Essential Oils

Essential Oils are oils obtained by the distillation of various plants, usually with water. They are generally colourless or slightly yellow, of a low specific gravity, flammable and odorous, and usually undergo alteration by exposure to air. Some appear to exist as such in the plants, but in other cases they are products formed by the alteration or decomposition of complex vegetable compounds. They vary in composition, but generally consist of a mixture of at least two substances - the one oxygenated as an alcohol, acid, or aldehyde, the other a hydrocarbon. They are very largely used for the manufacture of various scents, essences, etc.