Even if you think that you have never come across the oils before, all of us are affected by them each day. Every time that you peel an orange the essential oil squirts out of the tiny pockets in the skin, and because it is so volatile it evaporates into the air, releasing it's bitter sweet, tangy, citrus smell. Whether you notice or not, the orange has a refreshing but relaxing effect. When you take flowers to someone who is ill, you are using aromatherapy to help them feel better. The essential oils of Rose, Jasmine, Geranium, and Lavender which might be contained within a spray of flowers are all relaxing oils that settle the nervous system and instantly improve the spirit.
Essential oils are so complex and magical that no-one really knows what they are.
Enthusiasts and romantics say that they are the life force of a plant, similar to the human spirit. Researchers say that they are a mixture of organic compounds, such as ketones, terpenes, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, and thousands of other molecules, many too complex or small to classify under a microscope. What they do rather than what they are, is much easier to understand. The molecules of oils are so minute that they can penetrate human skin and enter the bloodstream and organs, before eventually being excreted. Scientists have found that the same oils gather in the same parts of the body time after time, within a few hours of being massaged into the skin.