Macerated Oils ** Resins ** Was: Ancient Egyptians and oils

[Guest guest]

Hey Michael,

 

Martin is having problems signing onto .. I think they don't like

his Limey server. ;-p Anyway, he asked me to pass this along.

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> Michael said:

>

> Could anyone describe the difference (chemically or otherwise)

> between a distilled oil and an aromatic plant infused in animal fat?

> My guess is that the distillation contains a more concentrated form

> of the non-water soluble ingredients. But wouldn't the action be

> somewhat similar?

 

One can't give an accurate chemical difference because it all depends

on what plant and what oil or fat is used for maceration. What we get

with a macerated oil is a touch of essential oil - maybe 1% or a bit

more or less depending on the plant. We get a lot of water if fresh

plants are used - I have seen as much as 25% before separation. We

also get water soluble chemicals that will not occur in the essential

oil.

 

With plants containing important water soluble alkaloids, an infused oil

may work better than the distilled oil. That is why traditionally

macerated plant compresses in oils or animal fats were used on painful

areas.

 

If we steam distill that same plant we get a highly concentrated

essential oil with maybe 1-2% of water. After separation there will be

hardly any water and therefore only the most minute traces of water

soluble chemicals such as the alkaloids. Oils like rose are an

exception to the rule here.

 

A macerated oil also contains a heck of a lot of junk, i.e. useless

waxes and other constituents that can cause problems such as

photosensitisation.

 

So it's a case of using the respective extract for the respective

therapeutic use. I can't be more specific as this is one of the

questions for students in my course. Don't want to give away the

answers do I

 

(BUTCH'S NOTE: The course URL http://www.AV-AT.com/coursedetails.html

and if you want to go through me you get a 10% discount .. if you own

Plant Aromatics http://www.AV-AT.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html which

everybody should ;-p you get an additional $13 rebate on the course)

 

> would modern frankincense, myrrh or sandlewood be more like the

> ancient equivalents than, say, rose or jasmine)?

 

The resins of course will be the same as in the past, but the distilled

oils may be quiet different. Fragrance wise I prefer a good quality

frankincense oil in a heated diffuser to the resin, on the other hand a

blend of resins, ground woods and dry herbs and berries makes very nice

blends for heated herb diffusers. No way would I want to use a resin in

my bath or be massaged with it. So it all depends on ultimate uses.

 

> And Chris mentioned before that resins can cause health problems in

> the body. Does this have to do with everything ending up passing

> through the liver?

 

Not sure what is meant there. A resin can only pass through the liver

if it is digested and the constituents get into the blood stream, or if

a suppository is used. Essential oils or resins do not pass through the

skin under normal methods of use, so that route is not relevant.

 

With inhalation its doubtful that enough could be taken in to harm the

liver. If it could then we would never have survived from when we

inhabited caves and grass huts with open smoky wood fires. Of course

some chemists will talk a lot about carcinogenic ingredients in smoke,

but we are still around after a few million years of exposure

 

Martin Watt - Medical Herbalist

http://www.aromamedical.com