Essential oils for body and soul
Essential oils are among the most interesting secondary ingredients of plants. Since they are volatile (essential), they can be perceived through the olfactory organ. Fragrances can be used to easily identify plants with essential ingredients. For the plants, they have an important protective function, because they are recognized and avoided by herbivors due to the odor and the often associated special taste. In addition, they also serve to ward off microbes.
The plants themselves store the essential oils in special "compartments" or glands because they are often metabolic waste products which could be harmful for themselves. Because of the particular bonds they form, the plants are sometimes even divided into groups, for example, alkaloid plants or cannabinoid plants. When derived in their pure form, e.g. by distillation, essential oils are highly concentrated volatile substances, which always need to be diluted with carrier substances for human use in the wellness area or for medical purposes. These can be fatty oils, salts or sugars and honey.
Essential oils should not be used on humans undiluted. For external application, e.g. on the skin for massage purposes, concentrations of 1-2% are typically used. To judge the mixing ratio, it is helpful to know that 1 ml of essential oil corresponds to 20 drops of the oil from a standardized dripping bottle. Essential oils must be derived from organic farming or wild collection, they must be purely natural and the area of origin (country) must always be indicated. The essential oils of BIOFRID meet all these requirements.
