Essential oils are volatile liquids that exist in plants. They contain numerous chemical constituents that perform a variety of functions within the plant. Essential oils are used for bringing nutrition into the plant’s cells and carrying waste products out of the cells. They also act as hormones within the plant, regulating its functions and initiating vital activities. Essential oils work towards maintaining balance and may perform different functions depending on what is needed to obtain that balance.

Protection is another function of essential oils within the plant. If a plant is damaged, it may exude a resin containing essential oils that will help to heal the damage and protect against infection. Essential oils also act against bacterial, fungal, and viral invaders, as well as parasitic invaders. Plants use essential oils to repel insects or even to attract the predators of insects that may be causing harm to the plant. Essential oils can also be used as herbicides, for example desert bushes exude oil through their roots to interfere with the germination of seeds from plants that could compete for the minimal water supply. In areas of the country where there are extended dry periods, you may see a haze over the forest in the late afternoons if the wind is not blowing. This haze is a cloud of essential oil molecules given off by the trees to reduce evaporation. Desert plants also use essential oils to protect themselves from sunburn, which is the opposite of citrus fruits which use essential oils to amplify UV light to assist with ripening.

Essential oils are reported to perform similar functions in people and animals as they do in plants. They may carry oxygen into our cells and remove waste products by cleansing receptor sites of petrochemicals or pharmaceutical drugs. They may help with chelating of heavy metals. Some essential oils can be used to regulate hormones. Components that perform anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal or anti-parasitic functions within a plant can do the same for people. Many essential oils work as antioxidants in the body. Essential oils can even provide pain relief. Some essential oils may perform similar functions to neurotransmitters, enzymes, and other molecules that may help our body maintain or restore wellness.

People have found many uses for essential oils and throughout history they have distilled them from plants for use in maintaining physical or emotional health. Distillation of essential oils has been recorded as far back as 1000 BC. There is even an apparatus dating back to 3000 BC that is made from terra-cotta and is thought to have been used for distillation.

Depending upon the plant, the essential oils may be derived from the seeds, bark, leaves, stems, roots, flowers or fruits. The distillation process differs for each essential oil, but is usually done by passing steam through the plant material and then separating the oil from the water once it condenses. The distillation process for an essential oil will also differ depending on the intended use of the oil.

Less than ten percent of the essential oils sold in the United States are therapeutic grade. Therapeutic grade means the essential oil is the pure oil from the plant, processed in a manner that properly maintains the vast majority of the chemical constituents of that oil. One factor that determines the therapeutic value of an essential oil is the chemical constituents found in the oil. There are tests done on therapeutic grade oils to ensure they meet certain standards. Many variables can affect the chemical constituents that will be present in an essential oil, including:

· The conditions in which the plant was grown- soil, fertilizer, climate, altitude, season of harvest and method of harvest

· The parts of the plants used

· The distillation process itself- temperature, pressure, length of time, quality of equipment used, etc

The other 90% of essential oils available on the US market are not of therapeutic quality and may be harmful to birds. These lower quality essential oils may be produced from plants grown with chemical fertilizers or pesticides, or they may have synthetic additives. Low quality oils may also be the result of a distillation process that uses high pressure, high temperature, chemical solvents or rapid processing methods. This will result in more oil being produced within a shorter amount of time and at less expense. In addition to potentially being harmful for your birds, the essential oils produced in this way will lack many of the chemical constituents that are necessary to produce therapeutic results. We recommend only using essential oils from certain companies that are known for maintaining high quality standards for therapeutic grade essential oils.

If you would like to learn more about essential oils and their uses, you might enjoy reading the following books: