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Essential oils are powerful and versatile natural substances that can be used to improve well-being in a variety of ways. In this guide, we provide information on the different essential oils, their beneficial properties and how to use them safely and effectively. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user of essential oils, we hope you will find this guide useful in reaping the full benefits of these natural substances.

Essential oils

There are several definitions of essential oil. The Larousse dictionary simply states 'Aromatic and volatile compound extracted from plants.' Historically and traditionally, it exclusively referred to the extract obtained by steam distillation. AFNOR defines essential oil as a 'complex natural substance obtained from a raw plant material, after separation of the aqueous phase by physical means: either by steam distillation, by mechanical processes from the epicarp of Citrus, or by dry distillation.'

Macerates

Maceration is a process involving the immersion of plant material in a natural solvent to extract soluble constituents. This process can last from a few days to several months.

We produce several types of natural macerates:

Glycerinated macerate: produced by macerating fresh or dried plant material in alcohol and vegetable glycerin.

Hydro-alcoholic glycerinated macerate: produced by macerating fresh or dried plant material in a mixture of water, alcohol, and vegetable glycerin. In gemmotherapy, the macerated parts are buds and young shoots of plants.

Oil macerate: produced by macerating fresh or dried plant material in a vegetable oil.

Hydro-alcoholic macerate: produced by macerating plant material in alcohol and water. Pharmacopoeia recommends a specific method for preparing mother tinctures for use in medicines and homeopathy.

Most of our macerates are produced at our production site in Die, in the Drôme Provençale region (in France).

Hydrolates

Also known as floral water or aromatic water, it is the aqueous distillate that remains after steam distillation and separation of the essential oil, retaining certain properties thanks to water-soluble aromatic molecules. When the distilled plant material is certified organic, it results in organic floral water, highly valued for organic cosmetic preparations.

These products are sensitive to microbiology, especially to heat and light. A preservative may be added to ensure better preservation and prevent quality issues due to suboptimal transport or storage conditions. Special attention is given to packaging and filtration, which must be as sterile as possible, as well as refrigerated storage.

Most of our hydrosols are produced at our production site in Die, in the Drôme Provençale region (in France).

Absolutes

In this category we include plant extracts that require the use of a solvent (usually hexane, natural ethanol or bio ethanol). The principle is to circulate a solvent through the plant matter to capture the aromatic molecules. The "charged" liquid is then decanted and distilled, and after evaporation of the solvent (which is recovered/recycled in a closed circuit) we obtain a concrete, a kind of "aromatic wax" (in the case of fresh flowers, such as the Rose, the Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang) or a resinoid (in the case of dry materials, in particular woods, such as Ciste Labdanum, Benzoin, Styrax, Oak). This thick, fragrant paste is then washed and purified several times with solvent, chilled to remove wax residue, filtered to separate the pigments, then the solvent is removed (usually by distillation), to finally obtain a translucent liquid, usually thick and dark, very concentrated in aromatic molecules: the absolute.

Vegetable oils

A vegetable oil is a fatty substance, typically liquid at room temperature, extracted from oil-bearing plants, meaning plants rich in lipids. Their composition can vary and primarily includes triglycerides, phospholipids, free fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidants. Among the most well-known are the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and gamma-linolenic acid (omega-6).

For food and cosmetic uses, vegetable oil is most often produced by cold pressing seeds, nuts, almonds, or fruits, resulting in virgin oil, which can also be certified organic if the plant's cultivation method meets these criteria. Alternatively, for technical or cost reasons, solvents may be used to extract the oil, as in the case of blackcurrant seed oil or sunflower oil, for example. In this case, the solvent is removed to retain a pure and natural oil. Finally, for cosmetic or food uses, oils may be refined, decolorized, or deodorized, and additives such as tocopherol (a natural vitamin acting as an antioxidant) may be added to facilitate preservation.

Vegetable oils can be used as functional ingredients, as carriers for other ingredients such as cosmetic actives or essential oils, or for their intrinsic properties (moisturizing, nourishing, soothing, healing, antioxidant...).

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