Have you ever noticed the aroma that comes from peeling an orange, or the sweet smell of a jasmine flower? Can you remember the woody scent of pine when walking through a forest? What you smell is the essential oil of those plants, the very thing that gives them their fragrance. Essential oils have been called the “life blood” of the plant, as they contain a kaleidoscope of active ingredients to protect against infection and disease. Research tells us that plant aromatics were used thousands of years ago as incense and perfumes. Greeks and Romans practiced fumigation to protect themselves from the plague and other epidemics. Egyptians were geniuses at understanding the antiseptic uses and preservative qualities of essential oils for embalming.

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