Essential oils are different from vegetable oils such as corn oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. They are not greasy and do not clog the pores like vegetable oils can. Essential oils are chemically very complex, consisting of hundreds of different chemical compounds. They are highly concentrated and far more potent than dried herbs. The distillation of an entire plant may produce only a single drop of essential oil.
Essential oils are subtle, volatile liquids.
They are oxygenating and help transport nutrients to the cells of our bodies. Working as the chemical defense mechanism of the plant, essential oils possess potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. They also ward off attacks by insects and animals. Both essential oils and human blood contain hormone-like chemicals. The ability of some essential oils to work as hormones helps them bring balance to many physiological systems of the human body.