Cedar atlas (Cedrus atlantica) is an unassuming essential oil that lays claim to a rather notable history. It is believed to be one of the very first essential oils ever to have been distilled, and ancient records show both the oil and wood were used for a wide range of purposes including incense, medicine and cosmetics. However, it is important to make sure that you are using the correct species of cedar which using the essential oil in aromatherapy since Virginian cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana) has quite different therapeutic properties. Read more…

Bergamot essential oil is extracted from the fruit of a small tree, known botanically as Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia. Exactly where this tree originated has never been established, despite various theories regarding its true origin and cultivation. The most plausible theory regarding its source claims that Christopher Columbus brought the bergamot tree back on a voyage from the Canary Islands to Barcelona, Spain.
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Grapefruit essential oil is one of the most popular citrus oils used in aromatherapy, with a fresh and tangy fragrance that never fails to bring a welcome boost to the senses. Like all citrus fruits, the grapefruit belongs to the Rutaceae family, which is a large family of shrubs, trees and occasionally herbs.
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Lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus) is derived from a versatile plant that has been used for countless centuries throughout Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and India in folk medicine and cuisine. The fragrant leaves are still used to treat a wide range of illnesses, sometimes using methods which are specific only to a certain area.
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Eucalyptus globulus was first discovered in Tasmania in 1792 by the botanist Labillardiere, and since that time 4 sub-species and several variations of the species have been identified and described. However, the close physical similarities and wide variability in leaf biochemistry of the Eucalyptus genus has presented many difficulties to botanists over the years, and to say that the taxonomy of Eucalyptus is confused and incomplete would be a major understatement.
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Niaouli essential oil has been derived commercially from the tree of the same name now for well over 100 years, although it has taken many years to correctly identify and classify it botanically. This is because there are several plants with strikingly similar appearance that were originally mistaken for niaouli. Over the years a wide range of common names and synonyms were associated with all of these species which added to the confusion, taxonomically speaking.
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There are several fir essential oils extracted from the needles and twigs of trees belonging to the Pinaceae family, and most notably these fall within the Abies, Picea and Pinus genera. Strictly speaking, only those of the Abies genus should be considered true ‘fir’ oils. As always, it is the use of common names that have introduced confusion within this taxonomic group.
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Patchouli essential oil (Pogostemon cablin) is unmistakable, and for those of a certain generation its sweet earthy aroma will often trigger happy memories of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Adopted by the counterculture that began in the USA and quickly swept the western world, patchouli will be forever associated with hippies, psychedelia, Hare Krishna and marijuana; although not necessarily all of those or in that order!
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The Thymus genus belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is highly complex, consisting of over 100 different species known by more than 300 common names. The species of thyme used for the production of various ‘thyme’ essential oil is Thymus vulgaris, and is believed to be an improved, cultivated form of the wild thyme which originated in the mountainous regions of Spain and Europe.
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