Essential Oil

Essential Oil Description

Essential oil, or essential oils, is a collective name for a large group of primarily plant-derived volatile fluids commonly used in cosmetics as fragrant additives. Some of the most common essential oils include eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary and various citrus oils.

These ingredients often include a mix of sensitizing components like alcohols, ketones, phenols, linalool, borneol, terpenes, camphor, pinene, acids, ethers, aldehydes, citral and sulfur, all of which have irritating effects on skin. These volatile compounds can cause redness, dryness, flaking and a host of other irritant-related effects. Sensitizing compounds harm skin both in the short and long term and wreak havoc below skin’s surface too.

Some of the volatile compounds remain inert (inactive) until exposed to oxygen, at which time they trigger free-radical damage on and within skin.

Essential oils also bring benefits to skin, most notably from their antioxidants, but there are other ingredients, including many natural ingredients, that provide these same benefits without the risk of aggravating skin. In a similar manner, the beneficial, non-irritating compounds from certain essential oils can be isolated and prepped for use in cosmetics, giving your skin only the good, none of the bad.