

Welcome to our essential oil guide for Red Mandarin through Pine Needle Essential Oil. To return to our full essential oil guide, click here. This guide includes useful information and uses about each essential oil, including botanical name, perfume note, source information, production method, blending tips, properties and more. Click on any of the links below to go directly to the essential oil product page and read more about any of our oils.
For the most up to date information on the oils that we carry, we recommend visiting our essential oil products pages.
Note: Essential oils are potent substances and everyone reacts differently to them. All essential oil should be diluted before use and appropriate cautions should always be taken. This guide is purely intended for educational use.
Mandarin, Red Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Citrus reticulata Blanco v. "Mandarin", C. Noblis (Family: Rutaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Italy |
Description: | Mandarin Red essential oil is gentle and calming oil, and good for oily skin. Known in France as "the children's remedy" for its mildness |
Mandarin Uses: | Use Mandarin essential oil in massage for the digestive system and, like Lavender, can be used in massage oil to help prevent stretch marks. |
Warning: | Do not use Mandarin on the skin in direct sunlight. |
Perfume Note: | Top |
Source: | Fruit peel |
Production Method: | Expression |
Aromatherapy Class: | Calming |
Aroma Type: | Citrus |
Skin Type: | Aging/mature skin |
Traditional Use: | Soothing agent, astringent, skin conditioner |
Mandarin Blends Well | Basil, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, olibanum, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lime, neroli, orange, and rose |
Main Constituents: | Linomene, geraniol, citral, citronellal |
Manuka Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Leptospermum scoparium |
Common Countries of Origin: | New Zealand |
Description: | A bushy plant with small spiky leaves and pink flowers. Manuka is extracted by Steam distillation from the leaves and small stems of wild plants. |
Manuka Benefits: | Manuka Oil is antibacterial and antifungal. Because of its spectrum, particularly against such bacteria as staphylococcus and streptococcus, and fungi such as T. |
Uses of Manuka Essential Oil: | Antiseptic and for ulcers. Useful for muscular pain relief. It is used as a concentrate against athlete's foot and ringworm. Used to relax the skin. Used as a perfume. As an active ingredient particularly against gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Excellent activity against P.acne. Is used in soaps, creams, shampoos, "tissue wipes" and antiseptic gels. Because of its high level of activity particularly against gram-positive organisms and its low toxicity, Manuka Oil is an excellent topical where Staphylococcus and/or Streptococcus are a major concern or where antisepsis and soothing together are important e.g., where burns are a factor. |
Safety: | Manuka Oil is safe to use and shows almost no skin irritation. |
Marjoram, Sweet Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Origanum majorana, Majorana hortensis,(Sweet), Thymus mastichina (Spanish) (Family: Lamiaceae [Labiatae]) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Egypt |
Description: | Marjoram oil is a calming, soothing oil that has a warming effect on both mind and body. It helps to relieve the miseries of the common cold, including congestion and muscle aches and pains, and is also comforting in times of stress. It has a warm, woody odor with spicy undertones. |
Marjoram Uses: | Useful on tired muscles and for massaging on the abdomen during menstruation. Used to regulate the nervous system and treat insomnia. Add to After-Sports Rub. It is pleasant in a hot bath, especially blended with Lavender. |
Warning: | Do not use during pregnancy. Care must be taken due to its sedative action - use sparingly! |
Perfume Note: | Middle |
Source: | Flowering top |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Calming |
Aroma Type: | Herbaceous |
Traditional Use: | Antiseptic |
Marjoram Blends Well With: | Cedarwood, chamomile, cypress, lavender, mandarin, orange, nutmeg, rosemary, ylang ylang, eucalyptus, and thyme |
Main Constituents: | Carvacrol, thymol, camphor, borneol, origanol, pinene, sabinene, termineol. |
Melissa (AKA Lemon Balm Essential Oil) | |
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Botanical Name: | Melissa Officinalis (Family: Labiatae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Italy |
Description: | A popular garden herb known also as 'Lemon Balm', this essential oil has a soothing but uplifting effect on mind and body. Melissa is a comforting oil during the cold season and when there is a high pollen count. It takes about 300 pounds of fresh lemon balm plants to yield 10ml of oil. |
Warning: | Do not use Melissa on the skin in direct sunlight. Dilute to 1% and use only 3 drops in a bath as it may cause irritation of the skin. |
Aroma: | Lemony aroma and sharp, floral-lemon flavor |
Main Xonstituents: | Citral, citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, and llinalyl acetate |
Myrrh Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Commiphora murrha, C. Molmol, Balsamodendrom myrra (Family: Burseraceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Somalia |
Description: | Myrrh has been used since ancient times as a sacred incense, a perfume, and as a therapeutic agent. It has a rich, smoky, balsamic odor and is soothing to the skin, centering, visualizing and meditative. The sap or resin from a tree rather than a true essential oil. One of the oldest-known perfume materials. Myrrh has a long history of use as incense, especially with frankincense. |
Uses: | Add to cream for protecting against cracking and chapping in the cold. Used as a fixative in perfumery |
Warning: | During pregnancy use Myrrh only in moderation. |
Perfume Note: | Base |
Source: | Resin |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Toning, stimulating, soothing |
Aroma Type: | Balsamic |
Skin type: | Dry, aging/mature |
Traditional Uses: | Insect repellent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory agent, emollient |
Blends Well With: | Clove, olibanum, galbanum, lavender, patchouli, sandalwood |
Safety Information: | Use ½ recommended dilution or less |
Main Constituents: | Herabolene, limone, dipentene, pinene, eugenol. |
Neroli Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Citrus aurantium L. ssp amara L. (Family: rutaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco |
Description: | Neroli is a beautiful floral oil that soothes, relaxes, uplifts the spirit and helps maintain confidence. It has an exquisite aroma. Excellent skin care oil, perfect for aging, dry sensitive skin and on scars and stretch marks. Neroli essential oil also has sensual properties. |
Uses: | Neroli essential oil is an aid to improve sluggish circulation, relieves tension, stress, and anxiety, useful for apprehension like stage fright. For a really luxurious blend, combine Neroli with Rose Absolute and Jasmine Absolute oils. |
Perfume Note: | Middle |
Source: | Flowers |
Production Method: | Steam Distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Stimulating, balancing, uplifting |
Aroma Type: | Citrus |
Skin type: | Sensitive, aging/mature |
Traditional Use: | Antiseptic, emollient |
Blends Well With: | Citrus oils, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang |
Main Constituents: | Linalol, linalyl acetate, limonene, pinene, nerolidol, geraniol, nerol, indole, citral, jasmone. |
Niaouli Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Melaleuca viridifloria |
Description: | Niaouli is a pale yellow or greenish oil with a sweet, sharp, fresh odor. It is extracted by Steam distillation from an evergreen plant native to Australia, New Caledonia, and the French Pacific where it has been used locally for respiratory ailments, body aches and pains, and infections. It is closely related to Cajeput (Melaleuca cajeputi) but does not have the skin irritating potential of the latter. It is also related to Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia). It is non-toxic and non-sensitizing but it is often adulterated and so the real thing can be hard to find! |
Main Constituents: | Its chemical Constituents include 50 - 60 % of cineol, eucalyptol, terpineol, pinene, limonene and various esters (Patricia Davis, Aromatherapy An A-Z). |
Niaouli Essential Oil Uses: | Niaouli is a very versatile and useful essential oil. As already mentioned above, it is reported to strengthen the immune system. Shirley Price states that it activates defenses and augments leukocytes and antibodies in infected areas (Shirley Price & Len Price, Aromatherapy for Health Professionals). In addition, it is said to have a direct antiviral action against herpes simplex, some strains of influenza and viral hepatitis. It is generally considered to be a strengthening and fortifying oil and a physical and mental stimulant that clears and revives the mind and body. Many people believe that when there is fatigue or exhaustion it is beneficial to stimulate the body as much as possible. This is not true - it is rarely, if ever good to subject the body to strong stimulants. Therefore, it is best to use Niaouli oil in small quantities (not more than 2 drops per application) and at night it can be combined with Lavender essential oil to prevent insomnia. The body will benefit from the fortifying action of Niaouli without the negative effects of over-stimulation. Niaouli is a wonderful oil to use when you have been sick or stressed for a long time and your body is in a generally weakened condition with low stamina and poor immunity. Niaouli is also a wonderful essential oil to use when you have body aches and pains. It has antispasmodic and analgesic effects that make it very useful for these applications. It is great to use in a diffuser when you have a cold because it will help fight the virus, open and stimulate the respiratory tract, mobilize and strengthen the immune system and fortify the body. Niaouli is an expectorant and very useful for the respiratory system (but, as with any essential oil, use only with guidance if you have asthma), as well as for the urinary tract (cystitis, urinary tract infection). To ease symptoms of cystitis, try a warm (not hot) bath with two drops of Niaouli added. Niaouli is a powerful tissue stimulant and because of this, it can help to heal routine cuts and burns. Use 6 drops in a half pint of distilled water for washing wounds. Its strong antiseptic properties help in this respect and, because it is anti-inflammatory as well, it can help itching and inflamed skin. It can be applied neat to a pimple or insect bite but don't use more than 1drop this way. Mix 2 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil (such as grapeseed oil) for applying to athletes foot. Niaouli has also been used to help protect the skin during radiation therapy for cancer but discuss this with your doctor before trying it. |
Properties of Niaouli: | Analgesic; anticatarrhal; antirheumatic; antiseptic; antispasmodic; diaphoretic; expectorant; febrifuge; stimulant; balances and regulates body functions; soothes; tissue stimulant. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Niaouli is cool, dry, and slightly yin. Its main uses are to detoxify, decrease inflammation, and fight infection. |
Nutmeg Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Myristica aromata, M. fragrans, M. officinalis, Nux moschata. (Family: Myristicaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Indonesia |
Warning: | Nutmeg essential oil is toxic if used in large quantities, and can be stupefying. |
Source: | Fruits |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Energizing, stimulating, warming |
Uses of Nutmeg Essential Oil: | Traditional uses include: antiseptic, muscle relaxant, and aphrodisiac. Nutmeg essential oil is also wonderful for the digestion and calming to promote a restful sleep with dreams. |
Nutmeg Blends Well With: | Lavandin, bay, orange, geranium, clary sage, rosemary, lime, petitgrain, mandarin, and coriander |
Safety Information: | Use ½ recommended dilution or less |
Main Constituents: | Borneol, camphene, cymol, dipentene, eugenol, geraniol, linalol, pinene, sapol, terpineol, myristicin, safrol. |
Oak Moss Absolute | |
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Botanical Name: | Evernia prunastri |
Common Countries of Origin: | France |
Method of Extraction: | Solvent Extracted |
Color: | Light Brown |
Note: | Base |
Description: | Oakmoss absolute has a medium strength aroma that is rich, earthy, and woody. |
Constituents: | Evernic acid, d-usnic acid, atranorine, and chloratronorine. |
Orange, Sweet Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Citrus sinensis (Family: Rutaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Brazil |
Description and Uses of Orange Essential Oil: | With a rich, fresh citrus scent, orange essential oil lifts the spirits yet is calming to the nerves. Try blending orange with spicy oils for cheering baths. Add to massage oil for the digestive system. Orange essential oil is also believed to brighten dull complexions. Encourages sleep. |
Warning: | Do not use this oil on the skin or in baths 12 hours prior to sun or sunlamp exposure. |
Perfume Note: | Top |
Source: | Fruit peels |
Production Method: | Expression |
Aromatherapy Class: | Calming |
Aroma Type: | Citrus |
Skin Type: | Dry, aging/mature |
Traditional Uses: | Astringent, soothing agent, skin conditioner |
Orange Blends Well With: | Citrus oils, petitgrain, neroli, orange flower |
Main Constituents: | Limonene, citral, citronellal, geraniol, linalool, perminol,bergapten, auraptenol, and acids. |
Oregano Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Origanum vulgare L. (Family: Lamiaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Turkey |
Oregano Uses and Description: | Oregano oil warms and assists with the improvement of circulation, digestion, mental clarity, and alertness. Oregano essential oil also relieves muscle aches and pains and assists in increasing physical endurance and energy. Oregano also may increase perspiration. It may assist in reducing cellulite. |
Warning: | Can be irritating to sensitive skin so only use small amounts. |
Palmarosa Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Cymbopogon martini Staph v motia, Andropogon martinii [(Family: Graminaceae (Poaceae)] |
Common Countries of Origin: | India |
Palmarosa Uses and Description: | Palmarosa has a light, lovely floral aroma which is uplifting. Palmarosa essential oil aids clarity of mind and also makes a wonderful skin care oil when mixed with Sweet Almond oil. It is said to stimulate cellular regeneration and it moisturizes making it particularly good for mature skin care and acne. |
Perfume Note: | Middle |
Source: | Aerial parts |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aroma Type: | Floral |
Skin Type: | Dry |
Traditional Use: | Insect repellent, skin conditioner, soothing agent, emollient, muscle relaxant |
Palmarosa Blends Well With: | Geranium, cananga, amyris, guaicawood |
Main Constituents: | Mainly geraniol, with citronellal, citral, farnesol, limonene, and dipentene |
Patchouli Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Pogostemon cablin, P. patchouli (Family: Lamiaceae [Labiatae]) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Indonesia |
Patchouli Uses and Description: | Patchouli essential oil has a persistent, musky, earthy, exotic aroma. Soothes and uplifts the spirit. It is soothing to the skin and is reported to be especially good for mature skin. Patchouli is useful for protecting dry, mature or blemished skin. Patchouli has sensual properties and its musky aroma lingers. Try using Patchouli on the scalp for dandruff. Patchouli is traditionally used in the East to scent linen and clothes and to repel fleas and lice. Can prevent sleep with its nerve stimulating properties. |
Perfume Note: | Base |
Source: | Leaves |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Soothing, toning |
Aroma Type: | Woodsy |
Skin Type: | Oily and blemished |
Traditional Use: | Anti-inflammatory agent, antiseptic, astringent, aphrodisiac, perfume |
Patchouli Blends Well With: | Labdanum, vetiver, sandalwood, cedarwood, geranium, clove, lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot, myrrh, and clary sage |
Main Constituents: | Patchoulil, pogostol, bulnesol, nor patchoulenol, bulnese, patchoulene. |
Pepper, Black Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Piper nigrum L. (Family: Piperceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | India |
Black Pepper Essential Oil Uses and Description: | Black Pepper essential oil's pungent aroma is stimulating and toning. This oil is ideal for massaging on abdomen and muscles. Use Black Pepper as pre-exercise rub to help maintain suppleness. Black Pepper has also been known to ease the effects of quitting smoking. Black Pepper is one of the earliest used spices and has interesting effects when used in perfume blends. |
Black Pepper Blends Well With: | Rose, rosemary, marjoram, olibanum, sandalwood, lavender, rosemary, |
Warning: | Black Pepper can be a skin irritant, so must be used with care. |
Perfume Note | Middle |
Source: | Fruits |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aroma Type: | Spicy |
Traditional Uses: | Muscle relaxant and aphrodisiac |
Main Constituents: | Thujene, pinene, camphene, sabinene, carene, myrcene, limonene, phellandrene, and beta- caryohyllene. |
Peppermint Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Mentha piperita (Family: Lamiaceae [Labiatae]) |
Common Countries of Origin: | U.S.A. |
Description: | Peppermint is an energizing oil with a penetrating, minty aroma. It helps to relieve fatigue and muscle pain. Use it in the daytime, as its energizing effect may keep you awake at night. |
Peppermint Essential Oil Uses: | Add to a massage blend for the digestive system. Excellent for refreshing tired head and feet. Sniff from the bottle or one drop on a handkerchief to revive during travel. When blended with Rosemary, Juniper, and a carrier oil, Peppermint essential oil makes an excellent morning bath. |
Warning: | Some aromatherapists do not recommend the use of Peppermint oil when pregnant. |
Perfume Note: | Top |
Source: | Aerial parts |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Energizing and stimulating |
Aroma Type: | Minty |
Skin Type: | Blemished |
Traditional Use: | Insect repellent, emollient, antiseptic, muscle relaxant |
Peppermint Blends Well | Bergamot, geranium, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sandalwood |
Safety Information: | Can cause skin irritation |
Main Constituents: | Menthol, carvone, cineol, limonene, menthone, pinene, thymol. |
Petitgrain Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Citrus aurantium v. amara , C. bigaradia (Family: Rutaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Spain |
Petitgrain Uses and Description: | Petitgrain essential oil with its lovely fresh, flowery scent is revitalizing yet relaxing. It has a toning effect on the skin. This oil comes from the same trees as Neroli, though Petitgrain is distilled from the leaves rather than from the petals. Petitgrain has similar properties to Neroli; it has deodorant properties and helps to relieve anxiety and stress. Petitgrain also has an absolutely lovely aroma. It's great for a final rinse for healthy hair (two drops). |
Petitgrain Blends Well With: | Citrus oils, lavender, clary sage, rosemary, olibanum, geranium, and bergamot as well as with orange and neroli. |
Perfume Note: | Top |
Source: | Leaves and stems |
Production Method: | Steam distillation |
Aromatherapy Class: | Calming |
Aroma Type: | Citrus |
Main Constituents: | Linalyl acetate geranyl acetate, linalool, nerol, termineol. |
Pine Needle (Scotch Pine) Essential Oil | |
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Botanical Name: | Pinus sylvestris L. (Family: Pinaceae) |
Common Countries of Origin: | Hungary |
Pine Needle Essential Oil Uses and Description: | Pine Needle essential oil stimulates, refreshes and cleanses. With a strong, fresh, and resinous aroma, this oil has a powerful antiseptic quality. Pine Needle essential oil has a deodorant effect and is often used in commercial preparations. |
Warning: | Dilute and use with care as Pine oil may otherwise cause skin irritation. |
Perfume Note: | Middle |
Main Constituents: | Bornyl acetate, citral, cadinene, dipentene, phellandrene, pinene, sylvertrene |
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