ABSTRACT
This chapter presents literature data on contact allergy to and chemical composition of essential oils. It provides the number of the essential oil’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard, the ISO name of the oil, botanical origin, plant part used and the minimum and maximum acceptable concentrations of the main oil ingredients. The chapter also provides general information on the oil’s source plant, its origin, cultivation, what the plant is used for and the applications of the essential oil. A range of pharmacological activities is often attributed to plants or plant parts. The essential oils usually have similar applications, and many are used in foods and drinks, perfumes, cosmetics, topical pharmaceuticals or in other applications such as household products, incense and cigarettes. Many chemicals found in an essential oil were identified in one study only; percentages range from 22 to 79.
