Glossary of terms for Essential Oils
Aromatic. This practice can be defined as taking aromatically or inhaled using plant materials and compounds, natural substances and oils, as well as essential oils for an aromatic treatment of some mental or physical health condition. Essential oils are inhaled by rubbing them on the palms of the hands and cupping both hands over the nose and mouth to breathe or by diffusing in a essential oil diffuser.
Carrier Oil . Any oil which is used to blend or mix with an essential oil. Essential oils are extremely powerful, even in a very tiny quantity. Carrier oils will usually have little to no odor or color and are used to delete an essential oil.
Diffuse. To disperse an essential oil into the air
Diffuser. There are different types of diffusers available. They all do the same thing. They spray essential oils into the air in a mist form, effectively treating the atmosphere of an entire room with aromatherapeutic benefit.
Dilute. To make an essential oil thinner or weaker such as by adding carrier oil. This is done when the oil is needed to cover a larger surface or to reduce or eliminate sensitivity to a particular oil.
Distillation. A process in which essential oils are extracted using heat and sometimes pressure. When done correctly, the oil’s beneficial properties remain intact.
EO. See Essential Oil
Essential Oil. Often shortened to EO. Essential oils are potent oils that have been extracted from various plant components including the flower, leaves, stem, or root.
Expression. The removal of an essential oil from the plant component. Forms of expression include distillation, machine abrasion, and solvent extraction.
Flower water. The water resulting from the distillation of essential oils, which still contains some of the properties of the plant material used in the extraction
Hydrosol. When plant matter is steam distilled, both essential oils (oil-soluble constituents), and hydrosols (water-soluble constituents) are produced, thus Hydrosols are the re-liquefied steam that results from the distillation
Infusion . This is the most common method for extracting essential oils from plants.
Internal. This refers to oils that can be taken internally, or eaten. Essential oils are taken internally by eating them straight, mixed with foods or beverages, or in a capsule.
Neat. This term applies to the use of an essential oil straight, as in without any dilution. Most commonly used when referring to applying an oil topically
Photosensitive. Also phototoxic. This refers to oils that, when applied topically, have an adverse reaction when immediately exposed to sunlight. Such reactions could be temporary skin discoloration or sensitivity to getting a sunburn.
Phototoxic. See Photosensitive
Therapeutic Grade. This refers to essential oils that are pure and of high quality, therefore making them suitable to be used aromatically, internally, and topically. Please note that since the FDA does not currently have any regulations for essential oils, many companies abuse this term.
Topical. This refers to oils that can be used topically. To use an oil topically, simply apply it to the skin neat or diluted with a carrier oil.
Note: These terms and definitions come from various sources
Glossary of terms for essential oils
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