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Highly popular and favored for many years, essential oils have numerous uses in cosmetic or massage preparations and in aromatherapy. Learn a bit more about them with us.
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Have you ever wondered how to obtain an essential oil from a bunch of lavender or another plant? In fact, it is not a very demanding process, but it is rather time-consuming. Essential oils are obtained by steam distillation from the respective parts of plants. The water vapour that passes through the plant material carries with it all volatile substances, including essential oils. Together with the steam, they condense in the condenser and drip into a collection vessel. After some time (and the processing of several tens of kilograms of plant material), you can observe two layers in it. The upper layer is formed by essential oils and the lower by hydrolats, which is why this procedure is used not only for the production of essential oils, but also of floral waters.
Many people often confuse essential oils (also known as ethereal oils or essences) and fragrance oils. Although these two types of fragrant oils have the same function in cosmetic products, there is one fundamental difference, namely the way they are obtained. Fragrance oils are synthetically prepared (sometimes they are a blend made of synthetic volatile substances with the addition of plant-derived ones, i.e. a fragrance oil can also contain a portion of essential oils), and for this reason they can be cheaper. On the other hand, however, they do not have the aromatherapeutic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and other healing effects of essential oils.
Do not be misled by the term natural fragrance oils. These are still synthetically prepared oils; only the aroma-giving chemical compounds are identical to those occurring in nature.
Essential oils are obtained from plants that contain them in their tissues. It might seem that this way it is possible to obtain essential oils from any plant. However, this is not the case. Only certain species of herbs and trees produce these strongly fragrant oils in sufficient quantities to make distillation feasible. Other plants contain too little of them and obtaining an essential oil would not be economical at all, or they do not contain them at all.
What to do if you want an essential oil from a plant that does not produce it? Reach for fragrance oils. These synthetically prepared fragrant oils can imitate the scent of almost anything. They are not produced from plants, but in return you have a wide range of scents to choose from. So if you cannot give up your favourite fruity or floral scent, fragrance oils can be an interesting alternative for you.
Although essential oils do not contain water, they cannot be stored indefinitely and after a certain time they will also deteriorate. In the case of oils, this is the process of going rancid (most often oxidation), which you can recognise by the oils losing their colour and scent, and in such a state they are not suitable for use.
How can you extend the shelf life of essential oils? The basis is storing them out of the reach of light in dark bottles. High temperatures also damage oils, so store them in a cooler place and check that they are well closed so that the oils are not unnecessarily exposed to oxygen from the air, which promotes oxidation.
Do not store essential oils in plastic bottles, because these also consist of organic substances like essential oils and could react negatively with them or be absorbed into the packaging material. Undesirable reactions can also be caused by storage in metal containers (an exception is those that are coated with a protective layer, most often a polymer or epoxy). For this reason it is good not to drop oils onto metal teaspoons. The most ideal material for storage is dark glass.
The percentage of essential oils in the final product depends not only on the intensity of the scent you want to achieve, but above all on the use of the product. Rinse-off products (shampoos, shower gels) can contain a higher percentage of essential oils because they do not remain on the skin for a long time, as opposed to products that you do not rinse off after application and leave on the skin (creams, body lotions, etc.).
• Shampoos, shower gels and bath cosmetics 1 – 4 %
• Facial cosmetics 0.1 – 1.5 %
• Massage oils and products 1.5 – 3 %
• Body lotions max. 1.5 %
The optimal dosage also depends on the skin type. More sensitive skin may not tolerate higher concentrations of essential oils well. At the same time, essential oils can cause allergies. Therefore, if you already know in advance that you suffer from an allergy to the plant from which the essential oil originates, it is better to choose another one.
At the same time, try to avoid dosing essential oils by drops. If you need to add an exact amount of essential oil, you will never achieve it by dripping. Each oil has a different density and thus a different drop weight. The most accurate method is to use scales and weigh the required amount of essential oil in grams. Only in this way can you achieve the same properties of your products in their repeated production.
Incorporation into the formula
When producing cosmetics, several rules apply to the addition of essential oils. For products made cold, we always add them to the oil phase and mix well. If you are making an emulsion using heat or another product whose production requires heating, always add the essential oils only during the cooling phase (e.g. after formation of the emulsion). High temperature can cause excessive evaporation of essential oils or damage to them (decomposition).
If you want to create your own perfume or facial toner, i.e. any product that contains water (or hydrolats, glycerin, etc.) in the vast majority and a small amount of essential oils, you need a solubiliser (solvent). These are substances that enable the dispersion of oil droplets into the water phase, and you thus obtain a clear emulsion. An example is Symbio Solv Clear Plus.
In the product description for each solubiliser, you will find the recommended dosage range. Sometimes it is necessary to experiment for a while to find out how much solubiliser within the recommended range is appropriate to add in order to create a clear emulsion with the given essential oil. In some cases, a milky haze forms in the product, so do not worry if you do not manage to get the right dose on the first try.
Vitamin E
Tocopherol or vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that is often added to products containing oils. It is no different for products with essential oils. Vitamin E helps to extend the shelf life of essential oils by slowing down the oxidation process. However, it is not a preservative.
Application to the skin
Essential oils are concentrated extracts from plants; therefore, they are not intended for direct application to the skin. They may be applied to the skin only in diluted form in carrier oils (e.g. almond or apricot oil), in creams or in cosmetics. Application of undiluted essential oil can cause irritation, and in more sensitive people even an allergic reaction.
