Select the first letter of the word from the list above to
jump to appropriate section of the glossary.
Absolute : Alcoholic extraction of a concrete or other hydrocarbon to remove waxes and
most odorless materials, producing an alcohol soluble or semi-liquid oil. Absolutes are
highly concentrated. Waxes, terpenes, sesquiterpenes and most other odorless matters are
eliminated from the concretes during the preparation of the absolutes.
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Balsam: Water insoluble, semi solid or viscous, resinous exudate of trees and bushes
similar to gum resins. The balsam may be either a physiological or pathological product of
the plant. Example: Balsam Peru.
Concrete: Extraction of fresh natural plant materials, usually with non-polar
organic solvents (hexane) which yield, after removal of the solvent a solid or semi solid
wax. Concretes are representative of the natural raw material in the sense that they
contain all the hydrocarbon soluble matter while water and water extractive matter have
been left out.
Distillation: A heat dependent process for the separation and purification of a liquid
mixture based on differences in vapor pressure of components of the mixture. The process
involves vaporization of the more volatile component(s) and then the condensation of the
vapor back to a liquid. This is the most common process of extracting essential oils.
Essence oil: An oil collected in the water distillate during the production and
concentration of fruit juices. Example: orange oilphase essence, lemon oilphase essence
etc.
Essential oils: An essential oil is the volatile material derived by a physical
process (distillation or expression) from odous plant material of a single botanical form
and species.
Expression: A production method used to obtain citrus oils (ie lemon) and fruit
juices. The expressed or cold pressed essential oils are obtained from the peels of the
fruits. Expression yields essential oils which can contain a certain amount of
non-volatile material.
Extraction: A process of treating a natural raw material that may be too
delicate to be procesed with heat, with an organic solvent. The solvent portion containing
the extracted material is filtered and the solvent removed. The extract will contain
non-volatile as well as volatile components. Oleoresins, resinoids, concretes, and
absolutes are all produced by extraction.
Exudate: Non-cellular, natural raw material that is secreted by plants, either
spontaneously or after wounding. Examples - Balsam Peru, Balsam Copaiba, etc.
Fixative: The material which slows down the rate of evaporation of the
more volatile components in a perfume composition.
Folded Oil: An essential oil which is concentrated by distillation.
Example - removal of terpenes from citrus oils.
Gum: A water soluble exudate consisting mainly of polysaccharides and used principally
as a thickener and as a spray-dried carrier in the manufacture of water soluble fragrance
and flavor compounds (Gum Arabic, Agar, etc.)
Gum Resin Absolute: Oil soluble, purified exudate consisting mostly of resinous
constituents, gums and small amounts of volatile components (Myrrh, Galbanum, Oppoponax).
Hydrospice: Water dispersible form of an oleoresin.
Isolate: Seperation of an aroma chemical from an essential oil via
distillation (mechanically) or hydrolysis (chemically), or by other partitioning method.
Example - Eugenol ex Clove Leaf.
Natural: Contains all natural ingredients.
Natural Farming: Similar to certified organic farming.
No use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. Although
the farmer/distiller may not be a member of the certified organic organizations,
the planting, harvesting ad distillation are performed according to old
traditional natural methods without the use of chemical /"artificial" substances.
Natural & Artificial: Contains natural and artificial ingredients.
Nature Identical: A component, natural or artificial, which has chemical
structure identical to that found in nature.
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Oleoresin: Extraction, usually of natural spice or flavoring materials, using selected
solvents to remove the vital components. An Oleoresin will contain the essential oil plus
other important non-volatile components which characterize the flavor, color and other
aspects of the starting raw material.
Rectification: A second distillation of an essential oil to remove color, water,
resinous matter, solvents and perhaps unwanted top and bottom notes.
Resin: This group of exudates includes both gums and balsams. They are water
insoluble, solid or semi-solid, and formed in nature by the oxidation of terpenes.
Sesquiterpeneless oils: Essential oils which have had the sequiterpenic
hydrocarbons partially or completely removed.
Terpene: Fraction of an essential oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, by
distillation of an essential oil to improve solubility in diluted alcohol or food
solvents; increase stability of the oil and prevents the appearance of rancid notes.
Tincture: An alcohic extraction with the solvent left in as a dilutant.
Water Miscible/Dispersible: Can be uniformly mixed with water.
Water Soluble: Can be dissolved in water.
WONF: An oil or flavor with other natural flavors added to enhance specific notes.
