He began to research the antiseptic and antibiotic properties of essential oils, as did other lone researchers throughout the world. So, essential oils became widely used for their healing properties (Young, 2000, pp 90-97). In fact, during World War II, essential oils were used as antiseptics for war wound. Robert Tisserand introduced aromatherapy to the mainstream shortly thereafter, and now there are thousands of medical doctors and nurses using aromatherapy throughout Europe. Great Britain has a complementary medicine movement with a "holistic approach as it primary goal. The philosophy of treating health at both the physical and psychological levels promotes vitality, stimulates immunity and leads to a more balanced lifestyle and state of mind- (98-99).
Essential oils are the life force present in every living plant. Essential oils provide the fragrance for a rose blossom or an orange. Pure essential oils are highly concentrated. They are on average 70 times stronger than the original herb. Only some 20 percent of medicinal herbs generate essential oils, and only a small percentage of these are utilized in safe aromatherapy (Tisserand). Essential oils are extracted from seeds, flowers, fruit, grasses, leaves, roots, wood, bark or stems. These odiferous substances are present in tiny droplets or sacs in specific parts of plants. For example: Geranium: from the leaves and stalk; Myrrh, Frankincense, Benzoin: from the tree resin; citrus oils: from the fruit peel; pine: from the needles; Lavender: from its flowering tops (Tisserand, 2002, p 209).
The traditional extraction procedure of essential oils, currently one of the most effective, involves steam distillation, whereby fresh botanical material is placed in a plant chamber and pressurized steam is circulated through the plant material. As a result of the high temperature, the intercellular "pockets- of essential oils break, causing the oils to effervesce, and then coalesce with the steam as they travel through tubes into the still's condensation chamber.