Essential oils are derived from a variety plants which grow throughout the world. Not every plant is capable of producing an essential oil - for example there is no essential oil for Strawberry. 100% pure essential oils are as natural as the scent of a flower, herb or plant. Approximately 350 essential oils exist worldwide, although not every country can produce the highest grade of oil. For example - France is renowned for producing the finest Lavender oil, Australia for Eucalyptus and Tea Tree oil, Italy for Bergamot oil and India for Sandalwood oil.
Pure essential oils are highly concentrated liquid extracts from plants. Whole plants (such as Geranium) or specific aromatic parts of plants (such as the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree) are distilled. Aromatic selections of plant varieties include leaves, roots, seeds, stems, fruit, peel, buds, flowers, wood, bark, saps (resins) and herbs. The essential oils are released as an aromatic liquid during the process of distillation or expression.
The amount of essential oil that can be extracted from a plant can vary from 0.01 to 10% of the total organic matter distilled or expressed. For example - one tonne of rose petals produces one litre of Rose oil. Factors such as: the rarity of the plant, country of origin, conditions the plant is grown and harvested; quality standards of the distiller and whether government permits are required (such as Sandalwood oil), storage, transportation and currency fluctuations all influence the price of an essential oil.
Essential oils, contrary to the word "oil", are not oily to touch. They vary
in colour from clear, orange, yellow, red, brown and green, depending on the
plant.