Essential Oils and Oleoresins

Essential Oils are raw materials from botanic sources used in the flavour and fragrance industries. Oleoresins are the resins from which highly concentrated essential oils can be derived. The recent growth in aromatherapy has opened up a new and important niche market for the complete oils.

Information

Essential oils are generally distilled by steam distillation, but may also be produced by other processes, including expression or solvent extraction.

Within the flavours and fragrances industries, essential oils are both in competition with synthetic compounds, and are also used in combination with synthetic chemicals. In some areas of the industry essential oils have lost market share to synthetic compounds, but in key niches demand is robust and growing.

The popularity of aromatherapy, which uses essential oils and other aromatic compounds for their therapeutic effects, has created an important demand for high quality oils. Additionally, the interest in natural perfumes and cosmetics continues to increase, along with the demand of natural essential oils. The total world fragrance and flavour market was estimated for 2010 to be approximately USD 22 billion, a 22% growth from 2007 (according to Leffingwell & Associates)

External sites
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