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Aromatherapy Definition:
a few terms
Anti bacterial (antibiotic)
antiviral and antifungal agents that destroy each of the
respective microorganisms.
Antimicrobial
An agent which resists or destroys pathogenic
micro-organisms (microbes). This term is often used the same as antiseptic.
Antiseptic
An agent that destroys and / or prevents the development of
microbes.
Aromatherapie"
is the word coined by Henri Maurice Gattefosse in France in 1928 to describe
the science he was beginning to explore: that of using the aromatic components
of plants to facilitate healing. The story goes that Gattefosse burned his hand
in his laboratory and thrust it into a container of Lavender oil; it apparently
healed much more quickly than expected, and with minimal scarring.
Absolute -
A Solvent Extracted Oil, rather than Steam Distilled. Solvent Extraction is
the only practical way to obtain the aromatic material from many of the most
delicate florals, such as jasmine, tuberose and narcissus. (see Absolutes
are often colored since they retain more of the less volatile molecules. Due to
minute traces of solvent and potential alteration of the extract, Absolutes are
not considered essential oils by some practitioners.
Cold Pressed -
Vegetable Carrier Oils are extracted by pressing the seeds to release their
oil. Sometimes the process of "expressing" the oil from the peels of citrus
fruit is also called "cold pressing."
Concrete -
The richly aromatic compound made up of the plant oils and waxes extracted
from plant material, usually high class florals, through the solvent extraction
process. Concretes can be worn as perfume. In order to make an absolute, the
heavier molecules of the plant waxes are separated from the lighter oils using
alcohol. Then the alcohol is distilled off, leaving the liquid absolute.
Emulsifier -
An oil or other liquid that essential oil is added to allow the dispersion
of the oil in mirco droplets in water. It is naturally derived from coconut.
Generally add one drop of emulsifier to every 4-5 drops of essential oil before
adding to the water
Enfleurage
A traditional process of producing an absolute oil from delicate flowers and
blossoms. The traditional method is to place a layer of aromatic plant material
between two layers of fat. The fat draws the aromatic substance from the
plants and adding new plant material, the fat becomes laden with the aroma. The
fat is then dissolved with alcohol which separates the fat from the oil, then
the alcohol is distilled off, leaving the absolute created from the process of
enfleurage. This is a much more labor intensive process than the more common
extraction process involving solvents.
Expression
Most citrus oils are the result of expressing the fruit rind or peel.
Also referred to as cold pressed oils. The peels are shredded and mixed with
water, then pressed. The oil is then separated and any solids are filtered out.
Hydrolat
The word is often interchanged with, hydrosol, denotes an aqueous solution.
An aromatic water or floral water a is a near enough description of
what the product actually is.
Microbes
Tiny living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungus
and more.
[ aromatherapy Intro ]
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