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An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds from plants. Some plants like the bitter orange are sources of several types of essential oils. Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation or solvent extraction. They are used in perfumes cosmetics and bath products for flavouring food and drink and for scenting incense and household cleaning products. Various essential oils have been used medicinally at different periods in history. Medical application proposed by those who sell medicinal oils ranges from skin treatment to remedies for cancer and is often based on historical use of these oils for these purposes. Such claims are now subject to regulation in most countries and have grown more vague to stay within these regulations. Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades with the popularity of aromatherapy a branch of alternative medicine which claims that the specific aromas carried by essential oils have curative effects. Oils are volatillsed or diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage diffused in the air by a nebuliser or by heating over a candle flame or burnt as incense. About the Author S. C. Bhatia is a Chemical Engineer with Management qualifications. He has worked in leading petrochemical industries in the production and quality control units with many years of sincere hard work to his credit. A prolific writer and dedicated researcher he found time to author numerous books on chemical and allied subjects such as solvents industrial oils and petrochemicals. His books fruition of painstaking scholarship have been widely acclaimed. Actively associated with plastic and rubber industry he has participated in many seminars related to rubber plastics and environmental sciences. He has specialized in air and water pollution energy conservation rubber plastics and various other petrochemical fields. He is currently a consultant for matters relating to pollution energy conservation which reveals his concern about the hazards endangering the environment.