Nanoencapsulation of Essential Oils: A Review of Current Trends and Advances in Preparation, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications

ABSTRACT The increasing regulatory pressure to eliminate synthetic additives from commercial products has driven a surge in the demand for natural alternatives across multiple industries. Essential oils (EOs), known for their diverse biological activities, have emerged as promising alternatives to synthetic compounds. As secondary metabolites derived from plants, EOs comprise over 400 aromatic constituents, predominantly monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and their derivatives. This complex chemical profile enables EOs to serve a wide array of functions in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agricultural industries. Despite their potential, the practical use of EOs is constrained by their volatility, susceptibility to degradation, and limited water solubility, which collectively reduce their stability and efficacy. Nanoencapsulation has recently gained attention as a transformative strategy for enhancing the bioavailability of EOs. Nanoencapsulation improves the stability and functional performance of EOs by shielding them from environmental stressors and enabling controlled release. This review provides a comprehensive overview of EO‐producing plant families, highlighting their key bioactive constituents and associated therapeutic properties. It further examines nanoencapsulation technologies, including high and low‐energy synthesis methods for nanoparticle systems. The review also explores the integration of nanoencapsulated EOs into pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agricultural products, demonstrating their potential to outperform conventional synthetic agents in certain contexts. While nanoencapsulation has proven effective in stabilizing EO formulations, further research is required to optimize these technologies for sustainable and scalable applications. This review identifies the current challenges and proposes future directions for advancing the field of EO nanoencapsulation.