Chamomile essential oil offers a sweet, warm, and herbaceous fragrance. It is renowned for its soothing and relaxing properties. There are two main varieties of chamomile whose essential oils are used in aromatherapy: Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile) and German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or Matricaria recutita).
Chamomile essential oil is extracted from the flowers of the chamomile plant, which belongs to the Asteraceae (or Compositae) family. The extraction process of chamomile essential oil typically involves steam distillation of the fresh or dried flowers of the plant. Steam passes through the flowers, carrying the volatile compounds, and then it is cooled and condensed to form a mixture of water and oil. This liquid phase is then separated, and the chamomile essential oil is collected.