Aromatherapy is all about using your sense of smell to enhance mood and improvehow you feel about, as well as connect with, your body, mind and soul. As aresult, when practicing aromatherapy nothing is more important than the way asubstance smells.Absolutes are only recently becoming part of aromatherapy. Historically a methodknown as enfleurage was used to extra an absolute. This meant putting the flowersin lard and replacing them every so many days. This method was superseded bysolvent extraction long ago because of the time and labor involved; even thoughtwice the amount of oil an be produced.Currently an absolute is created by putting the flower or plant matter intohexane, separating the heavy matter from the plant and leaving the oil and waxes,then evaporating or vacuum extracting out the hexane making a concrete. Theconcrete is then put in ethanol and the temperature is dropped it minus 25Csolidifying the waxes for removal. Then ethanol is vacuum extracted from the oilwhich leaves just the essential oil.Absolutes are similar to essential oils in that both are extracted from plants. Infact, an absolute is a more concentrated form of an essential oil. How absolutesdiffer from essential oils is the method that is used during the extractionprocess. Essential oils are primarily extracted using a steam distillationprocess.However, the process of extracting absolutes involves the use of chemicals andsolvents. This extraction method creates a more concentrated version of theplant's essence - one that is far more fragrant. The only drawback as it relatesto aromatherapy is that the process does not produce a pure essence. The extractedsubstances often will contain traces of the chemicals and solvents that were usedduring the extraction process.It is for this reason that absolutes have been used primarily by those involved inthe fragrance or perfume industries. They can be used successfully in aromatherapyhowever, extreme care must be taken. It's also important to note that absolutescan trigger an allergic reaction in some people.And even though those true to the principles of aromatherapy prefer essential oilsover absolutes, there are some plants whose essences cannot be extracted usingtraditional distillation methods. To extract the essence, chemical extractionprocesses must be used. Jasmine and honeysuckle are two such plants.Some popular absolutesJasmine absoluteExtracted using solvents, Jasmine absolute offers an exquisite scent. Used foryears in perfumes and therapy sessions, this sweet heady fragrance is among otherthings an effective aphrodisiac. Women with irregular menstrual cycles use jasmineabsolute because it can help regulate these cycles. It can relieve headaches andis an effective antiseptic and antidepressant. It also has sedative qualities.Lavender absoluteExtracted using alcohol, Lavender absolute has a sweet, floral and woody fragrancereminiscent of a lavender shrub. It's perfect for use in soaps, creams andlipsticks.Oakmoss absoluteExtracted using solvents or alcohol, Oakmoss absolute has a rich scent that isboth earthy and woody. Imagine the smell of damp oak along the seashore and this