"The term essential oil was created in the 16th century and refers to the theory of “Quinta essentia”. Paracelsus defined the role of alchemy by developing plant extracts and herbal medicines."
Paracelsus (1493–1541): German-Swiss alchemist and physician
Paracelsus believed that the distillation process extracted the most significant part of the plant, namely, the “quintessence for healing” or “plant’s soul”, separating the “essential” constituents from the “nonessential.
Paracelsus (1493–1541): German-Swiss alchemist and physician
An “essential oil” can be defined as a “product obtained from a natural raw material of plant origin, either by distillation with water or steam, or from the epicarp of Citrus sp. fruits by a mechanical process, or by “dry distillation”. Essential oil is then separated from the aqueous phase by physical means.
"Association Française de NORmalisation” and the "European Pharmacopoeia"