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Essential Oils Desk Reference

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Essential oils and organic compounds are at the foundation of all aromatherapy treatments. Since aromatherapy oils are ingested or used topically it is important to pay close attention to several quality factors, such as the manufacturing methods, when purchasing them.

There are two main classifications for essentials oils, food grade and therapeutic grade. Food grade or a lower quality oil and not good for inhalation. Therapeutic grade oils are of a better quality and higher purity and are preferred for most aromatherapy uses. It is important to learn about the different types and classifications of organic oils to know which type you might need.

Organic chemicals can vary in value from country to country. environmental destruction can reduce the availability of herbs and drive up the cost of their oils. The Indian sandalwood is thought to be an endangered plant and highly prized for its aromatic properties so it is more valuable than different types of sandalwood discovered around the globe.

Apart from the environment in which a plant is cultivated the oil extraction method is the other major factor in its quality. Extraction is how the valuable oils and compounds contained in plants are removed and separated from unwanted chemicals or impurities. The two types of extraction are physical extraction and chemical extraction. Physical methods include steam extraction and a process called enfleurage. Supercritical extraction is a type of chemical extraction technique and can be used for obtained extremely pure and unadulterated compounds.

Essential oils and other organic compounds are classified as either food grade or therapeutic grade. Their chemical grade an Food Chemical Codex can provide insight into the make up and quality of oils. The FCC is a detailed listing of the chemical components of organic oils.

Though all chemicals should be extracted naturally from source herbs some manufacturers utilize synthetic additives. Food grade organic chemicals should be avoided because of this, although the name makes them seem appropriate for ingestion.

For aromatherapy a medical uses therapeutic grade oils should always be used. This category of compounds denotes primarily natural oils with organic components. Determining the quality or purity of oils through inspection is hard without actually using the oils so to avoid buying poor quality supplies buy from reputable shops.

The writer has written many of pieces on the uses of aromatherapy and various natural compounds and oil diffuser