What Are Essential Oils?

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Adapted from an article from Grade-A-Notes.
Used by permission.

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With all of the discussion about aromatherapy these days, taking a look at essential oils — what gives this therapy the aroma — seems worthwhile. 

From D. Gary Young, Aromatherapy: The Essential Beginning

Essential oils are the regenerating and oxygenating immune defense properties of plants.  Their oxygenating molecules effectively transport nutrients, and a myriad of other powerful chemical constituents, to the cells, bringing life to the plants, destroying infections, staving off infestation, aiding in growth and stimulating healing.  They are to plants what blood is to the human body, and much, much more (D. Gary Young, ND, 1995).

From Dr. Jean Valnet, The Practice of Aromatherapy

Dr. Taylor, of the University of Austin, Texas, has observed that essential oils present more new compounds than the chemists of the whole world could analyze in a thousand years.  We now know that they are mixtures of many powerful and therapeutic chemical constituents (Valnet, 1980).

Okay, that's nice; but what are essential oils, anyway?

Essential oils are the subtle, volatile liquids or resins found in plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes and seeds.  They are what give plants their characteristic odors, such as the fragrance of a rose or the aroma of cedar or pine.  These substances can be extracted from the plant material, usually through steam distillation, to produce aromatic oils that have a wide range of therapeutic uses.

The oils are formed in the plant like this: Photo-electromagnetic energy from the sun is trapped in special secretory cells of the plants.  This light energy, combined with glucose, is converted through the process of photosynthesis into what is essentially biochemical energy in the form of aromatic molecules.  Through this remarkable process, some of the most powerful natural-healing compounds known to man are created.

Because of the essential oils' unique chemical structure, they are able to penetrate the membrane of human cells, just as they do in plant cells, carrying vital nutrients inside.  Once inside the cell, "Essential oils promote natural healing by stimulating and reinforcing the body's own mechanisms.  Essences of chamomile and thyme, for instance, are credited with the ability to stimulate the production of white blood cells which help in our fight against disease" (Aromatherapy: Massage with Essential Oils, Wildwood, 1991).

Basic chemistry of essential oils and their therapeutic actions

The chemistry of essential oils is very complex.  They are delicate, aromatic mosaics of different chemical constituents, each with its own therapeutic action in the body; with a single essential oil containing up to 800 different chemical constituents.  And, since each of these aromatic molecules exerts its own effect on the oil, for an essential oil to be considered therapeutic-grade, each of these constituents must be present in the right proportion to the whole — the oil must have the proper chemical profile. 

Scientists have identified something like 30,000 of these aromatic molecules, but it is readily admitted that only the surface has been scratched in identifying and cataloging them.  This is one reason why the vast number of therapeutic actions of even a single essential oil are not yet fully understood.

What is understood is this:

Essential oils have three primary elements: hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.  However, essential oils contain a tremendous number of other powerful chemical groups, including alcohols, phenols, esters, ethers, oxides, coumarins, sesquiterpenes, terpinols, ketones and aldehydes.  These chemical constituents, and the sub-compounds they are made up of, are what give the essential oils many of their most amazing healing properties.

The chemistry of essential oils

Some of the chief families of chemical constituents found in essential oils, along with their most widely acknowledged therapeutic properties are:

• Aldehydes: highly reactive organic compounds that are anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and sedative.  When inhaled, they are calming.  They are found in many of the lemon-scented oils, including the oils of lemongrass, melissa and citronella.  One of the principal aldehyde compounds, citral, is highly anti-infectious and anti-viral, particularly when applied topically on herpes simplex.
• Phenols: are deadly to bacteria.  They contain high levels of oxygenating molecules, and have powerful antioxidant properties.  As a result, they are one of the most beneficial immuno-modulating compounds of all of the aromatic groups.
• Alcohols: strongly anti-bacterial and anti-viral.  The sesquiterpenol molecules in this group are anti-inflammatory and stimulate the immune responses.  Linalol, one of the most beneficial constituents of the alcohols, is highly anti-bacterial and works to boost the immune system, and carvacrol has been shown to be antiseptic, superbly energizing and possibly anti-cancerous.
• Terpenes: known to inhibit the accumulation of toxins in the human body, and help the liver and kidneys discharge built up toxins.  They are antiseptic and stimulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, analgesic, anti-spasmodic and sedative.
• Ketones: known to help stimulate cell regeneration and promote the formation of tissue.  They also help dissolve and discharge mucous, helping with asthma, colds, flu and coughs.
• Esters: formed from the reaction of an alcohol with an acid.  They are known to produce a relaxing and soothing effect on the human body.  They also have very strong anti-spasmodic and anti-fungal properties.

Additional chemical constituents found in essential oils include:

• Azulene: prevents the discharge of histamine from the tissues by activating the pituitary-adrenal system, causing the release of cortisone.  Very useful for asthmatic conditions.  Known to dramatically speed up the process of healing.  Stimulates liver regeneration.  Strongly anti-inflammatory.
• Bisbalol: the strongest of the sesquiterpene alcohols.  It is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.  It is also known to be a powerful ulcer preventative.
• Flavonoids: have highly beneficial effects on the capillaries of the human body, increasing blood flow and oxygenation of the cells and tissues.
• Farnesol: highly anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.
• Farnesene: strongly anti-viral in action.
• Limonene: known to exhibit strong anti-viral properties and more recent research suggests it may be anti-tumoral.
• Terpene alcohols: highly anti-bacterial and stimulating to the immune system.
• Terpene hydrocarbons: highly anti-viral.
• Thujone: relieves respiratory distress and stimulates the immune system.  May be highly beneficial in the reduction and destruction of malignant tumors, particularly in breast cancer.

This is quite an impressive list.  But it barely scratches the surface of what modern medical science is now discovering about the powerful therapeutic and immune-boosting properties of essential oils.  Many scientists believe that over the course of the next decade, it will be some of the specific constituents of various essential oils that will help bring a halt to the burgeoning epidemic of chronic degenerative disease now plaguing this country, including cancer, arthritis, heart disease, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and more.