Articles

Fragrance compounds in perfumes will degrade or break down if improperly stored in the presence of:

• Heat Light
• Oxygen
• Extraneous organic materials

Perfume oils usually contain tens to hundreds of ingredients and these are typically organized in a perfume for the specific role they will play. These ingredients can be roughly grouped into four groups:

Fragrance Wheel

The Fragrance wheel is a relatively new classification method that is widely used in retail and in the fragrance industry. The method was created in 1983 by Michael Edwards, a consultant in the perfume industry, who designed his own scheme of fragrance classification. The new scheme was created in order to simplify fragrance classification and naming scheme, as well as to show the relationships between each individual classes.

Blends:

Firstly a word of caution - there are some imitation aromatherapy products on the market which may contain one or two oils. Even the "scientific community" demands that we try to limit the product to one oil in clinical trials as most still have the belief that one active should do the job. While these may have some limited effect, for the complete action we recommend careful selection of a blend of many oils - the results are outstanding.

The Chemistry of Essential Oils

When identifying which naturally occurring chemicals essential oils are made up from it is important to note that there are over 30,000 known aromatic molecules which just as many that are as yet unidentified. An essential oil can be made of between 100 and 300 components. Each has its own aroma and potential therapeutic action. The main classifications are shown in the following chart.

A Definition of an Essential Oil:

An essential oil is a powerful, concentrated substance that is extracted from certain species of flowers, fruits, grasses, leaves, roots and trees. It is "the heart and soul of the plant. It is the essence that deters bugs from eating the plant. It is the fragrant aromatic heart of the plant that attracts bees and pollinating insects. It is the chemical components contained in the tiny plant cells that are liberated during the extraction process". Aromatherapy for the Beauty Therapist by Valerie Ann Worwood