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An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (evaporaiting quickly when exposed to air) aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation, often by using steam. Other processes include expression, solvent extraction, absolute oil extraction, resin tapping, and cold pressing. They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other products, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding scents to incense and household cleaning products.
