Once confined to yoga classes and massages, essential oils have officially entered the mainstream. Made up of superconcentrated aromatic compounds that have been distilled and extracted from plants, the oils surged in popularity when scientists discovered they have compelling and wide-ranging effects on our health, thanks to substances known as odourants. “More than 50 odourants from essential oils have recently been identified and shown to do things such as improve sleep, reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and even accelerate skin regeneration,” says Hanns Hatt, a professor in the department of cell physiology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, who is pioneering much of the recent research on odourants. Powerful essential oils are catching on, and they’re popping up all over – in beauty products, drinks, deodorants and cleaning solutions. Here’s…
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Shape Singapore (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2018