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An essential oil is any concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are considered by many to be the life-force of the plant. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted.
The term essential indicates that the oil
carries distinctive scent of the plant. They are extracted from a variety of plant parts, such as the flowers, leaves, wood, resin and twigs. The method of extraction depends on the part of the plant from which the oil is being taken. They are generally extracted by distillation. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction.
They are used in perfumes and cosmetics, for flavoring food and drink, and for scenting incense and household cleaning products.
Interest in this oils has revived in recent decades, with the popularity of aromatherapy, a branch of alternative medicine which claims that the specific aromas carried by this oils have curative effects.
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