Quality Essential Oils - A Few Things You Should Know

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Quality Essential Oils - A Few Things You Should Know

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

by Donnie Boots

Did you know that there are thousands of companies selling essential oil products? That makes it harder and harder to be certain you have selected a quality essential oil product. Determining if it is a real essential oil and not a synthetic oil can be difficult. Companies creating low grade essential oils or base oils or calling fragrance oils ‘Aromatherapy Oils’, is one way they get around the “pure” part.

Only high grade therapeutic essential oils are used in Classical Aromatherapy. So it is important that you know what you are buying. Use your senses to evaluate the essential oil. Smell and texture and viscosity are all small parts of grading quality essential oils. Unlike base oil, essential oils are volatile substances which may not feel like oils at all. Extremely concentrated extracts contain many of the plant’s chemical makeup.

Unfortunately, many essential oils on the market today are mixed with different fillers of differing quality. These fillers are less expensive. So it helps the seller but when added to the essential oil it produces an essential oil product of lesser quality but similar aroma. Back in the days of ancient Egypt most essential oils were graded with a complex numerical system that is still in use today. Even then they recognized the supreme importance of high grade and pure quality essential oils.

Unscrupulous dealers know full well that the general public has no real clue what the real scent of jasmine or myrrh is like. They take advantage of that and mix in lower quality and less costly oils and an inferior product is then sold to the unsuspecting buyer. They may also use a base oil for mixing that is a lower grade and further jeopardize the content in the essential oil container. Some dealers will use synthetic substances for mixing too.

Sometimes these low quality essential oils are sold by street vendors or in flea markets or at fairs. Paying special attention to the essential oil bottles ingredient label. If an ingredient label is not present, you should walk away. One simple thing you can observe is what the container is made of. If it is plastic, it is not high grade essential oils. You want quality essential oil to be in dark glass bottles when you buy it.

Caution and good sense are advised for any essential oil you plan to apply to your skin, or someone else’s. Do not be fooled by a pleasing fragrance. That is no assurance of the purity or quality of the essential oil. You want the label to say “PURE” for sure.

Organically produced essential oils are a wise selection when considering brands. Another, prudent choice is to purchase undiluted essential oils and do your own mixing so you know what you are working with. Always work with a recognized producer and dealer and choose natural essential oils. whenever you cannot find organic oils.

Seek steam distilled essential oil products. Extraction by steam requires only herbs and water, no chemical solvents are involved. Be aware that the better brand names of essential oils are more expensive, because they take a lot of herbs to make a little bit of fine quality essential oil and that quality is worth it.

About the Author:

Donnie Boots is knowledgeable about essential oil and aromatherapy. Check out his website for more details.

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