Detailed Product Description

Eucalyptus oil -Eucalyptus oils are obtained by distillation of the leaves of Eucalyptusand have aromas characteristic of the particular species used.The oils are classified in the trade into three broad types accordingto their composition and main end-use: medicinal, perfumery and industrial.Of these, the most important in terms of volume of production and tradeis the medicinal type, characterised by a high cineole content in the oil.This, and the perfumery type, are discussed below. The so-called industrialoil, produced from E. dives, now has a very small and diminishingmarket and is not discussed further.The medicinal type of oil may be sold as such, neat, in pharmacies andother retail outlets or in the form of sprays, lozenges, cough sweets andointments or in formulation with other oils. It is used as an inhalantor chest rub to ease breathing difficulties, as a mouthwash in water torefresh or ease the throat, and as a skin rub to provide relief from achesand pains. Anti-plaque solutions in dental hygiene are a recent application.Although employed for medicinal purposes, the pleasant flavour and fragranceproperties of cineole-rich eucalyptus oils play an important role in theiracceptance and utilization on such a large scale. Eucalyptus oil is alsoused as a general disinfectant, cleaner and deodorizer about the house.Of the two principal perfumery oils, that from Eucalyptus citriodorais produced in the greatest volume. It differs from the medicinal oilsin containing citrinellal, rather than cineole, as the major constituent.The oil is employed in whole form for fragrance purposes, usually in thelower cost soaps, perfumes and disinfectants, but also as a source of citrinellalfor the chemical industry. The citrinellal obtained by fractionation ofthe crude oil may be used as such as an aroma chemical or converted toother derivatives intended for fragrance use.