Essential Oils
Essential oils are volatile,concentrated substances extracted from flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, bark, resin or fruit rinds. The amount of essential oils found in these plants can be anywhere from only 0.01% to 10% of the total plant material. That's why tons of plant materials are required for just a few hundred pounds of oil. The oils have potent anti-microbial factors, having 200-300 therapeutic constituents.  Essential oils are often referred to as the immune system of the plant.  They help to protect the plant from many invaders, such as insects and fungi. Essential oils are not interchangeable with synthetics. Only pure oils contain a full spectrum of components that synthetics simply cannot duplicate.  In addition, the body generally responds better to these natural materials.