Learn aromatherapy lingo viewing these terms concerning aromatherapy essential oils used with Aromatherapy diffusers and carrier oils like jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil and oil from apricot kernels. Find out why a Carrier Oil is needed. Discover when pure essential oils like lavender oil made from lavender flowers and bergamot essential oil are used in aromatherapy massage oils or other aromatherapy recipes, aromatherapy benefits such as stimulation to increase blood circulation may result. Learn what bergamot oil products can help avoid developing brown spots. Find out how the terms Sebaceous Glands, sebum, Herbalism, Prussic acid, amygdalin, Hydrosol and water distilled relate to aromatherapy and how benzaldehyde is related to food flavorings. Amyris, angelica root and orris root can be used for special aromatherapy purposes. Read below to find out what.

Absolute – Products that are not in the pure sense essential oils, but are acquired by using chemical solvent to extract the oils.

Adulterant – Any substance used instead of or in addition to the named product that decreases the purity of the product. Use only 100% pure essential oils to ensure the product contains only the essential oil named on the label. Also, obtain your pure essential oils from a reputable company.

Aromatherapy – The art and science of taking advantage of the healing and pleasurable characteristics of pure essential oils that have been extracted from plants to relax, balance, and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. More information on aromatherapy is available under Learn.

Aromatherapy Benefits – The positive emotional and/or physical results caused from the use of essential oils. Positive benefits can include balancing, cleansing, deodorizing, energizing, purifying, and rejuvenating.

Bergaptene – There are numerous plants that contain photosensitizers known as furocoumarins. Bergaptene, which nature supplies in bergamot essential oil, is an example. If bergamot oil is applied directly to the skin, ultraviolet light sensitivity can result. Skin reactions can range from mildly red skin to severe lesions known as bullock dermatitis depending on exposure time and sensitivity. Skin will heal in a few weeks, but brown spots left on the skin can take months to years to completely go away.

Bergaptene-free bergamot essential oil is available from Hope for Health. Use bergaptene-free bergamot when possible to avoid possible reactions, especially since the aromatherapy benefit from the bergaptene removal is apparently unaffected.

Carrier Oil – Any vegetable oil used as a base to dilute aromatherapy essential oils to make body care products and blends of aromatherapy massage oils. A carrier oil helps carry or transport aromatherapy essential oils through the skin into the body. Examples of carrier oils include sweet almond oil, oil from apricot kernels, grapeseed oil, and jojoba oil.

Cold Press Extraction – Also known as expression, a way to produce aromatherapy essential oils from plants parts, like citrus fruit peel by squeezing the plant material with such force the oil is forced out.

Diffuser – An accessory used in aromatherapy to mildly dissipate aromatherapy essential oils into the air for aromatic benefits.

Diffusion – Diffusion is spontaneous evaporation or the natural, unprompted, random movement of liquid, gas or solid particles from an area of higher concentration to a lower concentration. Aromatherapy essential oils are diffused into the air by merely uncapping a bottle. Aromatherapy diffusers actually prompt diffusion by vaporizing the aromatherapy essential oils using heat, and/or pressure. 

Distillate – The resulting product of distillation. For instance, fresh lavender flowers that are distilled produce lavender oil distillate.

Distillation – Steam distillation is a distillation method for temperature sensitive materials like aromatic botanicals. Adding water or steam reduces boiling points of plant materials, allowing evaporation at lower temperatures, preferably below temperatures of appreciable deterioration. This is the main way to produce aromatherapy essential oils. Plants are placed on racks above boiling water, allowing the steam to flow through it. The plant cell walls break down and release the essential oils. A cooler condenses the water and essential oil vapors into a liquid. The oil and water are separated with lighter oils being siphoned off and heavier oils collect from the bottom. "Direct" or "water" distillation is used by some stills in which the plants are placed in the boiling water directly. 

Enfleurage – An old way to extract essential oils using odorless fats and oils that absorb the essential oil from the plant parts.

Essential Oil – Very concentrated, vaporizable, aromatic oils from plants. See Essential Oil Directory or Learn for information on specific aromatherapy essential oils.

Expression – Also known as cold press extraction, a way to produce aromatherapy essential oils from plants parts, like citrus fruit peel by squeezing the plant material with such force the oil is forced out. 

Extraction Method – The technique used to separate essential oils from the plant from which they came. There are several types of extraction methods including distillation, expression, and solvent extraction.

Fixative – A fixative is a plant or animal product with low volatility that binds and holds aromas of other products with which it is mixed. It can be a liquid essential oil that slows evaporation and maintains the fragrance of the blend, or it can be a plant that absorbs and holds the fragrances together. Fixatives make a more distinct and longer lasting product.  Amyris, angelica root, calamus root, orris root, and vetiver root are often used as fixatives.

Food Grade – Any item designated as food grade is by the Food and Drug Administration to be safe for use in food.

Fragrance – Fragrances are scents made synthetically and are not pure essential oils. In an effort for products to be as healing as possible, Hope for Health does not carry any fragrance oils.

Herbal, Herbalism – Related to natural, aromatic living plants. 

Hydrosol – When essential oils are steam or water distilled, the water that results contains small quantities of water soluble plant components. This water is known as a hydrosol.

Insoluble – An insoluble substance is unable to be dissolved in a liquid, usually water.

Massage Therapy – A treatment in which aromatherapy essential oils are used to emotionally and physically benefit the body.

Neat – An unmixed or undiluted liquid. For example, in aromatherapy recipes, a neat drop of lavender essential oil is a drop added right from the bottle to the recipe.

Olfactory – Pertaining to the sense of smell.

Patch Test – A test used to check for essential oil sensitivity. To avoid using particular oils that could cause a reaction, a patch test should be performed by adding 1 drop of essential oil to 1/2 tsp. of vegetable oil. Apply a small amount of the mixture to the inside of the arm and let it remain there for 24 hours. Redness or itching indicates the aromatherapy essential oil should be avoided.

Potpourri – A mixture of aromatic dried herbs and flowers often scented with synthetic fragrance oils. (For aromatherapy benefits, scent with pure essential oils.)

Prussic acid – Naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides like amygdalin are found in a number of fruits, grasses, legumes, nuts, and seeds that break down into sugar, cyanide (prussic acid), and benzaldehyde when ingested. Benzaldehyde is used for flavoring and scent and has an almond or cherry taste with an almond-like scent. The kernel which is also known as the pit or stone of fruits and nuts such as almonds, apricots, plums, and peaches, contains prussic acid, even though there is none in the fruit. These kernels are used to make almond essential oil. The prussic acid is removed from the oil and is designated as FFPA (free from prussic acid). Prussic acid-free bitter almond oil is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) to use as food flavorings as stated in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 582.20).

Rubefacient – Rubefacients are substances that increase blood circulation causing a warming sensation and redness from external application due to dilation of the capillaries.

Sebaceous Glands – Sebaceous glands are found in the dermis. They produce an oily substance known as sebum, and they open to the skin’s surface at pores in the epidermis.

Sebum – The oily substance made by the sebaceous glands to lubricate the skin and cells. Normal, dry, or oily skin is dependent upon the amount of sebum in the skin.

Single Note – A pure, 100% natural essential oil without additives or adulterations.

Soluble – Having the ability to be dissolved in a liquid, usually water.

Synergistic – A synergistic substance is a material in which the total effectiveness is more effective than the individual parts.

Synthetic – An artificially made substance intended to imitate a natural.

Viscosity – A liquid’s thickness or thinness.

Volatilization – The rate at which an essential oil evaporates or oxidizes.

Water Distillation – A process in which essential oils are extracted by first immersing the plants into water before steam is introduced to help protect the plant materials from overheating.

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