Essential Oils

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Essential Oils
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Learning outcomes

• Essential oils are the concentrated extracts of
  volatile, non-water-soluble aroma compounds from
  plants.
• Essential oils are widely used in perfumes,
  cosmetic products, cleaning products and as
  flavourings in foods.

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Learning outcomes

• Essential oils are mixtures of organic compounds.
• Terpenes are the key components in most essential
  oils.

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The history of essential oils

• The benefits of essential oils have been
  recognised for thousands of years.
• Their use is described in the New Testament of
  the Bible.
• They were used in anointing rituals and in
  healing the sick.

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The history of essential oils

• The ancient Egyptians used essential oils for
  embalming, religious rites and medicinal
  purposes.
• King Tuts tomb was found to contain 50 jars of
  essential oil when it was opened in 1922.

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Modern uses
Cosmetics
Flavours
Cleaning
Essential oils
Dentistry
Adhesives
Perfumes
Medical
Insect repellents
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What are essential oils?

• Essential refers to the fact that the oil
  carries the distinctive essence (scent) of the
  plant.
• Concentrated, volatile, non-water soluble aroma
  compounds extracted from plants.
• Contain no artificial substances, unlike perfumes
  and fragrance oils.

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Essential oils composition

• Essential oils are mixtures of organic compounds.
• Terpenes are the key components of all essential
  oils.

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Essential oils chemistry

• The distinctive character of an essential oil can
  be attributed to the functional group present in
  its key molecule.
• Esters, aldehydes, ketones and alcohols are all
  found in essential oils.

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Essential oils perfume

• The ester linalyl acetate is found in the
  essential oil lavender.
• This ester is often added to perfumes.

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Essential oils cleaning

• The essential oil known as lemon oil contains the
  terpene d-limonene.
• It is known for its ability to act as a natural
  solvent and a cleanser.

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Hospital cleaners

• Certain essential oils kill bacteria and fungi
  (including MRSA and E. coli) within 2 minutes of
  contact.
• Essential oils are blended into soaps and
  shampoos used in hospitals to eradicate deadly
  super bugs.

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Essential oils cosmetics

• The essential oil geraniol is added to some
  cosmetics to balance and revitalise the skin.

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Essential oil cold sores

• Melissa oil contains the terpene citral, which is
  used to combat cold sores.

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Essential oils toothpaste

• The essential oil thymol has antiseptic
  properties.

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Steam distillation

• Steam distillation is one of the methods used to
  extract essential oils from plants.
• Steam passes over the plant and extracts the
  essential oil.
• The mixture evaporates and passes into the
  condenser.
• The essential oil vapour is chilled and
  collected.

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Steam distillation
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Essential oils summary

• Concentrated extracts of volatile,
  non-water-soluble aroma compounds from plants.
• Widely used in perfumes, cosmetics, cleaning
  products and flavourings.
• Mixtures of organic compounds.
• Terpenes are the key components of most essential
  oils.