Are you using essential oils?

They are hugely popular again – for many good reasons. Being the aromatic liquids in plants, essential oils provide beautiful, natural fragrances. But that’s only one tiny benefit.

Essential oils can contain up to hundreds of helpful constituents, depending on their origin.

Essential oils come from tree leaves, roots, stems, barks, blossoms and fruits as well as from seeds, nuts and herbs. Some oils are distilled from the resin of certain trees, like myrrh and frankincense.

Each plant must be grown, harvested and have its oil distilled in a careful, specific way. Producing essential oils is a science and a labour of love, if done right.

Most essential oils are steam-distilled; the exception being citrus oils – they are cold-pressed from the skins of oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, limes and lemons. If you’ve ever bent the peel of a citrus fruit, you’ve probably seen the essential oil squirt out of the pores of the peel, and you smelled the fragrance.

If you’ve crushed a peppermint leaf or a sprig of rosemary between your fingers, you were left with its essential oil fragrance.