Essential oils are derived from steam distillation of natural plants, roots, barks, etc. Perfume oils are man-made chemicals used simply for the fragrance, but, some MAY (on occasion) contain real essential oils in the basic makeup. Essential oils are what are used in aromatherapy treatments.

Perfume/Fragrance oils have no aromatherapy value.

The majority of Green Pergola products are fragranced with real, plant-derived essential oils. All Green Pergola soaps are scented with only essential oils.

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years and were the primary source of perfumes for the ancient civilizations of Egypt, India, Greece, and Rome. Essential oils have been found in 3,000 year old tombs in the Pyramids, and early Greek physicians, including Hippocrates, mentioned aromatic plant essences and oil massages for their healing and mood-enhancing qualities. The Romans associated essential oils and their fine aromas with wealth and success. Ayurvedic medicine, the world's oldest healing system, has long recommended essential oil massage as a health treatment for many conditions.

Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, meaning, they evaporate quickly when exposed to air. Most essential oils smell true to the plant they originate from. Essential oils are the aromatic oils obtained by steam or hydrodistillation of botanicals. Most essential oils are primarily composed of terpenes and their oxygenated derivatives. Different parts of the plants can be used to obtain essential oils, including the flowers, leaves, seeds, roots, stems, bark, wood, etc. Certain cold-pressed oils, such as the oils from various citrus peels, are also considered to be essential oils but these are not to be confused with cold-pressed fixed or carrier oils such as olive, grapeseed, coconut etc. which are non-volatile oils composed mainly of fatty acid triglycerides.

Essential oils are extremely concentrated. It would take roughly thirty cups of herbal tea to equal the concentration of plant essence in one drop of essential oil. Some essential oils made from rose plants require 4,000 pounds of rose petals to make one pound of essential oil, and are thus very expensive.

Lavender is one of the easiest essential oils to produce, because it only takes one hundred pounds of plant material to produce one pound of essential oil. Essential oils are generally very complex chemically, containing many different substances and compounds. Some experts have theorized that essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant, and contain compounds that the plant uses to fight infections and drive away germs and parasites. Scientific research has isolated hundreds of chemicals in essential oils, and has shown many essential oils to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic properties. Some essential oils contain over 200 identified natural chemical substances.

Green Pergola orders essential oils from reputable, leading suppliers and distillers of pure, aromatherapy-grade essential oils. They are re-bottled into ½ ounce bottles and labeled in the Green Pergola Tennessee workshop. Both owners of the Green Pergola have training in aromatherapy and are recognized as certified aromatherapists.

Green Pergola offers a large variety of the most widely used essential oils along with our own Green Pergola Essential Oil Blends. Prices vary greatly due to the fact that essential oils come from nature; each plant uniquely different in chemical composition and how much essential oil can be extracted from a pound of plant matter.