Wintergreen oil has a refreshingly minty, woodsy and mildly sweet aroma. It contains methyl salicylate, a naturally occurring compound in the plant that provides soothing properties when used topically.

Botanical Name: Gaultheria procumbens
Origin: Himalayas

• Has a soothing, warming effect on body aches when used topically (always use wintergreen sparingly and with a carrier)
• Invigorating and awakening woodsy aroma
• Often used in homemade shampoo, muscle rubs and salves

Essential oils can help alter our physical, mental and emotional well-being by triggering and strengthening our bodies’ own natural processes. They are made up of tiny molecules that can deliver healing properties to the systems that control our physiological state.

Essential oils are basically plant extracts, made by steaming or pressing various parts of a plant (flowers, bark, leaves or fruit) to capture the compounds that produce fragrance. It can take several pounds of a plant to produce a single bottle of essential oil. In addition to creating scent, essential oils perform other functions in plants, too. 

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit. Aromatherapy has been used for centuries. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Essential oils can also be absorbed by the skin. 

The applications of essential oils are diverse. Widely used in cosmetics and perfumes, they also have medicinal applications due to their therapeutic properties as well as agro-alimentary uses because of their antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.