100% pure essential oils are usually steam-distilled plant essences, that is, the extracted and concentrated juices from flower petals, seeds, fruits, fruit skins, stems, leaves and/or roots.

I say 'usually' because there is the possibility of lax methodology or outright chicanery. What are sold as essential oils can be lab-made blends of scents in carrier oil. These will be cheap, and will not retain an intact scent after they are opened. Real, pure essential oils, if kept stoppered in a cool, dark place, will retain their scent for years with very little degradation.

Sometimes essential oils are blended with a carrier oil, like almond oil, and the essential oil, such as rose or oregano. This will happen because the 100% pure oil is either considered too strong (oregano) for the general public, or it is too expensive to produce (rose absolut). They are often labeled '100% pure' but you have to look closely to see the caveat '20% volume in a carrier oil', or similar. I consider this to be a questionable practice. Of course, blending strong pure essential oils with a carrier oil is a good idea, especially for use on the young, the elderly, or the infirm; this can be done by the informed user. Pre-diluting the oil prior to sale, while still exhibiting the large-print '100% pure' label, is misleading.

Essential oils do have actions upon the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Tea tree oil is an excellent anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Basil and Orange are very uplifting, and is used as an anti-depressant. Lemon is astringent and uplifting. Lavender helps heal skin, is calming, and will promote sleep.

You can perform an experiment with any one of these oils to satisfy yourself that they work. Sprinkle a few drops of orange essential oil in a place used by someone who is often down or depressed. Notice if anything changes. Try a drop of lavender on the top of the head of an excited pet or a cranky baby. See if they settle. Use a drop of basil oil on your forehead before a test or exam. Record your experience.

I have an extensive collection of essential oils with which I have doctored myself and my family. My current favourite is 'Medieval Thieves' blend of cloves, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary. A drop, rubbed between the hands, appears to provide anti-bacterial and anti-viral protection when handling money or shaking hands. Pure essential oils are an excellent adjunct to conventional medicine, and they are valuable on their own as a first line of defense.

Hope this provides a starting point for your research!

Hi,

We've had a side-business for the last 12 years making soap and other natural skincare products. So we use some EO's for scent. I think there is a tremendous amount of woo attached to them. Sure, some have some verifiable properties - anti microbial, insect repellent, anti-inflammatory, etc. And you wouldn't want to put most of them undiluted on your skin. They are simply aromatic compounds extracted from plants by distillation, or in some cases by pressing. No doubt some plants can be conceivably be used therapeutically.

I feel about them the way I feel about nutritional supplements. A few are likely useful for some people under some conditions. Is their benefit overstated? Certainly.

Can you be a bit more specific about what questions you have? There are a lot of claims about essential oils, and they have plenty of legit uses, medical, cosmetic, and other. But if you could maybe include some of the claims you are wondering about, it would help a lot.