| Chemistry?!? Are your eyes glazed over yet? It | | | | use oils therapeutically. It IS helpful to know that each |
| happens...yet if you're interested at all in the therapeutic | | | | oil is made of many molecular forms, that all the |
| use of essential oils, a little primer on their chemistry | | | | molecules within each oil exert some biologic effect, |
| can be very useful. Not only will you better understand | | | | and that it is the SYNERGY of ALL these molecules |
| how and why essential oils work, but the great | | | | together that create the sum total of an oil's |
| importance of using natural, high-quality oils - oils that | | | | therapeutic action AND its aroma. Nearly every |
| are pure, properly distilled, AND smell nice - will be | | | | laboratory study comparing complete, pure essential |
| made clear. It's not just an aromatherapy sales pitch; | | | | oils to one singled-out molecule that was thought the |
| essential oils with exceptional bouquets have different | | | | "active ingredient" shows the essential oil to be more |
| chemical make-ups than flat or otherwise uninteresting | | | | active. |
| oils. The differences can significantly affect the healing | | | | The best natural, undiluted, properly distilled essential oils |
| potency of therapeutic applications for you, your family | | | | with all the major and minor chemical constituents will |
| and/or your clients. Much of the time, you can discern | | | | have the finest aromas AND the most potent |
| the difference of therapeutic value between two oils | | | | therapeutic action. Many factors in an essential oil's |
| just by their aroma - one needn't always have the | | | | production affect the total number and relative |
| proof of fancy, expensive machines to make an | | | | amounts of individual chemicals found in the final |
| educated choice. | | | | product. These include where the plant was grown, soil |
| So what is it that makes an "essential" oil different than | | | | and climate conditions, time of harvest, distillation |
| every other oil we're familiar with? They don't feel the | | | | equipment, plus the time, temperature and pressure of |
| same, they don't act the same, and they certainly don't | | | | distillation. This can give you an idea as to why two |
| smell the same. Essential oils and the so-called "fixed" | | | | varieties of the same oil can smell so different: The full, |
| oils (seed or nut oils also known as "carrier oils") are | | | | beautiful bouquet of a fine essential oil will contain a |
| distinctly different in their molecular structure. While | | | | myriad of notes, telling you that all natural components |
| both essential and fixed oils share common basic | | | | are present and in balanced amounts. |
| atomic elements of carbon and hydrogen, that's really | | | | To best understand this, we'll examine Lavender |
| where the similarity ends. Fixed oils are made of | | | | essential oil; more than fifty individual molecules have |
| triglyceride structures - three long chains of carbon | | | | been identified in pure lavender essential oil. The |
| atoms, with hydrogens bonded at various places. The | | | | aromatherapist must remember that ALL of these |
| length of the chains and the position and number of | | | | chemicals found in pure and natural lavender oil work |
| hydrogens define the nature of the oil; if hydrogens are | | | | together to produce a therapeutic effect. For example, |
| bonded to every available location, the oil is "saturated", | | | | the linalool molecule is antiviral and antibacterial; the |
| for example. One missing hydrogen is | | | | linalyl acetate is emotionally calming; other major |
| "mono-unsaturated", more than one is | | | | components including cineol, limonene, pinene and |
| "poly-unsaturated". The long chains and relative | | | | others are all noted for specific biologic and aromatic |
| consistency of the molecular structures makes fixed | | | | activity. It is the combined, balanced, synergistic action |
| oils "oily", and does not allow them to evaporate | | | | of these chemicals that make pure, high-quality |
| quickly. | | | | lavender such a great healer. No one chemical can be |
| Volatile oils are another matter - volatile oils do easily | | | | singled out and used to give the same profound results |
| evaporate, due in-part to their smaller, more complex | | | | as the complete pure essential oil. |
| structures. Essential oils are a sub-category of volatile | | | | So how is this synergy reflected in Lavender's aroma? |
| oils, essential oils being specifically those volatile oils that | | | | Each of these chemicals has a unique smell; some are |
| have been distilled directly from plants (rather than | | | | sweet, some are camphorous, some citrusy and some |
| laboratory made, or from another otherwise "inorganic" | | | | herbaceous. It is all these chemicals together, a precise |
| source). Essential oils still have a core structure of | | | | amount of each, that gives each lavender variety its |
| linked carbon and hydrogen atoms, but they come in a | | | | distinct aroma. And your nose knows this! One can tell |
| great variety of shapes including short chains, rings and | | | | the difference between a well-made, complex |
| multiple-rings hooked together. Each of these core | | | | lavender oil with many notes within the aroma, and one |
| structures will have what is known as a "functional | | | | that is flat or plain, which may be chemically |
| group" attached - a sort of "molecular sub-unit". | | | | imbalanced or missing some trace constituents. Start |
| Despite their seeming complexity, though, essential oils | | | | trusting yourself here - a great oil is not made by |
| are still very compatible with mammalian biology - their | | | | marketing, and your olfactory scent is the best tool |
| atomic structure allows them to penetrate into the | | | | you have to guide you to the most therapeutic |
| deepest regions of our bodies, and even to the | | | | Lavender for your needs. |
| centers of our cells. | | | | All essential oils are subject to similar variations in |
| The therapeutic action of an essential oil is primarily | | | | production methods or the manipulation of their |
| determined by the "functional groups" found in the | | | | molecular make-ups through the addition of synthetic |
| molecules that make up that oil. An essential oil is | | | | chemicals. For the most therapeutic benefit, it is always |
| actually made up of many individual molecular | | | | best to use true, carefully-made essential oils. To do |
| constituents. Each of these natural chemicals is formed | | | | this, find a source that is dedicated to supplying only |
| of a carbon-hydrogen structure with a functional group | | | | the highest grades of oils. Examine their product's |
| attached. It is the combination of the base structure | | | | aromatic quality and business practices and so that |
| AND the attached functional group that makes a | | | | you are comfortable with their dedication to your |
| single, unique molecule. And MANY of these unique | | | | health, not just their bottom line. Listen to your intuition |
| molecules combine to form ONE essential oil. | | | | and your own nose; they won't lie to you! With |
| The extremely complex nature of essential oils | | | | experience, your ability to discern between subtly |
| becomes apparent from this description. There are an | | | | different grades of oils will become more astute. With |
| almost infinite number of molecular combinations that | | | | even more education and skill, you'll start to recognize |
| can be formed from the building blocks of chains, rings | | | | individual chemicals within an oils aroma, and make the |
| and functional groups. And any SINGLE essential oil is | | | | best decisions as to which oils will have the most |
| made of many, sometimes even hundreds of these | | | | profound therapeutic affects for you, your family, or in |
| molecular combinations. Yet while this may sound | | | | your professional practice. |
| complex, you needn't know ALL the chemical details to | | | | |