The Chemistry of Essential Oils
Essential oils are organic compounds with complex structures; they are usually composed of multiple components. No single component was considered the effective ingredient of the healing power of an essential oil; it is believed that the combined effect of the compounds in an essential oil makes it 
an unbelievably effective healing product. Our olfactory gland can usually detect essential oils since they have component in the following family: alcohols, aldehydes, esters, keytones, lactones, phenols, terpenes and sesquiterpenes.
Essential oils are often used as fragrance, but it has also been used therapeutic health-related functions. For example, eucalyptus oil has been used as an ingredient in home freshner and is also used medically as an antiseptic agent. Over the years, much health benefit has been discovered about essential oils, it is believed that essential oils can help the growth of skin cells, calming the nerves and fighting infection by bacteria and fungi.
There are many grades of essential oils available. Due to the popular demands, a lot of lower grade essential oils are in the market. It is best advised to buy high quality essential oils, such as the pharmaceutical grade which are highly purified oils for medicinal use. Some of the essential oils are extracted from organically grown plants which are protected from chemical pesticides and herbicides. It is also a good idea to make sure the source is pure so that the essential oil retains its healing property. Pesticide lading plants usually produces less effective essential oils.
Due to the complexity of essential oils, it is not possible with today’s technology to completely emulate essential oils in a laboratory. Even if you put some known ingredient together for a type of essential oil, the product is not the same. For example, say you wish to make lavender oil. Gather all the ingredients like lavandulol, borneol, terpineol, geraniol and linalol and mix them together in the right quantities. What do you get? You’d get oil with lavender smell but without the medicinal property of healing burns.
Essential oils are often used as fragrance, but it has also been used therapeutic health-related functions. For example, eucalyptus oil has been used as an ingredient in home freshner and is also used medically as an antiseptic agent. Over the years, much health benefit has been discovered about essential oils, it is believed that essential oils can help the growth of skin cells, calming the nerves and fighting infection by bacteria and fungi.
There are many grades of essential oils available. Due to the popular demands, a lot of lower grade essential oils are in the market. It is best advised to buy high quality essential oils, such as the pharmaceutical grade which are highly purified oils for medicinal use. Some of the essential oils are extracted from organically grown plants which are protected from chemical pesticides and herbicides. It is also a good idea to make sure the source is pure so that the essential oil retains its healing property. Pesticide lading plants usually produces less effective essential oils.
Due to the complexity of essential oils, it is not possible with today’s technology to completely emulate essential oils in a laboratory. Even if you put some known ingredient together for a type of essential oil, the product is not the same. For example, say you wish to make lavender oil. Gather all the ingredients like lavandulol, borneol, terpineol, geraniol and linalol and mix them together in the right quantities. What do you get? You’d get oil with lavender smell but without the medicinal property of healing burns.