Aromatherapy is the ancient art of using pure essential oils to promote and maintain health and vitality. It's in its ability to reduce stress, lift depression and enhance mood where its benefits are most striking, although essential oils are found to have many physiological properties. They are known for their antibacterial, immune boosting, and decongesting properties among others.
Besides the therapeutic qualities of the oils let's not underestimate the pure pleasure of truly natural scents, as they bring joy and a sense of well- being to the user!
These precious oils can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways- through massage, inhalation, use in skin and hair care products, added to a hot bath or burned in an aromatherapy diffuser.
Essential oils occur naturally in a variety of aromatic plants and trees. They are found in flowers (jasmine, lavender), wood (sandalwood, cedar), resins (frankincense, benzoin), seeds (fennel, cardamom), leaves (rosemary, spearmint), and citrus rind (tangerine, lime). Other oils are extracted from grasses, roots, and tree bark. Essential oils contain the life force of these precious botanicals in a form that is basic and so easy to use.
Steam distillation is the most common process used to extract essential oils. In this process the plant material is exposed to pressurized steam, which causes the tiny droplets of essential oils to be released. Finally this aromatic steam is condensed and the essential oils are separated from the water in the final stage. Other processes are used, the simplest of which is simple cold expression, used with citrus fruit rinds. I'm sure you've noticed the abundance of essential oils present in citrus when you've peeled an orange!
Essential oil production is truly a global industry, as the oils are extracted from fresh plant material in the country where the plant grows most abundantly. In our oil cupboard we have essential oils from all over the world- ylang ylang from the Comoros Islands, frankincense from Somalia, lavender from France, and petitgrain from Paraguay!
At Moonsnail Soapworks, we use the finest essential oils available- blended with care for their maximum aromatherapy benefit. We know you'll enjoy them!
