Author: Zoe Wang

At Verdessent, we think of essential oils as supportive tools, not cures.
A small, well-chosen set can gently help with comfort, mood, and everyday home care.

This Basic Care Kit contains 10 essential oils and 3 simple helpers you can find in most pharmacies.

Important: Essential oils do not replace medical treatment.
If symptoms are strong, persistent, or worrying, please see a doctor.
Always dilute essential oils and patch-test before using them on your skin.

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1. What This Kit Is For

The kit is designed to be:

• Compact – a limited number of versatile oils
• Practical – focused on common, minor concerns at home
• Evidence-aware – grounded in traditional aromatherapy and cautious reading of current research
• Non-dramatic – no “miracle” language, just gentle, realistic support

It is for comfort and care, not diagnosis or treatment.

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2. The 10 Core Essential Oils

For each oil we note:

• Key notes – how it smells and “behaves”
• Common aromatherapy uses – traditional ways people use it
• Safety – where extra care is needed

2.1 Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Key notes: soft, floral, calming, very adaptable.

Common uses:

• Evening diffusion to support relaxation and sleep
• Soothing minor burns, insect bites and small skin irritations (well diluted)
• Gentle support in periods of stress or emotional overload

Safety: Usually well tolerated when diluted, but sensitivities still occur—patch-test first.

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2.2 Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Key notes: sharp, medicinal, “clean.”

Common uses:

• Occasional spot care for blemished or oily skin
• Foot and nail-area hygiene
• Low-dilution blends for small, localized problem areas

Safety:
Can irritate skin if used neat or too strong. External use only; keep away from eyes and mouth.

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2.3 Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)

Key notes: strong, minty, intensely cooling.

Common uses:

• Inhalation to help with mental fatigue and lack of focus
• Travel blends for feelings of queasiness (smelling from a tissue, not ingesting)
• Cooling massage (in low dilution) for tired muscles and feet

Safety:
Avoid near the faces of babies and young children. Use low dilutions; can be too intense for sensitive skin.

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2.4 Chamomile (Roman or German)

Key notes: sweet, herbal, very gentle.

Common uses:

• Evening blends to support calm and better sleep
• Skin care for sensitive, reactive or easily reddened skin
• Low-dilution blends for children when they are restless or overwhelmed

Safety:
People with known ragweed or Asteraceae allergies should patch-test carefully or avoid.

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2.5 Eucalyptus (e.g. E. globulus or E. radiata)

Key notes: sharp, fresh, “clearing.”

Common uses:

• Diffusion or steam inhalation to support easy breathing in stuffy seasons
• Cooling chest or back rubs (in moderate dilution)
• “Fresh air” blends for living spaces and entryways

Safety:
Use with extra care around young children. Avoid direct contact with eyes. Do not overdo the dose—more is not better.

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2.6 Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Key notes: floral-green, balancing, uplifting.

Common uses:

• Emotional balance during stress or hormonal ups and downs
• Skin care for combination, oily or mature skin
• Everyday body oils and light, floral personal scents

Safety:
Generally well tolerated when diluted. Patch-test on very sensitive skin.

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2.7 Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis / Salvia rosmarinus)

Key notes: herbal, camphoraceous, stimulating.

Common uses:

• Diffusion for focus when studying or working
• Massage blends for tired muscles and joints
• Occasional use in scalp or hair-care routines

Safety:
Often discouraged in epilepsy, uncontrolled high blood pressure and some pregnancies. Use modest dilutions and avoid late-night use if it feels too stimulating.

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2.8 Thyme (Thymus vulgaris – chemotypes vary)

Key notes: strong, spicy, very powerful.

Common uses:

• Short-term support in “cold and flu season” blends
• Low-dilution chest or foot rubs, often combined with gentler oils

Safety:
Some chemotypes (especially thymol-rich) are quite irritating.
Use very low dilutions, for short periods only. Avoid in pregnancy, children, and on very sensitive skin.

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2.9 Lemon (Citrus limon)

Key notes: bright, citrus, clean.

Common uses:

• Diffusers and room sprays for a light, uplifting mood
• DIY household cleaners and kitchen sprays
• Daytime blends that aim for clarity and alertness

Safety:
Cold-pressed lemon oil is typically phototoxic. After skin use, avoid sun or tanning beds on that area for at least 12–24 hours, unless you use a steam-distilled, non-phototoxic type.

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2.10 Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum)

Key notes: warm spice, very concentrated.

Common uses:

• Warming blends for cold, tense muscles (always highly diluted)
• Occasional oral-care blends for gum comfort, usually under professional guidance
• Spice accents in winter or festive room blends

Safety:
Rich in eugenol and potentially irritating or sensitizing.
Use tiny amounts in high dilution, avoid large skin areas, pregnancy, children, and damaged skin or mucous membranes.

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3. The 3 Everyday Helpers

These are not essential oils, but they make the kit far more flexible and gentle.

3.1 Aloe Vera Gel

• Cooling, soothing and hydrating
• Useful as a base for:
  • After-sun gels
  • Light face gels for oilier skin types
  • Post-shave or post-waxing care

Note: Aloe is water-based. Essential oils still need proper dispersion and dilution before mixing in.

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3.2 Witch Hazel Distillate (Alcohol-free)

• Mildly astringent and toning
• Commonly used for:
  • After-shave splashes
  • Simple toners for combination or oily skin
  • Cool compresses on minor bumps or areas of heat

Choose alcohol-free witch hazel if your skin is dry or sensitive.

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3.3 Rosewater (Rose Hydrosol)

• Soft, floral, very gentle
• Helpful as:
  • A face mist for most skin types, especially sensitive or mature
  • A calming room or linen spray
  • A base for very gentle children’s sprays (often without essential oils at all)

Hydrosols like rosewater are much milder than essential oils and can often be used directly on the skin.

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4. Using the Kit Safely

A Verdessent-style kit always comes with safety built in.

1. Dilution guidelines
   • General adult body use: 1–2%
     → about 3–6 drops essential oil per 10 ml carrier oil or lotion
   • Face and delicate areas: 0.5–1%
   • Children, pregnancy, older adults, people with health issues: use much lower dilutions and avoid the “strong” oils (peppermint, thyme, clove, some eucalyptus and rosemary types).
2. Patch-testing
   • Apply a small amount of the diluted blend to the inner forearm
   • Wait 24 hours; if redness, itching or strong discomfort appears, do not use it.
3. Prefer gentle routes
   • Start with diffusion, inhalation from a tissue, or low-dose body oils
   • Keep rooms ventilated and avoid all-day continuous diffusion
4. Storage
   • Store tightly closed, upright, away from heat and direct light
   • Keep out of reach of children and pets
5. Know your limits
   • If something feels wrong—strong irritation, breathing difficulty, dizziness—stop using the product, rinse the area with plain carrier oil, and seek medical advice if needed.

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5. A Calm Way to Begin

You do not have to buy everything at once. Many people start with just:

• Lavender – for calm and basic skin comfort
• Tea Tree – for occasional “keep it clean” spot care
• Lemon – for fresh air and simple cleaning blends
• Aloe Vera Gel – as a cooling, soothing base

Live with these for a few weeks. Notice what helps, what you enjoy, and what your skin tolerates well. Then slowly add other oils that match your real needs.

At Verdessent, we believe a good basic kit is not about owning more bottles.
It is about understanding a few oils clearly, respecting their strength, and using them with care, patience, and kindness toward your own body.

How They Differ from Classic Essential Oils

Not everything aromatic can be easily captured by steam.

Some flowers and resins are so delicate — or so rich in heavy, non-volatile components — that standard distillation yields disappointing results. That’s where solvent extraction and CO₂ extraction come in.

These methods can pull out a broader range of molecules, but they also produce products that are not identical to classic steam-distilled essential oils.

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Solvent Extraction: Concretes and Absolutes

In traditional solvent extraction, an organic solvent (such as hexane or ethanol) is used to dissolve aromatic compounds from plant material.

Simplified process

1. Plant material is soaked in a solvent.
2. Aromatic compounds, pigments, and waxes dissolve.
3. The solvent is evaporated, leaving a waxy, aromatic mass called a concrete.
4. The concrete can be further extracted with alcohol and processed into an absolute — a more refined, liquid aromatic product.

Pros

• Can capture delicate floral notes that don’t survive distillation well (e.g., jasmine, some roses).
• Extracts a wider range of components, including heavier molecules that don’t readily distill with steam.

Cons

• Risk of residual solvent if not properly removed.
• The composition is richer in non-volatile substances (waxes, pigments), so the product behaves differently from an essential oil.
• Not always suitable for applications where the cleanest possible profile is needed (e.g., internal use, very sensitive individuals).

In perfumery, absolutes are prized for their complexity. In aromatherapy, they are often used more cautiously and in small amounts.

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Supercritical CO₂ Extraction: A Modern Middle Ground

Supercritical CO₂ extraction uses carbon dioxide in a special state — neither a typical gas nor a typical liquid, but something in between, achieved at specific temperature and pressure.

In this state, CO₂:

• Diffuses like a gas
• Dissolves substances like a liquid

This can make it a very effective, tunable solvent.

How it works

1. CO₂ is brought to its supercritical state using pressure and temperature.
2. Supercritical CO₂ flows through plant material, dissolving target compounds.
3. Pressure is lowered; CO₂ returns to a gaseous state and separates from the extract.
4. The resulting product is collected as a CO₂ extract.

Pros

• Leaves no solvent residue if properly handled — CO₂ simply evaporates.
• Can operate at relatively low temperatures, which helps protect heat-sensitive molecules.
• Composition can sometimes be tuned by adjusting pressure and temperature.

Cons

• Requires specialized, expensive equipment.
• The resulting extract can still be quite different from a steam-distilled oil — often richer, heavier, and more “complete”.

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Are These Products “Better” or Just Different?

There isn’t a universal “better”.

Instead, ask:

• What is the plant?
  Some botanicals shine as CO₂ extracts; others do very well with simple steam distillation.
• What is the intended use?
  For perfumery, complexity and richness might be desirable.
  For very sensitive skin or internal use (where allowed), simplicity and purity may matter more.
• What are your values around processing?
  Some people are comfortable with absolutes in very low doses. Others prefer to stick to hydro- or steam-distilled oils whenever possible.

In our view, solvent and CO₂ extracts are useful tools — not automatically superior, not inherently suspicious. They just need to be understood and used with the right expectations.

In the final article of this series, we’ll explore some of the modern “assisted” techniques, especially microwave-assisted water distillation, which aims to make distillation faster, gentler, and more energy-efficient.

Water vs Steam – What’s the Difference?

Most essential oils on the market are still made using classic distillation. These methods are not glamorous, but they are robust, well-understood, and surprisingly elegant.

In this article, we’ll look at two of the most important techniques:

• Hydrodistillation (water distillation)
• Steam distillation

Both rely on the same basic idea: use hot water or steam to carry volatile aromatic compounds out of plant material, then condense and separate the oil. But there are meaningful differences in how gentle they are and what they pull from the plant.

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Hydrodistillation: The Oldest Workhorse

Hydrodistillation is one of the oldest ways humans have captured scent.

How it works

1. Plant material (fresh or dried) is placed in a still.
2. Water is added directly to the still, submerging or partially submerging the plant material.
3. The mixture is heated until it boils.
4. Water vapor carries volatile plant compounds upward.
5. The vapor is cooled in a condenser and turns back into liquid.
6. The essential oil separates from the water due to density differences and is collected.

Pros

• Equipment is relatively simple and affordable.
• Well-suited for many robust herbs and spices.
• No organic solvent residues.

Cons

• Long exposure to boiling water can cause:
  • Hydrolysis (water-driven breakdown of certain molecules)
  • Thermal degradation of more delicate components
• Non-volatile or less desirable compounds (like waxes, coumarins, flavonoids) may co-distill or dissolve into the distillate, influencing appearance or aroma.

You can think of hydrodistillation as the “long, hot soak” version of extraction. It works — but it’s not always the gentlest option.

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Steam Distillation: Similar but Subtly Kinder

Steam distillation was developed to solve some of hydrodistillation’s problems.

The basic principle is the same, but with one key difference: the steam is generated in a separate boiler and then passed through the plant material.

How it works

1. A boiler heats water and generates steam.
2. Steam is piped into a chamber filled with plant material.
3. Volatile compounds evaporate with the steam.
4. The mixture is condensed into liquid.
5. Oil and water separate, and the essential oil layer is collected.

Why is this an improvement?

• The plant material is not sitting in boiling water, which can reduce hydrolysis.
• The temperature at the plant bed can often be kept closer to 100 °C (rather than prolonged contact with liquid water).
• The process can be more controllable and scalable for industrial production.

But there are still trade-offs

• Steam temperature, flow rate, and pressure must be carefully controlled.
• If the steam is too intense, sensitive molecules may still degrade.
• If it’s too gentle, yields may be low, and the process becomes inefficient.

Despite these challenges, steam distillation remains the standard method for many essential oils you see labeled as “steam-distilled”.

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What These Methods Mean for Your Oil

For many sturdy botanicals (like certain mints, eucalyptus, or spices), classic distillation can produce beautiful, high-quality oils.

But it’s helpful to remember a few things:

• Not all compounds are equally heat-stable.
  Some delicate notes are more easily lost or transformed during long, hot distillations.
• Distillation pulls a specific “slice” of the plant’s chemistry.
  It emphasizes volatile molecules and often leaves heavier or non-volatile components behind.
• Process control matters.
  Two producers using “steam distillation” can still end up with oils that smell and perform differently, depending on how they manage time, temperature, and post-processing.

In the next article, we’ll explore techniques that go beyond water and steam altogether: solvent extraction and CO₂ extraction. These methods can capture a different side of a plant’s aromatic personality — but they also come with their own caveats.