AROMATHERAPY - Chapter XIII by Deborah Dolen
Essential Oil Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals
Excerpt How to Make Perfume and Aromatherapy Basics Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2011 This e-book is available in full version on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. By Deborah Dolen Mabel White
Excerpt How to Make Perfume and Aromatherapy Basics Copyright ©
Deborah Dolen 2011 This e-book is available in full version on Amazon
Kindle and Barnes
and Noble Nook. By Deborah Dolen Mabel White
Essential Oil Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals
Excerpt How to Make Perfume and Aromatherapy Basics Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2011 This e-book is available in full version on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. By Deborah Dolen Mabel White
How did essential oils become known for having particular medicinal
qualities or target effects? Did someone sit around and think these
up or just hand down stories from generation to generation? I
wondered that myself because not one Aroma therapist I ever ran into
would mention phenols, keytones or terms used in organic chemistry.
It is very possible they avoided using “techno” words as not to open
up the next question…what is a keytone, aldehyde? And so on. The
truth is, essential oils are very much used in the world of pharmacy
and most descriptions below were taken from a Merck Pharmaceutical
manual! (1988 Merck Index Eleventh Ed.)
You are about to be exposed to some words you are not used too. I do
not expect anyone to remember them all, I do expect everyone to
begin to familiarize themselves with the words and to try re-reading
the profiles often. When the terms come up later, you will have a
better grasp. Please do not correct spelling of any chemical
word-they often look misspelled, when they are correct. Examples are
citronellol, cinnamic, lavendulyl, and terpinene, which are correct
and sometimes do not mean what we think.
Essential oils contain many constituents. The predominant components
are terpenes and esters, but a large number of trace elements are
also present. It is the synergy enabled by the presence of these
trace elements that often give the real essential oil, and the
extracted vapor, its character and enhance the ability to blend with
other oils to create more complex vapors and desirable phyto-inhalation
experiences.
In general, essential oils consist of chemical compounds that have
hydrogen, carbon and oxygen as their building blocks. These can be
subdivided into two groups: the hydrocarbons, which are made up
almost exclusively of terpenes (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and
diterpenes); and the oxygenated compounds, mainly esters, aldehydes,
ketones, alcohols, phenols and oxides; acids, lactones, sulphur and
nitrogen compounds are sometimes also present.
It is interesting to note no laboratory has ever been able to make a
synthetic essential oil that works, even when they have the actual
chemical breakdown and components. Science has not figured out why
this is. It just is. My theory is that each plant has its own DNA
signature as we have fingerprints. Science has also not figured out
what makes our molecules spin, and simply stop when we die. Science
simply knows we are made up of atoms that spin around a nucleus.
Again, my theory is we are made of energy, divine energy and divine
energy makes us spin.
Therefore plants are no different in the grand design and their
divine energy is what, in my mind, scientists cannot explain. So,
are essential oils actually made up of, recognized by the pharmacy
world and thus put into “classes?”
Aldehydes: These
aldehydes have anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant,
sedative yet uplifting therapeutic qualities and are the component
that imparts the citrus-like fragrance in melissa, lemongrass, lemon
verbena, and citronella. These properties are best used in
aromatherapy when the essential oil is used in low dilutions -
around 1%. Other aldehydes include benzaldehyde, cinnamic aldehyde,
cuminic aldehyde and perillaldehyde.
Phenols: These
tend to have a bactericidal and strongly stimulating effect, but can
be skin irritants. Common phenols include eugenol (found in clove
and West Indian bay), thymol (found in thyme), carvacrol (found in
oregano and savory); methyl eugenol, methyl chavicol, anethole,
safrole, myristicin and apiol among others.
Terpenes: Common
terpene hydrocarbons include limonene (antiviral, found in 90 per
cent of citrus oils) and pinene (antiseptic, found in high
proportions in pine and turpentine oils); also camphene, cadinene,
caryophyllene, cedrene, dipentene, phellandrene, terpinene,
sabinene, and myrcene among others. Some sesquiterpenes, such as
chamazulene and farnesol (both found in chamomile oil), have been
the object of great pharmaceutical interest recently because of
their outstanding anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties.
Deborah
Dolen is the
Editor in Chief for Mabel White DIY and author of
over 25 DIY books, 1,000 articles and several TV "how to" Films.
Deborah Dolen is also an environmental writer and has
her own content syndication. Deborah Dolen was widowed
when she was on her 30's and went on to raise three
great daughters in FL up against many obstacles. This
is the time period she generated her most fascinating DIY books.