The Basics of Essential Oils

What is an Essential Oil?

Essential Oils are volatile (quickly evaporating) therapeutic fluids extracted from plants through steam distillation, or in the case of citrus fruits through expression (or cold pressing) of the rind to obtain an oil that retains a juicy, fresh fruit scent. These "oils" are found in tiny sacs or globules within the plant, are highly aromatic, and although referred to as oils, are not fats, but tiny volatile molecules that vaporize quite readily. Essential Oils can be extracted from the leaves, stems, roots, bark, flower or resin from a wide variety of botanicals, and can be used for fragrance, therapeutically as well as for their skincare benefits. For therapeutic uses of oils, it is important to test the quality of the oil. 100% Pure Organic Oils will have no underlying chemical smell or taste. When you place a few drops of the oil on to a fragrance test strip or on a piece of coffee filter and smell the oils in their pure undiluted form a quality oil will break the blood brain barrier. You will feel the oil penetrate through the nasal cavity for therapeutic uses. 

What is an Absolute Oil?

Like Essential Oils, Absolutes come from volatile, aromatic fluids extracted from plants. Delicate flowers such as rose, jasmine and orange blossom are oftentimes extracted as Absolutes to yield a higher percentage of oil without using the heat that can damage the petals during steam distillation. Absolutes differ from Essential Oils in that they contain a higher density of colorants, waxes and other constituents from the plant, making the aroma highly concentrated and more true to nature. They are solvent extracted, and since a trace amount of solvent may be present they are not used for skincare benefits, but instead, for natural perfumery.

What is an CO2 Extract?

Although the method of extraction is similar to an Absolute, CO2 Extracts are more comparable to Essential Oils in that they contain a myriad of aromatic and skincare benefits without any trace of solvent left behind. Instead of hexane, they are extracted using CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas under pressure at ambient temperatures. Under normal atmospheric conditions CO2 is a gas, but in the presence of high pressure it is compressed until it has the density of a liquid and becomes "supercritical" carbon dioxide - neither a gas nor a liquid. It is while in this supercritical phase that CO2 acts as a "solvent" to extract aromatic oil from plants. The beauty of CO2 Extraction is that once the oil is extracted from the plant material, the CO2 is simply returned to its gaseous state and quickly and completely dissipates. The advantage of CO2 Extraction over steam distillation is that since there is very low heat during the process a greater amount of valuable constituents can be retained. Typically, they have an aroma closer to the natural plant, especially those oils with spicy notes. Although there are some advantages of CO2 Extraction over steam distillation, there are oils, such as Patchouli, where steam distillation produces a richer, more full-bodied oil.

What is an Organic Extract?

Our Organic Extracts are made using modernized technology similar to the ancient method of enfleurage The extraction process uses only certified organic solvents such as fixed oils and alcohol to coax the aromatic essence out of the plant material. The resulting bio-available essence, extracted without added heat, captures the intricate aromas and therapeutic essences of the original plant material.

What is a Hydrosol?

Hydrosols are the aromatic waters that occur as a co-product of Essential Oil distillation. There are a number of other (and some less than accurate) names for these: hydrolats, floral waters (although they are obtained from more than just flowers), herbal waters, etc. Also, authentic hydrosols are not to be confused with products made by combining Essential Oils or Absolutes with plain/distilled water. There are as many hydrosols as there are Essential Oils, and as awareness of their potential increases, we see many more diverse hydrosols become available due to the demand for them.
In the distillation process, plant material is either subjected to steam or is immersed in boiling water, or both. In any of these cases, the heat causes the cells of the plant material that hold the Essential Oil to soften and release their contents. This oil is volatile and rises as a vapor with the steam into cooling tubes, from which two products result - the Essential Oil, and the steam that cools (condenses) into water. The condensed cellular water of the plant - known as the hydrosol - contains many components and includes the water-soluble (hydrophilic) micro-molecules of some of the components found in the Essential Oil of the plant. However, many constituents in hydrosols are different from those found in the Essential Oil from the same plant material. As such, while hydrosols may have properties similar to their Essential Oil counterparts, they may have other attributes their Essential Oil counterparts would not. The gentleness of hydrosols is ideally suited in the delivery of their attributes for children, the elderly, and those with pronounced sensitivities. They are also a profound and delightful way to experience and appreciate the life force - with all its potentiality for wholeness - found in the aromatic waters of the plants.

What is the Difference between New Earth Innovations Oils verses MLM (Multi-level Marketing Companies) Essential Oils?

Purity - Most all MLM essential oil companies claim they are "pure" but our laboratory tests indicate they are highly diluted. Our oils are pure and undiluted and are much more cost effective for all types of uses, we do suggest diluting our oils as indicated below when applied to the skin, mucus membranes, naval and for use on children. 

Packaging - Most essential oil companies use amber bottles to protect the oils, but we have found this to be ineffective. This shortens the shelf life of the oils by 1 to 2 years. We have chosen high quality Miron UV protective packaging for our oils in order to protect our high quality pure essential oils. 

Price - MLM companies tend to dilute and mark up their oils by over 300 to 400%. New Earth Innovations has found better quality oils, free of chemicals we have sourced from organically grown sources all over the world. We can provide these oils at a reasonable price directly to the consumer. At New Earth, we are committed to providing only the highest quality at a reasonable price. 

How do I Dilute my Pure Essential Oils?

Our Essential oils are potent and highly concentrated extracts derived from plants. As a frame of reference, a moderately high-producing plant like Lavender can yield up to 1 kg of essential oil from about 200 kg of flowers, while it takes roughly 60 roses to yield just ONE drop of pure essential oil. Thus, whether they are used for aromatherapy or natural perfumery, these extracts must be used with a great deal of respect and care. ALL Essential Oils, Absolutes, CO2 Extracts, Organic Extracts (collectively referred to as aromatics), should be properly diluted before application to the skin. Using undiluted (neat) essential oils repeatedly on the skin may lead to irritation and sensitization.  Not only are essential oils safer in dilution, it has long been observed that aromatics in general and essential oils in particular are more highly active in low concentrations. There are some exceptions to this rule, mainly the application of neat essential oils to a very small, targeted area of the skin for specific skincare purposes. There are only a few oils that are appropriate for this type of undiluted application – for example, Lavender (in children over 5 and dilution should still be used for young children and elderly), Tea Tree and Helichrysum. Lastly, always remember to perform a patch test, every body is different!

The charts provided below will serve as a reference to the proper dilution ratio for the application and the particular oils involved. These recommendations do not apply to children, elders and pregnant women. We recommend consulting with a professional aromatherapist or naturopath before applying essential oils to these individuals or those with unique sensitivities. We have added suggested dilutions as a guide. Our roll-ons have already been diluted and our safe for skin use. 

 DILUTION RATIOS GUIDELINES:

(Helpful Tip: 1 fluid oz. = approx. 30 ml, 1 ml = approx. 30 drops)

PERCENTAGES/AMOUNTS OF AROMATIC OILS FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AROMATHERAPY PURPOSES:

 PERCENTAGES/AMOUNTS OF AROMATIC OILS FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE PERSONAL CARE/AROMATHERAPY PRODUCTS:

PERCENTAGES/AMOUNTS OF AROMATIC OILS FOR NATURAL PERFUMERY PRODUCTS.

What is Naval Essential Oil Therapy? 

The Pechoti Method is the Ayurvedic practice of dropping essential oils into your belly button to be absorbed into your bloodstream. When absorbed, the oils stimulate and spread through the Pechoti Gland, which is located behind the belly button and is connected to over 70 million nerves, tissues, and organs in the body. It is considered a safer alternative to ingesting highly concentrated oils while still reaping all of the benefits. 

The Pechoti Method has been used to:

• Relieve joint and muscle pain
• Alleviate stomach and menstrual cramps
• Regulate digestive and reproductive issues
• Reduce stress
• Boost circulation
• Warm the abdominal area
• Clear brain fog
• Improve eyesight

The "Pechoti" is behind the navel, which has more than 72,000 veins.

Here's a few tips on how to apply oil to your belly button for certain benefits.

Lavender and Clary Sage - To relieve menstrual cramps and help balance female hormones even post menopause. 

Ginger - Just 7 drops in the navel helps immediately relieve digestive issues, gas bloating, helps digest food, reduces inflammation throughout the body and much more!

Thyme Oil- Thyme is an excellent anti-fungal, anti- bacterial as well as an anti-spasmodic, it helps relax your arteries and veins, lowering blood pressure and stress to your heart. It may also help strengthen and tone your heart muscles as well as ward of harmful pathogens. As a diuretic, Thyme oil may help your body to remove excess water by stimulating the lymphatic system, and aid in the removal of salt and toxins from your body, helping with weight, blood pressure, digestion, and more, another way of achieving this is to make freshly brewed cup of thyme tea with fresh thyme.

Thyme oil is also an expectorant, which means it can help remove mucus from our airways and lungs. Thyme oil has been used for centuries for the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, and upper respiratory inflammation.

These are just a few examples of the Pechoti method, and how to incorporate it into your daily wellness routine.