One of the reasons I choose to use essential oils over fragrance oils is because of the numerous benefits essential oils have. I can’t go into detail on every essential oil I use, mainly because the research into essential oils is still in it’s infancy. The reason for this isn’t because essential oils are a new fad, but because the number of chemical compounds found in essential oils is over 80,000!
And the thing about these compounds is, you can take each compound and study it by itself and learn a lot. But these compounds don’t work by themselves. They work synergistically with other chemical compounds.
Lets say, for example (I don’t really know how many chemical compounds are in these flowers), that rose petals have 20 chemical compounds and geraniums have 18 chemical compounds but 15 of those are also found in rose petals just in varying amounts. We may get similar benefits from both rose essential oil and geranium essential oil, they smell similar. Studies show that rose essential oil is excellent for the skin and can reduce the appearance of skin imperfections. It also promotes even skin tone and a healthy complexion. Geranium oil is also great for the skin, but not as great as rose essential oil. However geranium oil can be good for our hair.
In order to truly understand each essential oil, not only would each individual chemical component need to be studied and understood, but how it functions in conjunction with all the other chemical compounds and at different levels also needs to be studied.
I am certainly not an expert in chemistry, so my knowledge is very basic and in a lot of areas, lacking. However I have done some research into a few of the chemical components that make up essential oils and I’m going to share some of those below. Links to articles on each component can be found at the bottom.
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in a variety of plants. Terpenes are responsible for each plant’s unique fragrance and contains all of the rest of the elements I discuss in this article.
Terpenes are a group of volatile unsaturated hydrocarbons and are bioactive, which means they can affect the body.
While plants are growing, fresh growth may have a higher amount of terpenes than older growth. The higher amounts of terpenes can cause some animals to avoid eating the fresh growth and instead graze on the older growth which keeps the plants from being over grazed.
There are classes of terpenes that have different chemical structures. And as much as I’d love to name them all, that would not be practical as there are over 80,000 of them! However a few of them include: camphene, carvone, citral, eugenol, limonene, linalool, menthol, menthone, and pinene. You may recognize some of these.
For example, citral and limonene tend to be found in citrus, Linalool is more floral and spicier, menthol is found in mint and pinene is found in pine and other woody plants.
Esters are a class of terpene. They are oxygenated compounds that occur when an acid combines with an alcohol which results in the formation of an ester. This creates an aromatic compound found in essential oils. Esters can be formed and broken down during the distillation process. Some examples of esters in essential oils are, benzyl benzoate found in Peru balsam, jasmine, and ylang ylang. Citronellyl formate found in geranium. Linalyl acetate found in lavender, clary sage, and bergamot. Esters are typically known for their sweet floral scent. Esters have some excellent therapeutic properties such as being antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and calming.
Aldehydes are another class of terpene. They are a group of organic compounds that has a carbon atom which shares a double bond with an oxygen atom, a single bond with a hydrogen atom, and a single bond with another atom or group of atoms. The double bond with an oxygen atom is the defining characteristic of an aldehyde.
Aldehydes have been shown to protect our bodies against environmental threats, can be calming to our emotions, and can help support digestion. The highest amounts of aldehydes in essential oils are found in cassia, lemongrass, cinnamon, cilantro, and melissa.
Ketones, another class of terpene, in one you’ve probably heard of. We produce ketones when the body is burning fat instead of glucose. Ketones are similar to aldehydes as they also have a carbon atom with a double bond to an oxygen atom. However where this happens in the molecule chain determines if it’s a ketone or an aldehyde. The most common ketones found in essential oils are carvone and menthone. These can improve the appearance of skin, have some calming properties, supports the respiratory system, and promotes healthy digestion. The highest amounts of ketones can be found in peppermint, dill, rosemary, fennel, and lavender essential oils.
Phenols form strong hydrogen bonds and can be toxic in large amounts. The essential oils that have the highest number of phenols will always come with a warning to dilute appropriately such as oregano, clove, wintergreen, and thyme.
Phenols have antioxidant properties and have been shown to have some cancer prevention properties as well.
Oxides are chemical compounds with one or more oxygen atoms combined with one other element.
Oxides can be antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. They can work as an expectorant and stimulate mucus secreting cells. They can stimulate mental function by increasing blood flow to the brain and more.
Oils high in oxides include cardamom, eucalyptus, Ravensara, and Rosalina.
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