What is an essential oil?
Essential oils are a natural compound that is extracted from a single plant species and have the fragrance of the plant from which they have been extracted.
Not all plants produce essential oils, in those that do, the oil can be extracted from different parts of the plant including the stem, roots, leaves, flowers and fruits. The oils that are initially extracted aren’t particularly strong but are usually then distilled to make them more potent, hence for most applications only a few drops of essential oil are needed at a time.
While we extract essential oils for our own use, they are also used therapeutically by the plants they come from themselves. They help with wound healing, attracting or repelling birds and insects, hormonal effects and even infection control.