What's the difference between flower essences and essential oils?

When first coming across flower essences many people expect them to be scented in contrast to essential oils that are heavily imbued with the aroma of the plant they are extracted from.

Flower essences are vibrational imprints of flowers or parts of plants in water with a small amount of brandy added for stabilisation. They help us with emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances in a subtle, yet powerful way that address the disharmony on an energetic level. In Australia we have a number of flower essence ranges but you may have come across the Australian Bush Flower Essences or Living Essences of Australia ranges. The first range of essences was produced by Edward Bach in the 1930’s in the UK.

Essential oils are most commonly made by steam distilling parts of the plant (flowers, berries, bark, leaves etc.) to extract the aromatic components. The chemical composition and aroma of essential oils can provide psychological and physical therapeutic benefits.

Rose essential oil for example has been found to balance blood pressure and help dry skin on a physical level. It promotes a feeling of wellbeing and happiness on an emotional level and helps mental fatigue, exhaustion and stress.

The Bach flower essence Wild Rose encourages the potential in a person to embrace life, develop initiative, have a feeling of inner freedom and vitality. It has been called the ‘Zest for Life Flower’ by Mechthild Scheffer in the Encyclopedia of Bach Flower Therapy.