25 Surprising Facts About Essential Oils

Essential oils are incredibly popular for natural health, cleaning, and personal care. But despite their popularity, there are many essential oil facts most people don't know, including how they're made, how concentrated they are, and how to use them safely.

I'm sure you'll learn something new from this list!

I used to be a total skeptic about essential oils, but I soon found that they really worked for several problems, and I was hooked.

Soon after, I set out to find the best essential oils company for my buck. Along the way, and since then, I found out some very interesting things about them that I'm sharing in this post. I'm sure you'll find them to be eye-opening as well.

In this guide you'll learn:

• why essential oils are so concentrated
• how many plants it takes to make one bottle of essential oils
• the truth about internal use of oils
• how oils interact with water
• why some oils expire faster than others
• and more surprising essential oil facts.

25 Essential Oil Facts Most People Don't Know

Essential Oils Aren't True Oils

Essential oils are oils; however, they're not like the oils we typically think of. They are, instead, volatile (evaporate easily) extracts that can have a slightly oily feel to them.

The word “essential oil” is actually a shortened version of the original term, “quintessential oil.” This term comes from the Aristotelian concept that matter is made up of four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. The fifth element (quintessence) was thought of as the spirit or life force. Evaporating or distilling the “quintessential oil” out of the plant was thought to bring out the spirit of the plant (source).

Essential oils are typically produced through steam distillation or cold pressing, depending on the plant. The essential oil is then separated from the water phase.

Many Parts of Plants Are Used to Make Essential Oils

A plant's bark, roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and blossoms can all be used to make essential oils. Different parts of a plant can also yield different properties than others. For example, essential oils made from the Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium) plant include Neroli (from the blossoms), Orange Petitgrain (from the leaves/twigs), and Bitter Orange oil (from the rind).

It Takes a Lot of Plant Material to Make Essential Oils

There's different information in various sources, but one of the figures I've read is that it takes 60,000 roses (about 180 lb) to make just one ounce (29.57 ml) of rose otto oil. Now you can see why essential oils are so expensive and why it's tempting for some companies to add “fillers” to oils to make them cost less.

Essential Oils Have Been Around for a Very Long Time

Contrary to what some might think, Young Living and doTERRA didn't bring essential oils into being.

In fact, it's thought that essential oils were used in the following:

• Ancient Egypt: for embalming, cosmetics, and medicine.
• Ancient China: mentioned in “The Yellow Emperor's Book of Internal Medicine.”
• Ancient India: used in Ayurvedic medicine
• Ancient Greece & Rome: Physicians noted the medicinal effects of many plants.

The Term “Aromatherapy” Came From France

In the 1930s, the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé coined the term “aromatherapy.” He severely burned his hands doing an experiment in 1910, and lavender oil healed it quickly with minimal scarring. He then published Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales in 1937, officially introducing the term “aromatherapy.” He then went on to study the many beneficial properties of essential oils.

Essential Oils Are Very Strong

This makes sense due to how much plant material goes into each drop of essential oil. While I don't encourage fear regarding using them, caution is warranted due to this concentration.

Fragrance Oils, Scents, and Natural Oils Are Not Essential Oils

In general, if you see the term “fragrance,” “scent,” or “natural oil”, you don't know what you are getting, but you are likely not getting a pure essential oil. A natural oil might be something all-natural (but not an essential oil), but the others are likely artificial.

Water and Essential Oils Don't Mix

Do not use water to dilute essential oils. If you ever mistakenly apply one to your skin and it ends up burning or itching, do not use water to address the problem. Instead, you should use a carrier oil.

Diluting of essential oils for use on the body needs to be done with a carrier oil and not water. The most common oil used for this is fractionated coconut oil, because it doesn't spoil easily, but you can use whatever oil you like. 

Also, if you're making a homemade product with a water base and essential oils, you will need to use an essential oil emulsifier to make the oils blend thoroughly into the product.

What “Neat” Essential Oil Application Means

If an essential oil is being used “neat,” that means that it's being applied without being diluted. Note that this can not only be wasteful but it can also be dangerous.

Essential Oils Must Be Diluted

Since they are so strong, it's best to always dilute essential oils before using them, and this is crucial with “hot” oils like oregano, lemongrass, cinnamon, clove, and thyme.

Many people (particularly essential oils direct sales company representatives) recommend using essential oils undiluted. This will of course result in more sales, but it's really not a safe practice.

In fact, the oils are powerful even when diluted, and there are a growing number of reports about people becoming sensitized to them.

Most professional aromatherapy organizations recommend dilution rates between 0.5% and 5% depending on the oil and application.

Allergies and Essential Oils

It's often said that if you are allergic to a plant, you'll be allergic to that plant's essential oil. That may or may not be true.

Essential oils have a different chemistry than the plant. If you're allergic to a chemical in the plant and that chemical is in the oil, you will be allergic to the oil; however many people are not. The reason for this is that most food and environmental allergies are to the proteins in those things. Essential oils don't have proteins in them, so most people are not allergic to essential oils.

However, if you're allergic to a plant, I recommend using caution with the essential oil or avoiding it completely unless you know you don't react to it.

Essential Oils for Children and Babies

You should never use undiluted essential oil on a baby or child, and you should be very careful using essential oils on children of any age.

The younger the person is, the more sensitive the skin will be, so use extreme caution when working with infants and young children.

Regardless of how you choose to use them, keep essential oils out of the reach of children and babies.

Essential Oils and Pets

It's important to be cautious using oils around all animals, but you especially should be cautious when using them on cats.

Cats are highly sensitive. In some cases just having them in a room can be enough to affect them.

Expensive Does Not Necessarily Mean Better Quality

It's been estimated that 95% or more of essential oil companies blatantly adulterate oils or purchase from essential oil “experts” that blatantly adulterate oils. “Adulterating” means heating, adding things to or taking them out of the oils, or otherwise altering them from their natural state.

As a general rule, the low-cost oils would likely have a tendency to be more adulterated, and the more expensive oils test out to be higher therapeutically.

However, there are expensive essential oils that have been found to have adulteration problems as well. So paying extra doesn't always mean that you are getting a higher quality oil.

Essential Oils and Internal Use

That is a hotly debated issue. When I first started trying to use essential oils, I thought that it was fine to use essential oils internally anytime, but I've since changed my mind on this.

Because essential oils are quite strong, it's important to respect them, and they should only be used internally under the care of an aromatherapist or practitioner, or with great care.

Furthermore, it's possible that essential oils with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties could damage the good bacteria in the gut. Therefore, it might be wise to use a probiotic when using these types of oils internally and to not use them for a long period of time. Otherwise, you might make changes to your microbiome and create a real problem with your gut health.

Why Place of Origin Should Be on the Label

Quality essential oil companies will put the country or region of origin on the label of their essential oil bottles. The reason for this is that factors about the location of the plant's growth, including soil, weather, altitude, and more, will contribute to the quality and/or composition of the essential oil.

Harvest Time of Day Matters

For many plants, the time of day that they are harvested is critical, and for many, the best time to harvest is in the morning. For example, lavender is best harvested in the early morning after the dew evaporates and before full blooming. Intense heat will result in evaporation of volatile oils, a less complex aroma, and more camphor, while too early will give a lower yield.

Harvest Time of Year Matters

Likewise, the time of year for harvesting plants for many oils matters as well. For example, the best time to harvest is from late spring to early summer for higher levels of camphene, -pinene, and bornyl acetate. Harvesting in cooler seasons will result in higher levels of camphor and borneol, and the oil will smell more medicinal.

Harvest Developmental Stage Matters

For the most part, plants should be harvested at full bloom or just before to have the most volatile oil present in the trichome plant glands. It's true; plants have glands!

Essential Oil Usage Near Ears and Eyes

Never put essential oils in or too near to your eyes. They are very strong and can do damage. If you are going to use them there, be very, very careful.

Essential Oils Expire

Some people keep essential oils around for a very long time and accumulate huge stashes of them (sometimes due to getting discounts from MLM essential oil companies for ordering them every month). Essential oils do expire and might not be safe to use after their expiration date.

How to Store Essential Oils

Essential oils should be in dark glass bottles (brown or blue) and out of direct sunlight. So, for example, an open shelf in your bathroom is not a great place to keep them.

Storing oils in a dark, cool place (like the refrigerator) can help keep the oils from having their chemistry changed by light and heat.

Essential Oils Can Help with Emotions and Mood

Many people talk about using essential oils for physical issues, cleaning, or perfumes, but essential oils also can be helpful for moods and emotions. In fact, there are many oils that are known for being mood-boosting essential oils. Diluting a citrus oil (orange, lemon, or grapefruit) or peppermint gives me a real lift in the middle of the day.

This benefit makes sense because smells affect our moods, and pharmaceutical companies use nasal delivery for some medications. So the nose is one means of delivery into the body.

Essential Oils in the Bible

There are a number of essential oils/ritual scents mentioned in the Bible. Some of the oils and resins mentioned include spikenard, frankincense, and myrrh, cedarwood, cassia, hyssop, cypress, galbanum, sandalwood, and myrtle.

How to Use Essential Oils

There are many ways to use essential oils. You can:

• apply topically to the skin
• diffuse into the air
• take internally (read above for more about the internal usage debate) and
• use in personal and home care products like Homemade Hair Rinse, DIY Chest Rub, Homemade Hair Spray, and Homemade Peppermint Cleaning Paste.

It's great to be able to use the power of oils in natural products rather than using toxic chemicals for health, clean beauty, and natural home care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an essential oil?

An essential oil is a highly concentrated, volatile plant extract made by distilling or mechanically pressing plant material.

Why are essential oils so expensive?

Essential oils are expensive mostly due to the amount of plant material needed to make them. For example, some sources say that it takes 60,000 roses (about 180 lb) to make just one ounce (29.57 ml) of rose otto oil.

Can essential oils expire?

Yes, essential oils can and do expire. Exposure to light, heat, and air causes them to expire more quickly.

Are essential oils safe for pets?

Animals can be quite sensitive to essential oils so caution should be used around them and the oils should never be applied directly to their skin. Diffusing oils can even be too much for pets and cats are especially sensitive.

Do essential oils mix with water?

No, in the same way that cooking and other oils behave, essential oils don't mix with water. You need to emulsify essential oils in order to combine them with water or a water-based product.

I hope these essential oil facts help you understand essential oils better and enjoy them more as well.

Source: Sell, Charles. (2010). Chapter 5: The Chemistry of Essential Oils. (Can Baser K H, and Buchbauer G. Editors) in the book Handbook of essential oils: science, technology, and applications, (pp. 121-150). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.