conditions, allergies, or other chronic medical problems. For this group, it is advisable to consult a doctor about safety before use.

How is essential oil made?

The main methods for making essential oil are low-pressure steam distillation and cold pressing of plant material. Extraction with solvents such as hexane and ethanol also occurs, but essential oils can also be extracted from a plant using, for example, CO₂.

Depending on the type of essential oil, different extraction methods are applied. Steam distillation is by far the most popular and common way to produce essential oils. The method is widely used for a broad range of herbs, flowers, or trees.

Cold expression is a common method for citrus fruits because it better preserves the aromatic components. This results in less loss of the original material.

Extraction is primarily intended for very delicate plants or plant material. The method is mainly for material unsuitable for steam distillation.

CO₂ distillation is another alternative to steam distillation to obtain a higher quality and quantity of essential oil without heat. This is a better choice especially for very rare or valuable plant material.

Get acquainted with the world of essential oil

We hope that with this brief overview, we have given you a better picture of the mystical properties of the many types of essential oil that this world has to offer. The wide applications of plant extracts are often based on centuries-old knowledge of our ancestors.

Therefore, we should be extra grateful for the applications of plant extracts as we know them today. However, it is just the tip of the iceberg: herbs and plants with healing properties are far more complex than modern science explains to us.

At Pure Health Store, we know better than anyone the experiences of our customers. Improving the quality of life with what nature has to offer us is an incredibly beautiful opportunity. We therefore encourage everyone to get acquainted with our wide range of essential oil concentrates: