Organic

Certified organic essential oils are derived from plants that have been grown without the use of man-made fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides - instead using ecosystem management methods to maintain the health...

Wild crafted

Wild crafted essential oils are derived from plants that are not cultivated, but are gathered from their natural, wild habitat. Although they are not organic, they will not have been contaminated by synthetic ... 

Ethically harvested

This denotes sustainable cultivation. An ethically harvested essential oil is derived from a herb, shrub or tree that is not harvested so aggressively that the species becomes ...

Only certain plants contain essential oils, and they are known as aromatic plants. Many fruits and vegetable also contain essential oils, though most are not extracted. The oil is formed in very small structures in the leaves, flowers, or other parts of the plant, known as secretory cells. Sometimes these protrude from the surface of the plant. The process of essential oil creation is complex, and involves many enzymes within the plant, because each one of a hundred or more chemicals needs to be "manufactured".
Why they are so complex is not clear, but many of the single chemicals they contain are used as odorous communication signals, either between insects (which can also produce the same chemicals) ...