What are Essential Oils?

Essential  Oils are “concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavor of their source”. 

History of Essential Oils.

Evidence shows that they were already used in ancient India, Egypt, and Persia several thousand years ago. The Greeks and Romans are also known to have traded odoriferous oils and ointments with the countries of the Orient. 

Later, during the 11th century A.D., the Arabs discovered how to extract essential oils from plants using steam distillation. This new knowledge and technique quickly spread to Europe during the Middle Ages where essential oils became very widely used and incorporated into remedies.  

By the 18th century, about 100 essential oils had been introduced, but it was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that chemists really began to understand their chemical nature.

As a result, we saw a massive increase in the production of essential oils. Since then, they have mainly been used as odorants (for instance, in perfumes and cosmetics), flavors (in food and beverages), and pharmaceuticals (in dental products and medicines). 

Recent Developments and Sustainability.

Natural products in the form of essential oils (EO) have been identified as a prominent source for renewable raw materials of Flavors & Fragrance and pharmaceutical industry sector also experiences significant impacts by EOs advances either in the form of dietary and health beneficiary compounds other than natural use in Fragrance Industry.