Essential Oils 101: Types of Plant Oils

Welcome to week two of Essential Oils 101! This week I am sharing the types of plant oils. Plants have two oils: seed and essential. Let's get started.

Seed Oils, which are peanut, corn, almond, etc. are known as fatty oils. Here are some quick facts about seed oils:

• Processed from seeds
• Necessary foods for seeds to germinate/sprout
• Not essential to the life processes of the plant
• Large Molecules (long carbon chains)
• Non-Aromatic and Non-Volatile
• Do not circulate in plants or human body
• Do not pass through tissues/cell walls
• Greasy to touch
• Can spoil or turn rancid
• Not antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral or antiseptic

Therapeutic and Authentic Essential Oils (EO'S) stem from distilled flower, roots, leaves, twigs and bark. Here are some quick facts about EO's: 

• Distilled from plant parts
• Not involved in seed germination/early growth
• Essential to plant life processes
• Tiny molecules, which are aromatic and volatile
• Built from rings and short chains
• Circulate through the plant and in the human body
• Can pass through cell membranes
• Not greasy
• Do not spoil or turn rancid
• Stimulate nerves and help regenerate tissues
• Antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic anti-parasitic and antimicrobial

Next week, we'll discuss how the oils are produced and the following week we'll get into the amazing benefits! Have a wonderful week!

All the best,

Renee

Essential Oils 101

Hello! It has been an extremely busy few weeks and I have been major slacking on blogging. But I'm back and I'm back with something I'm very passionate about, Essential Oils! Over the next few weeks, I am going to be sharing information about various Essential Oils, how they are produced and the benefits of using them.

Before we get started, I want to note that the FDA has not evaluated this information. Please do not misconstrue these words as a guarantee or claim of absoluteness that essential oils will prevent or cure disease. Ailments can be very complex. Please consult professional advice and care for wisdom and insight as to the approach you should use to optimize your health.

Let's begin with a brief history lesson on plants. Plants play a vital role in the ecological balance of our planet and are therefore, linked to the well-being of people physically, emotionally and spiritually since the beginning of time. The plant kingdom continues to be the subject of an enormous amount of research and discovery.

Approximately 25% of prescription drugs in the U.S. are based on naturally occurring compounds from plants. Each year, millions of dollars are allocated to universities searching for new therapeutic agencies that lie undiscovered in the bark, roots, flower seeds and foliage of the jungle canopies, river bottoms, forests, hillsides and vast wilderness regions throughout the world. The following summarizes what is an Essential Oil.  

Essential Oils are concentrated, aromatic, volatile liquids distilled from flowers, shrubs, trees, bushes and seeds. The chemistry of essential oils is very complex. Each one may consist of hundreds of different and chemically unique compounds and yet are very safe to use. EO's are highly concentrated and far more potent than dried herbs. It often requires an entire plant or more to produce a single drop of essential oil. These oils differ from vegetable oils such as corn, peanut and olive oils. They are not greasy; they absorb through the skin, and are powerful antimicrobial agents.

Next week, we'll discuss the two types of plant oils: seed oils and essential oils. Have a great week!

All the best,

Renee