Absolutes

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This article should not be confused with other meanings of the word absolute

Absolutes are similar to essential oils and are used in aromatherapy. The difference is that where essential oils are created through a process of distillation absolutes are extracted with the use of chemical solvents.

Absolutes may be more concentrated than essential oils but can sometimes contain traces of the solvents used. This is in stark contrast to the idea of purity generally associated with aromatherapy.

Absolutes are more commonly used in perfumery applications, since, if both an essential oil and an absolute of the botanical exists, the absolute will be closer in aroma to the original plant. Examples of this are rose otto (steam distilled rose oil) and rose absolute or neroli (steam distilled oil from the blossom of the bitter orange tree) and Orange Blossom Absolute.

Some botanicals, however, are too delicate to be steam distilled so can only yield their aroma via the process of solvent extraction. Examples of this are Jasmine and Mimosa.