The essential oil is the essence in the most concentrated form of the plant. It embodies the personality, the soul, and the life energy of the plant. The oil is a volatile substance, which spreads its scent in the room.
The essential oil is a highly concentrated substance, which are usually not easy to find in the phytotherapy. The essential oil is very valuable, because 100 g of plant material only contains 1g of oil. Therefore, they also have a strong effect.
Essential oils are mostly fluid and have a yellowish to brownish to transparent color. The plants produce these essential oils for their own communication, for their immune system, to attract useful creatures and to keep away pests.
Essential oils can be characterized by their scent note and their bigger or smaller odorant molecules.
The three biggest classifications are top, heart and basis note, whereas also smaller parts of the other classifications are present but one of them is dominant.
It represents the physical area. Base notes are dominant in wood, resin, bark, and soil-creeping plants. These oils are strengthening, calming, balancing, and grounding.
The heart note represent the emotional area of the humand and the temper. These oils are mostly produces from herbs, conifers and partly also from blossoms. They are calming sensual, balancing and aromatic.
They act mostly on a spiritual and intellectual level. They are refreshing, stimulating and promote the concentration. Especially citrus oils and all the fresh scents have a dominant top note.
A good sauna attendant is capable to create different scent compositions with just a few essential oils, since the variation of only one oil can change the whole scent experience.
There are various methods to extract the essential oil from the plant. The most important methods are:
The essential oils is composed of multiple organic compounds, which are responsible for the scent and the effect. To fully utilize the effect a basis knowledge is important. The essential oils should be organic, natural and 100 % pure.
When the essential oils spread in the room the single odorant molecules evaporate and come upon the olfactory cells of the nose, which trigger different processes in our body. Because the olfactory sense is very fast, different physiological processes in the limbic system react quickly.
These processes can positively influence a wellbeing, different emotions, feelings and health-promoting activities.
All these topics will be discussed in more detail during the courses, which are held from certified AISA Aufgussmeister schools.