Underneath we have short explanations of the terms used to explain the therapeutic properties of essential oils.
| Abortifacient |
Capable of inducing abortion |
| Absolute |
The most concentrated form of fragrance obtained when distilling a concrete |
| Adulterate |
This is when unscrupulous companies mix pure essential oils with a base oil - thereby watering down the essential oil - but then still sell the 'watered down' oil as 100% pure essential oil. This is a huge problem in the essential oil market, as people are tempted to adulterate their oils for higher profit margins. |
| Acetylcholine |
Is a fluid used in the transmission of information from one nerve ending to another |
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| Allergy |
Hypersensitivity caused by a foreign substance |
| Alopecia |
Baldness – can be temporary or permanent |
| Alterative |
Correcting disordered bodily functions |
| Amenorrhoea |
The absence of menstruation |
| Anaerobic |
Type of organism that does not require oxygen |
| Analgesic |
Relieving or deadening pain |
| Anaphrodisiac |
Lessening sexual desire |
| Anemia |
Deficiency of either quantity or quality of red corpuscles in the blood |
| Anesthetic |
Pain relieving by loss of sensation |
| Annual |
Plant that completes its life cycle in one year |
| Anodyne |
Stills pain and quieten disturbed feelings |
| Anosmic |
Loss of smell |
| Anthelmintic |
A vermifuge, destroying or expelling intestinal worms |
| Anti-acid |
Combats acid in the body |
| Anti-arthritic |
An agent which helps to combat arthritis |
| Anti-allergenic |
Reduces symptoms of allergies |
| Antibacterial |
Fights bacterial growth |
| Antibiotic |
Fights infection in the body by preventing the growth or destroying bacteria |
| Anti-convulsant |
Helps control convulsions |
| Anti-depressant |
Helps to counteract depression and lifts the mood |
| Anti-dontalgic |
Relieves toothache |
| Anti-emetic |
Reduces the severity or incidence of vomiting |
| Anti-fungal |
Prevents the growth of fungi |
| Anti-galactagogue |
Impedes or lessens the flow of milk |
| Anti-hemorrhagic |
A substance preventing or combating bleeding |
| Antihistamine |
Counteracts allergic reaction |
| Anti-infectious |
Prevents against infection |
| Anti-microbial |
A substance reducing or resisting microbes |
| Antioxidant |
A substance to prevent or delay oxidation |
| Anti-parasitic |
Acts against parasites |
| Anti-phlogistic |
Counteracts inflammation |
| Anti-pruritic |
Relieves or prevents sensation of itching |
| Anti-pyretic |
Reduces fever |
| Anti-rheumatic |
An agent which helps to combat rheumatism |
| Anti-sclerotic |
Helps to prevent hardening of arteries |
| Anti-seborrheic |
Helps control the oily secretion from sweat glands |
| Antiseptic |
A substance helping to control infection |
| Anti-spasmodic |
A substance to help prevent and ease spasms and relieve cramps |
| Anti-sudorific |
A substance to help lessen sweating |
| Anti-toxic |
Antidote or treatment to counteract the effects of poison |
| Anti-tussive |
Relieves coughing |
| Aperient |
Mild laxative |
| Aphonia |
Loss of voice |
| Aphrodisiac |
Increasing sexual desire and sexual functioning |
| Apoplexy |
Sudden loss of consciousness, a stroke or sudden hemorrhage |
| Aromatherapy |
The therapeutic use of essential oils |
| Arrhythmia |
Irregular or loss of heartbeat rhythm |
| Arteriosclerosis |
Hardening of the arteries |
| Astringent |
Causing contraction of organic tissue |
| Atherosclerosis |
Accumulation of fatty deposits on the inside walls of arteries |
| Atony |
Lack of muscle tone |
| Bactericidal |
An agent destroying bacteria |
| Balsam |
Water soluble, semi-solid or viscous resinous exudate similar to that of gum |
| Balsamic |
Soothing medicine or application having the qualities of balsam |
| Bechic |
Anything referring to coughing, or an agent relieving cough |
| Biennial |
A plant completing its life cycle in two years, without flowering the first year |
| Bilious |
A condition caused by an excessive secretion of bile |
| Blepharitis |
Inflammation of the eyelids |
| Calmative |
A sedative |
| Carcinogenic |
A substance that promotes cancer or cancerous growths |
| Cardiac |
Pertaining to the heart |
| Carminative |
Settles the digestive system and relieves flatulence |
| Carrier oil |
An oil which is used to dilute essential oils for the purpose of massage - see fixed oils |
| Cellulite |
An "orange peel" effect caused by local accumulation of fat and waste products |
| Cephalic |
A substance stimulating and clearing the mind |
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| Chemotypes |
The same botanical species occurring in other forms due to different growth conditions |
| Chi / Qi |
Chinese term referring to the essential life force |
| Cholagogue |
Stimulating the secretion of bile into the duodenum |
| Cholecystokenetic |
Agent that stimulates the contraction of the gall bladder |
| Choleretic |
Helps the liver to excrete bile, leading to greater bile flow |
| Cholesterol |
Is a steroid alcohol found in red blood cells, bile, nervous tissue and animal fat |
| Cicatrisation |
Formation of scar tissue |
| Cicatrisant |
Agent promoting healing by scar tissue formation |
| Cirrhosis |
Chronic inflammation and degeneration of any organ (normally in the liver) |
| Clinical trial |
A controlled study to look at the effectiveness of a specific ingredient or application |
| Cohobation |
Is a process in the extraction method of especially rose essential oil, to ensure a "complete" oil |
| Cold pressed |
Refers to a method of extraction where no external heat is applied during the process |
| Colic |
Pain due to contraction of the muscle of the abdominal organs |
| Colitis |
Inflammation of the colon |
| Concrete |
A waxy concentrate semi-solid essential oil extract, made from plant material, and is used to make an absolute |
| Constipation |
A state where normal bowel functions are not present |
| Cutaneous |
Pertaining to the skin |
| Cystitis |
Bladder inflammation |
| Cytophylactic |
Action of increasing the leukocyte activity to defend the body against infection |
| Cytotoxic |
Toxic to all cells |
| Decoction |
A herbal preparation made by boiling the material and reducing it to a concentration |
| Decongestant |
A substance which helps to relieve congestion |
| Demulcent |
An agent protecting mucus membranes and helps stop irritation |
| Depurative |
Helps to detoxify and to combat impurities in the blood and body |
| Dermatitis |
Inflammation of the skin |
| Detoxifier |
Helps to detoxify and to combat impurities in the blood and body |
| Diaphoretic |
A substance which helps to promote perspiration |
| Diffuser |
A device which helps to release the fragrance molecules into the air |
| Distillation |
A method of extraction used in the manufacture of essential oils |
| Diuretic |
Helps to produce urine and remove water from the body |
| Dysmenorrhoea |
Painful menstruation |
| Dysuria |
Pain or difficulty in urinating |
| Edema |
Water retention |
| Emetic |
Inducing vomiting |
| Emmenagogue |
Inducing or assisting menstruation |
| Emollient |
Softening and soothing to the skin |
| Emphysema |
Degenerative disease of the lungs where the air sacs become enlarged |
| Endocrine |
Pertaining to the ductless glands |
| Engorgement |
Congestion or fullness of the tissue |
| Enteritis |
Inflammation of the mucus membranes of the intestine |
| Enuresis |
Involuntary urinating |
| Enzyme |
Protein produced by living cells which catalyze biochemical reactions |
| Erethism |
Abnormal state of irritation or excitement |
| Essential oil |
Volatile aromatic liquid constituting the odorous principles of botanical matter |
| Exocrine |
Pertaining to a gland with a duct, secreting directly onto outside surface of organism |
| Expectorant |
A substance that helps to expel mucus from the lungs |
| Expression |
Is an extraction method where essential oils are pressed to obtain the oil |
| Exudates |
Natural material secreted by plants - can be spontaneous or after damage to plant |
| Febrifuge |
Helps to combat fever |
| Fibrillation |
Rapid twitching of muscle fiber |
| Fixative |
Material that slows evaporation of volatile components in perfume |
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| Fixed oils |
Vegetable oils obtained from plants that are fatty and non-volatile |
| Flower water |
The water resulting from the distillation of essential oils, which still contains some of the properties of the plant material used in the extraction |
| Fold |
Refers to the percentage of terpenes removed by re-distillation - single fold to fivefold |
| Fractionated oils |
Refers to oils that have been re-distilled, either to have terpenes removed or to remove other substances |
| Fungicide |
A substance which destroys fungal infections |
| Galactagogue |
Helps to increase milk secretion |
| Gemicidal |
An agent that destroys micro-organisms |
| Gingivitis |
Inflammation of the gums |
| Glossitis |
Inflammation of the tongue |
| Halitosis |
Bad breath |
| Hematuria / Haematuria |
Presence of blood in the urine |
| Hemorrhoids |
Piles which are dilated rectal veins |
| Hemostatic |
Helps to stop bleeding |
| Hepatic |
Pertaining to the liver |
| Hepatoxic |
An agent having a toxic or harmful effect on the liver |
| Herpes |
Inflammation of the skin or mucus membranes |
| Hormone |
A product from living cells that produces a specific activity of cells remote from its point of origin |
| Hybrid |
A plant created by fertilization of one species by another |
| Hydrodiffusion |
Is a distillation method of essential oil extraction where the steam is produced above the botanical material and then percolates down |
| Hydrosol |
Floral water |
| Hyperglycemia / Hyperglycaemia |
Excess of sugar in the blood |
| Hypertension |
High blood pressure |
| Hypocholesterolemia |
Lowering of the cholesterol content of the blood |
| Hypoglycemia |
Lowered blood sugar levels |
| Hypotension |
Abnormally low blood pressure |
| Hypoxia |
A shortage of oxygen |
| In vitro |
In a test tube |
| In vivo |
In a living body |
| Infused oil |
An oil produced by steeping the macerated botanical material in oil until the oil has taken on some of the material's properties |
| Infusion |
Herbal remedy made by steeping the plant material in water |
| Laxative |
A substance that helps with bowel movements |
| Leukocyte |
White blood cells responsible for fighting disease |
| Leucocytosis |
Raises number of white blood cells in the blood |
| Leucorrhoea |
Whitish vaginal discharge |
| Lipolytic |
Causing lipolysis which is the chemical disintegration of fats |
| Macerate |
To soak until soft |
| Massage therapist |
A person qualified to perform therapeutic massage on people |
| Massage therapy |
The manipulation of soft tissue to enhance health and general well-being |
| Menopause |
The normal cessation of menstruation |
| Menorrhagia |
Excessive blood loss during menstruation |
| Metrorrhagia |
Uterine bleeding outside the normal menstrual cycle |
| Microbe |
Minute living organism such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses |
| Mucilage |
Substance containing demulcent gelatinous constituents |
| Mucolytic |
Breaking down mucus |
| Myelin |
Fatty material enveloping the majority of nerve cells |
| Narcotic |
Substance inducing sleep |
| Nephritis |
Inflammation of the kidneys |
| Nervine |
Substance that strengthens and tones the nerves and nervous system |
| Neuralgia |
Stabbing pain along a nerve pathway |
| Neurasthenia |
Nervous exhaustion |
| Neurotoxin |
A substance having a toxic or harmful effect on the nervous system |
| Oedema |
Water retention |
| Oleo gum resin |
Odoriferous exudation from botanical material consisting of essential oil, gum and resin |
| Oleoresin |
Natural resinous exudation from plants or aromatic liquid preparation extracted from botanical material |
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| Olfaction |
Sense of smell |
| Olfactory bulb |
The center where the processing of smell is started and is then passed onto other areas of the brain |
| Oliguria |
Low volume of urine |
| Ophthalmia |
Inflammation of the eye |
| Ostitis |
Inflammation of the ear |
| Oxidation |
Related to the addition of oxygen to an organic molecule, or the removal of electrons or hydrogen from the molecule |
| Palpitations |
Undue awareness of heartbeat, or rapid heartbeat or abnormal rhythm of the heart |
| Parturient |
Assisting and helping childbirth |
| Pathogenic |
An agent causing or producing disease |
| Peptic |
Pertaining to gastric secretions as well as areas affected by them |
| Perennial |
A plant living for more than two years |
| Pharmacology |
Medical science pertaining to drugs |
| Pharmacopoeia |
Official book of drugs |
| Pheromone |
Chemical messenger used between people |
| Phytohormones |
Plant substances mimicking the actions of human hormones |
| Phytotherapy |
Treatment of disease with plant material, including herbal medicine |
| Polypus |
Non-malignant type of growth |
| Pomade |
Perfumed fat obtained during the enfleurage extraction method |
| Prophylactic |
Preventative of disease or infection |
| Prostatitis |
Inflammation of the prostate gland |
| Pruritis |
Itching |
| Psoriasis |
A chronic skin disease characterized by red patches and silver scaling |
| Psychosomatic |
Pertaining to the mind and body |
| Pulmonary |
Pertaining to the lungs |
| Pyelitis |
Inflammation of the kidneys |
| Pyorrhea / Pyorrhoea |
Discharge of puss from the gums |
| Pyrosis |
Heartburn |
| Rectification |
Process of re-distilling essential oils to rid them of certain constituents |
| Renal |
Pertaining to the kidneys |
| Resin |
Natural or prepared product - natural resins are exudations from trees, prepared resins are oleoresins from which the essential oil has been removed |
| Resinoids |
Perfumed material extracted from natural resinous material by solvent extraction |
| Resolvent |
An agent that helps disperse swelling, or that helps absorption of new growth |
| Rhizome |
Underground stem that lasts for more than one season |
| Rubefacient |
Substance causing redness and possible irritation to the skin |
| Sciatica |
Pain down the back of the legs in the area serviced by the sciatic nerve |
| Sclerosis |
Hardening of tissue due to inflammation |
| Scrofula |
Tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands |
| Seborrhea |
Increased secretion of sebum |
| Sialogogue |
An agent stimulating the secretion of saliva |
| Soporific |
A substance which helps to induce sleep |
| Spermatorrhoea |
Involuntary emission of sperm without orgasm |
| Splenic |
Pertaining to the spleen |
| Stomachic |
A substance which helps with the digestion and helps to improve appetite |
| Stomatitis |
Inflammation of the mucus membranes of the mouth |
| Styptic |
An agent that stops external bleeding |
| Sudorific |
An agent causing sweating |
| Synergy |
Agents working together and in harmony to produce an effect greater than the sum of the two separate agents |
| Synthetic |
Refers to anything not of organic source |
| Tachycardia |
Abnormally increased heartbeat |
| Tannin |
An astringent substance that helps seal tissues |
| Terpeneless |
Essential oil from which monoterpene hydrocarbons have been removed |
| Thrombosis |
The formation of a blood clot |
| Thrush |
A fungal infection in the mouth or vaginal area |
| Tic |
Repetitive twitching |
| Tincture |
Referring to either a herbal or perfume material prepared in an alcohol base |
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| Tracheitis |
Inflammation of the windpipe |
| Tuber |
Swollen part of underground stem of one year's duration and capable of new growth |
| Unguent |
A soothing or healing salve or balm |
| Urticaria |
Weal on the skin |
| Vasoconstrictor |
An agent causing the contraction of blood vessel walls |
| Vasodilator |
An agent causing the dilation of blood vessel walls |
| Vermifuge |
An agent expelling intestinal worms |
| Volatile |
Substance that is unstable and evaporates easily, like an essential oil |
| Vulnerary |
An agent applied externally which helps to heal wounds and sores and helps to prevent tissue degeneration |
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