What are essential oils?
Essential oils used in aromatherapy provide health benefits
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Essential oils are substances synthesized, stored and released by plants. Being completely of vegetable origin, essential oils provide health benefits through aromatherapy, can soothe, stimulate, preserve food, heal, disinfect and even act as an insecticide, fungicide, bactericide, repellent and natural cleansing agent, it only takes pay attention to the properties of each type of essential oil.
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Essential oils are obtained through extraction techniques such as cold pressing and different types of distillation. Terpenes, which are volatile organic compounds (VOC or VOC in English) present in essential oils, can be extracted from the leaves, roots, seeds, fruits, flowers and trunks of plants.
- Learn about vegetable oil extraction techniques
Terpenes can react with other substances or with themselves to form other chemical compounds such as menthol, camphor, vitamin A, squalene, limonene and farnesol. In addition to these substances, terpenes are also highly reactive with other compounds present in the atmosphere, such as ozone, nitrate, and hydroxides.
Terpenes represent the most important class of chemical substances secreted by plants and are derived from a molecule (isoprene) formed by several carbon bonds. The term terpene came from turpentine, which is a resin from the trunks of pine trees, and the word terpene, of Greek origin, means pleasant smell. However, terpenes are not only present in pine and conifers. They are found in citrus fruits (such as oranges), eucalyptus, rose bushes, among others.
- What are terpenes?
- VOCs: Learn about volatile organic compounds
- Ozone: what is it?
Benefits of essential oils
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As most essential oils have terpenes in their compositions, the benefits they can offer us are many:
Certain essential oils, such as eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon, thyme and tea tree, are capable of acting as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, inducing damage to the cellular structures of bacteria and fungi such as Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Taking advantage of the capacity that terpenes present in essential oils have, several equipments were developed with the objective of purifying and sanitizing the air, eliminating pollutants that can harm health.
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There are also expectorant and diuretic properties, which can be obtained through the use of eucalyptus essential oil, for example. But beware: never use any medication without medical advice or an aromatherapist. Essential oils are natural, but they are still remedies that can cause side effects.
Other benefits are related to the effects on the gastrointestinal tract, acting to reduce spasms, and acting against insomnia, the essential oils of mint and verbena, giving them sedative properties.
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Most common essential oils and their properties
| Essential oil | properties |
|---|---|
| Rosemary | Analgesic, Antiseptic, Anti-inflammatory, Stimulant and Tonic |
| Chamomile | Analgesic, Antiseptic, Anti-inflammatory, Healing and Tonic |
| Eucalyptus | Analgesic and Antiseptic |
| Mint | Analgesic, Antiseptic, Anti-inflammatory and Stimulant |
| Lavender | Antiseptic, Healing, Stimulant and Tonic |
| Lemon | Antiseptic and Anti-inflammatory |
| melaleuca | Analgesic, Antiseptic, Anti-inflammatory, Healing and Tonic |
Possible applications of essential oils
Thanks to the different compositions of essential oils, some benefits can be achieved by different applications, including:
- Aromatization of environment;
- In a hurry;
- Massage;
- Inhalation;
- Cleaning;
- Hair;
- Bath;
- Skin;
- Ingestion.
To learn how to use them and some necessary care, access the article "Essential oils: a complete guide".
Limonene
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Limonene or d-Limonene can be considered the most common terpene found in nature. Limonene has a lemony smell and is found in fruits, especially citrus. The essential oils of cumin, dill, neroli, bergamot and lemon are mainly made up of limonene.
According to information from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), limonene is produced in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the United States. It is used, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the industry as a food additive, natural fragrance (learn more about the risks of synthetic fragrances), in beverages, cosmetics and, recently, as a natural fragrance in insecticides, repellents of insects and products to train dogs and cats.
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But remember: don't add them to food indiscriminately, as essential oils are highly concentrated and, despite being natural, can cause serious intoxication. Avoid ingesting without a professional's guidance.
terpene uses
According to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), terpenes have a great potential to interfere in the behavioral, physiological and biochemical functions of insects. This is due to the toxic, repellent and attractive properties that terpenes have on insects. Therefore, they are used in insecticides, both for domestic and agricultural use, in insect repellent, disinfectants, fungicides, solvents such as turpentine, industrial degreasers, among other products, such as some air fresheners and sanitizers that use bactericidal properties of terpenes to reduce the amount of pollutants, bacteria and fungi that can damage our health.
You can use citronella essential oil in a diffuser, for example, to ward off mosquitoes. Each essential oil has one or more functions, seek expert help to find out how you can use them.
