Choosing Quality Essential Oils…

Things to consider when choosing the best quality essential oils...

An essential oil is a natural product extracted from a single plant species. Think about peeling an orange and how sometimes you can see a fine mist going into the air and you can smell that fresh orange scent…? That’s the essential oil!
Not all plants produce essential oil. In the plants that do, the essential oil can be found in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or peels.

It is important to note that essential oils do not feel oily; they are called “oils” because they contain the oil-soluble chemicals in the plant (usually 100 to 200 chemicals per essential oil). This complex chemistry gives essential oils their therapeutic properties and explains why different essential oils may have overlapping effects.

Quality of essential oils is of great importance. When using essential oils you may be tempted to find a "cheap" version at a local store. However don't be fooled by these. These are often times not good quality grade, not for internal use, often times synthetic or blended with other oils and diluted with carrier oils.

How will you know the difference? Start by reading the label. This will provide many clues.

An knock off or cheap version of an essential oil will give you sure-fire clues that tell you that the essential oil contained in the bottle is inferior and may not actually be an true essential oil at all. If the label states things such as:

• do not take internally (when you know the plant is an herb used in cooking (like oregano, lemon, orange, thyme, cinnamon, etc)

• no Latin name (means it is 100% synthetic, chemical mixtures do not have botanical Latin names

• nothing that indicates the oil has been tested (i.e., therapeutic grade)

• “pure” – the world means nothing, it used to but it’s been abused and no longer has any value in regards to quality or even purity for that matter

• if the essential oil feels greasy – it’s been cut with a fatty oil (fatty oils are not essential oils and no therapeutic benefits)

• Smell the oil! This is one of the easiest indicators when comparing two essential oils. A high quality oil will smell right, even if it doesn’t smell pretty.
It will also have different "notes". When you open the bottle, hold it down low near your belly button and smell, slowly move the opened bottle slowly up the front of your chest, every couple of inches you ‘should’ smell something different. For example: at one point it may smell earthy, the next floral, the next earthy, etc. You’re smelling the different constituents. If the scent of an essential oil does not change when you do this you know you’ve got a 100% synthetic oil in your hands. A synthetic and/or cheap quality oil will smell exactly the same no matter what.

One more indicator is that high quality essential oils will have an indefinite shelf life. Meaning if you keep it out of sunlight and away from heat, moisture and cold extremes it will out live you.

An inferior aromatherapy oil will have a shelf life of about 6 to 8 months. At which point it may start to smell rancid and the consistency may change and the oil will become sticky or thick.

The shock of the prices will deter some people from a good quality grade essential oil but please remember these things. It only takes a small amount of pure high quality essential oil to get the job done which usually equates to anywhere from .05-.27 cents a drop. How much do you pay per doctor visit? But using a low quality diluted oil will not provide the same effects as good quality oils, leaving one skeptical or disappointed in the power of these oils.

I strongly urge you to take a closer look next time you reach for the "cheaper" bottle...! There is a reason it costs a little less.   But I do encourage you to do your own research and educate yourself on the differences.  There are many companies out there that do sell high quality essential oils, but fact is, the good quality grades are going to be similar in cost from company to company.  This is another sure sign.   If you find Melissa oil from three companies for about $60 and one company for $15 chances are the $15 bottle isn’t going to be as effective as it will likely be synthetic or diluted with carrier oils reducing it’s strength and power.

I’m not giving you this information because I want you to buy just from the company I have chosen.   I want you to understand the reasoning behind my choice at this time.   I’m currently taking an Aromatherapy and Reflexology course and I am sharing what I have learned thus far.    Knowledge is truly power… and I am excited to share what I learn with you all.

If you have any questions feel free to comment, email, or find me on facebook!