Buy Hect Hebbd Chemotyped Essential Oils Online

Why does the chemotype guarantee the quality of an essential oil?

The chemotype of an essential oil is defined by the concentration of the most abundant molecule in the oil.

For example,thymol-type thyme essential oil contains 50% thymol, which defines its chemotype. A molecule is generally only considered to be present in an essential oil if it exceeds 10%. All essential oils for which the percentage of a molecule is not specified contain only trace amounts of that molecule.

The chemotype used in aromatherapy allows us to identify chemical variations in secondary metabolites within the same species that are due to environmental factors (altitude, sunlight, temperature, humidity, etc.). Thus, the essential oil produced by two plants of the same species, despite their very similar genotypes and morphology, may exhibit significant variations in chemical composition. This is therefore a very important concept in aromatherapy.

An essential oil can be extracted from any part of a plant as long as that part possesses the structures necessary to produce it. Consequently, many essential oils are derived from flowers, leaves, seeds, fruits, rhizomes, etc. A single plant from the same biotope (a habitat characterized by certain conditions such as temperature, humidity, etc.) can synthesize essential oils with very different compositions and scents depending on the specific part of the plant from which they are derived. The best-known example is the bitter orange tree, from which three distinct essential oils can be extracted. The leaves yieldpetitgrain bigarade essential oil, the flowers yieldneroli essential oil, while the fruit peel yields bitter orange peel essential oil.

The plant that provides the botanical raw material may be cultivated or harvested in the wild. The conditions of cultivation, harvesting, drying, storage, etc., determine the quality of the plant and, consequently, that of the essential oil produced. If the plant is cultivated, the cultivation must, at a minimum, be organic and therefore free of chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, etc.) that could pollute the soil. The plant must also grow in its natural habitat or a very similar one.

What extraction methods are used to produce pure essential oil?

There are various methods for extracting the essential oil produced by aromatic plants. Of these methods, the European Pharmacopoeia recognizes only three for producing a product that can be called an essential oil:steam distillation, dry distillation for stems and bark in a suitable apparatus, or a suitable mechanical process without heating for citrus fruits.

Steam distillation: Aromatic plants are placed in a still where they are passed through steam generated in a separate generator. As the steam passes through the plant, it carries away the aromatic molecules that will form the essential oil. The vapors then pass through a condenser with circulating cold water to condense and are collected in the oil receiver, where the essential oil is separated from the water. The duration of distillation is crucial for obtaining a high-quality essential oil, and this duration varies depending on the plant. Quality also depends on the size of the facility. Industrial-scale production will therefore yield a lower-quality product than what a producer working with small stills (< 1,500 liters) could achieve.
Dry distillation involves heating stems or bark at high temperatures without the use of water (unlike hydrodistillation or steam distillation). This process yields a viscous, blackish distillate resembling tar. Today, this method is used to produce essential oils from cade and birch bark.
Mechanical extraction: Also known as cold pressing, this method involves rupturing the oil sacs contained within the pericarp of citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, mandarins, bergamot, etc.), either in a press or manually by scraping the pericarp with a spoon (the latter technique yields a high-quality product). The result is an essence, not an essential oil, because the plant material undergoes no chemical alteration.

Other techniques: There are other methods for extracting essences; however, the resulting product cannot be defined as an essential oil.

Percolation: This process involves passing steam through the plant material from top to bottom. This technique is faster and therefore causes less alteration to the aromatic molecules, but the resulting extract contains non-volatile substances. These are referred to as percolation essences.
Supercritical CO₂ extraction: A stream of high-pressure CO₂ is passed through the plant material, dissolving the essential oil so that it can then be easily separated. The technique uses a maximum temperature of 40°C, ensuring minimal degradation of the essential oil. This modern but costly method yields a product very close to the original essential oil.
Enfleurage: This method is used for flowers, which are placed in contact with fats that absorb the essential oil to form an ointment. This ointment can be used as is in the manufacture of cosmetics, or extracted with absolute alcohol to obtain alcoholic flower extracts.
Extraction using volatile solvents (primarily ether and benzene): This yields flower or leaf concretes, which are transformed into absolutes through ethanol extraction and then into concrete essences through the evaporation of the ethanol.

What are chemotyped essential oils composed of?

Unlike vegetable oils, essential oils are volatile, which allows them to be extracted using steam. With a few rare exceptions (cinnamon bark, clove), their density is lower than that of water. They are immiscible in aqueous solutions but soluble in common organic solvents. Essential oils also interact with polarized light, and this property is used to verify their quality. The specific rotation of an essential oil further helps identify a pure, natural oil. Finally, their refractive index “n” is high. Ranging in intensity from pale to vivid, the entire color spectrum is represented: from the blood-red of certain savory varieties to the blue of Chamomilla recutita, and the pale green of Citrus bergamia. Under a UV lamp, one can even observe the ultraviolet light emitted by mandarin.

Essential oils are complex substances; they may contain:

Terpene derivatives: monoterpenes (10-carbon hydrocarbons), sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes.
Amino acid derivatives: isobutanol derived from valine, isoamyl alcohol from leucine, angelic acid and tigliic acid from isoleucine, and sulfur-containing amino acid derivatives.
Fatty acid derivatives: For example, linoleic acid yields jasmone, methyl jasmonate, and macrocyclic lactones.
Other highly diverse molecules.

However, the composition can vary significantly depending on the plant from which the essential oil is derived, its geographic origin, climate, altitude, extraction method, the skill of the distiller, etc.

What essential oils can be found on the Soin-et-Nature website?

Soin-et-Nature offers a complete range of essential oils to meet a wide variety of health and wellness needs. Here are the available categories:

To guarantee the quality and effectiveness of essential oils, chemotyped HECT and HEBBD essential oils ensure a pure and certified composition.
For professionals, bulk-volume essential oils are available for extensive and cost-effective use.
To naturally combat acne, targeted essential oils help purify the skin and reduce blemishes.
To reduce the appearance of cellulite, firming and draining essential oils support skin tone.
To promote healing, essential oils with regenerative properties help repair skin tissue.
To soothe the respiratory tract, specific essential oils provide optimal respiratory comfort.
To strengthen the body’s natural defenses, certain essential oils stimulate the immune system and protect the body.
To relieve muscle cramps and aches, soothing essential oils promote relaxation and recovery.
To naturally repel insects, repellent essential oils provide effective protection against bites.
To ease headaches, specific essential oils offer natural and fast relief.
To support weight-loss programs, draining and toning essential oils facilitate weight management.
To combat colds and winter ailments, decongestant essential oils provide relief for the respiratory tract.
To soothe muscle pain, relaxing essential oils help promote muscle comfort.
To improve sleep quality, relaxing essential oils promote falling asleep and restful sleep.
To reduce excessive sweating, certain essential oils regulate perspiration while providing a cooling effect.
To remove warts naturally, specific essential oils help treat these skin conditions.
To reduce stress and restore serenity, relaxing essential oils act on the nervous system to promote emotional well-being.

These essential oils, available on Soin-et-Nature, allow you to enjoy the benefits of plants to naturally treat everyday ailments, while prioritizing a gentle and effective approach.