Guido Kaiser – Düllberg Konzentra, Germany ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils fuel a global natural mega-trend
In our fast-paced world there is one mega- trend that has dominated for well over a decade. No other trend can even start to compete with ‘naturalness’.
This concept has taken hold of the food industry and the cosmetics industry; the construction industry has a new focus on more naturalness and fashion has gone organic. Cosmetics, personal care and the health industries are key drivers in this development and are busy creating a constant stream of new products. Nature not only serves as a wellspring of inspiration, it is also the ideal source in every respect: the raw materials are renewable, many have a proven efficacy – and enjoy a very positive image among consumers.
Essential oils are a key component which allows businesses and brands to persuasively demonstrate their commitment to this trend. As purely natural products, essential oils are obtained from plants: from roots, leaves, bark, wood, resin, peel, flowers or seeds. Appealing as this advantage is, it can also leave suppliers facing considerable challenges, as the quality of natural raw materials depends on a wide range of different factors.
Essential oils: a complex topic
Over 100 plant families and roughly 2000 sub-species deliver the essences that
coincidence. Essential oils are highly variable in their composition. They consist of a multitude of organic compounds; a single essential oil can contain anything up to 100 individual components, including terpenes, aldehydes, acids, esters and hydrocarbons. Each of these components contributes to the unique smell and the quality of the essential oil. The quantity and quality of these compounds in the essential oil depends on many different factors: the conditions in which the plant grew, including the climate, altitude, amount of sunlight and when it was harvested. The composition can even vary depending on the season or the time of day. There is no doubt about it: essential oils are a complex topic.
They are a topic that Düllberg Konzentra has devoted itself to for more than 60 years. Only if one focuses completely on quality can you serve trends lastingly and credibly.
are commonly and collectively known as essential oils. Despite the name, they are not oily: these compounds consist of highly volatile, liquid hydrocarbons that evaporate without residue; they are lighter than water, meaning that they cannot be diluted with water, but will mix easily with alcohol or fats.
The downside of naturalness is a combination of complexity and
Using the company’s in-house distillation unit the products can be standardised, e.g. harvest-related fluctuations can be balanced and specially tailored to the customer’s specifications, thus always achieving the highest possible natural quality.
Optimised processes At the factory in Hamburg the ingredients are subject to stringent processes and
Lavender.
Rose. September 2015 PERSONAL CARE 25
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