Aroma Oils vs Essential Oils - Know What The Labels Mean Before You Buy

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ESSENTIAL OIL GRADES

WARNING! USING LOW GRADE OR SYNTHETIC OILS ON YOUR SKIN CAN BE HARMFUL. USE ONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC, PREMIUM GRADE OILS.

CLICK HERE TO  FIND OUT WHICH ESSENTIAL OIL IS RIGHT FOR YOUR SKIN.

NATURAL vs SYNTHETIC

Essential Oils = Natural

Fragrance Oils = Synthetic

Synthetic oils mimic the aroma of essential oils. Although cheaper they have absolutely no therapeutic benefit on the skin. This is because fragrance oils are synthetic versions with different structures and the body does not absorb them like natural molecules. In fact, synthetic oils can be harmful when applied to the skin causing irritation and rash.

Essential oil prices can fluctuate greatly because of crop conditions. For this reason some are reasonably priced while others seem excessive. Fragrance oils are cheaper and can be purchased in unlimited quantities because they do not depend on a crop harvest. A few essential oils are less expensive than their synthetically produced counterparts such as lemon, orange, pine and some lavender but they are also more volatile.

As its name suggest, fragrance oils only smell good. They will offer absolutely no therapeutic benefit.

So how can you tell if you’ve got the real thing?

• Some people are genetically able to smell the difference.
• If you are not one of these people – do the oil drop test. A drop of natural essential oil on paper will evaporate without leaving an oily residue.

GRADES of ESSENTIAL OILS

There are 4 Grades of Essential Oils

Grade A essential oils are pure and therapeutic quality. They are usually made from organically grown plants distilled at the proper temperatures using steam distillation

Environmental factors (where the plant is grown, soil type, fertiliser (organic vs. chemical), altitude, etc.) and physical factors (how and when the plant is harvested, distilled and bottled) also determine if an essential oil is of therapeutic quality.

• Grade B essential oils are food grade. They may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilisers, chemical/synthetic extenders, or carrier oils.

• Grade C oils are perfume grade and may contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as food grade oils.

• Floral Water is a byproduct of the distillation process. It can be very high quality if it comes from a Grade A distillation process. Accordingly, a very low quality if it comes from poor quality raw materials and/or poor distillation processes. It is usually found in skin and hair products. This grade has no therapeutic qualities.

Some Evidence The Quality Of Essential Oils Makes A Difference

Not all essential oils are the same. A randomised, double-blind trial of essential oils from two different species of lavender, topically applied on post-cardiotomy patients revealed that the quality of the oil is an important factor in determining the efficacy of its use.

28 patients were randomly selected to receive aromatherapy massage with one of the two essential oils on two consecutive days, and their emotional and behavioural stress levels were evaluated both before and after the treatment.

The results revealed that the therapeutic effects of the two lavenders were clearly different; one was almost twice as effective as the other, thereby disproving the hypothesis that aromatherapy, using topical application of essential oils, is effective purely because of touch, massage or placebo.

[Source: Buckle J. Nurs Times (ENGLAND) May 19-25 1993, 89 (20) p32-5]

Why is it so Costly to Produce Therapeutic Grade Oil?

You need hundreds of pounds of material to make a pound of therapeutic grade oil. For instance it takes 30 to 60 roses to make one drop of pure therapeutic grade Rose oil.

It takes far less material to make synthetic or perfume grade oil. Therefore producing oils correctly and for therapeutic benefits is extremely time consuming and costly. The cost of the plants alone can be enough to discourage a company from producing them. The therapeutic grade essential oil is extremely concentrated and although the cost of the oil is more, we need far less and we can expect superior results.

Enfleurage is the most expensive extraction method and is the only one that won’t alter the chemical makeup (therefore, fragrance) of some botanicals such as lilac. As a result, commercial production of some essential oils is impractical.

Distillation and cold pressing methods yield liquid essential oils. The results of solvent extraction and enfleurage are resins and concretes--solids and semi-solids. Essential oils will dissolve in alcohol or oil and are volatile; evaporation dissipates their scents quickly (patchouli is one exception). A drop of pure, liquid essential oil on paper will disappear without leaving an oil spot when it is dry. You can use this easy test if you doubt the genuineness of an essential oil.

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE SKIN

I'm personally a fan of utilising essential oils not just for aromatherapy but for skin care as well. I wanted to share with you some easy methods on how I use them. Essential oils, the right ones anyway are truly multi-functional serums. 

In future posts, I will go though how I use individual essential oils and what they're good for. In the meantime, I hope you will try these methods out with the essential oils you are already using.

Warning - Not all essential oils are appropriate for use in all of the following methods.  Click HERE to find out where Tea Tree, Rosehip, Argan, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus can be used safety.

In Face Cream

We like to keep it simple - Place the amount of face cream you would normally use in the palm of your clean hand. Add 1/2 pump or 1/4 pump (if your skin is sensitive) to your face cream. Rub your hands together, throughly mixing the essential oil to your face cream. Do not rub in, but pat formula gently onto face. Do this quickly to prevent the essential oil from evaporating.

In Body Moisturiser

Method 1:

Add 1/2 pump to oil-based body moisturiser (the amount you would use on your whole body) or 1 pump to water-based body moisturiser into a small mixing bowl and stir well. Smother generously onto the body. 

Water based body moisturisers are viscous and thin in texture. Oil based moisturisers are usually sold in tubs and are thick and creamy. Oil-based moisturisers make a better base when mixed with essential oils. So, less is required.

Method 2:

This method is appropriate for target treatment. For example, if you were treating cellulite on just your upper thigh : use 1/4 pump of lemongrass oil to the amount of moisturiser you would use on just your thighs. Mix in the palms of your hands by rubbing it together and applying quickly onto target area.

In a Hot Bath

Add 3-4 pumps into a fully drawn warm or hot bath with bath salts. The bath salts will break up the oils. If you are having a luxurious milk bath, bath salts are not necessary. The milk will break up the oils.

Alternatively, if you don't enjoy using bath salts, you can pre-mix the essential oils with 1/2 a glass of milk. This will also break-up the essential oils. Pour the milk-oil mixture into the bath.

Remember - Do not add the essential oils while the bath is being drawn as the essential oils will evaporate. Only add the oils just before you step into the bath.

As A Warm Compress

Add 1 pump of essential oil to a small bowl of warm water. Soak your hand towel into it and place onto forehead or infected cut.

Directly Onto Skin

Not all essential oils can be used directly onto skin as they can cause hypersensitivity. Carrier oils like Argan, Rosehip and Sweet Almond Oil are safe to use pure, directly onto skin or hair.

Lavender is the only essential oil that many essential oil encyclopaedias mention as safe to use directly onto skin. 

Rarely would we suggest using even small amounts dabbed directly onto skin. The exception would be Tea Tree onto acne and Lemongrass onto a cold-sore. Simply use a very small amount onto the tip of a cotton bud and dab (not rub) onto a stubborn pimple or cold-sore. It will kill the bacteria without drying out the surrounding skin like pharmacy bought pimple creams. Lemongrass oil is safe if accidentally ingested in small amounts. However, you need to be extra careful with Eucalyptus oil. It has been known to be toxic when ingested. This is one of the reasons we do not recommend its use on the face. Tea-tree is a better alternative.

In A Spritz Bottle

Add 2 pumps to 500ml of water in a spritz/spray bottle. Shake well before use. Use to scent your body or hair. Use Eucalyptus which is high in anti-bacterial qualities as a body spray to keep pimples, insects and other infections at bay.

Massage

There are so many recipes for great massage oils. But we try and keep it simple. Simply add 1/2 pump of essential oil (tea tree, lmongrass, eucalyptus) to 3 pumps of carrier oil (rosehip, argan). About the house - olive oil can also be used as a carrier base. Please do not use baby oil as a base. It will defeat the purpose of using our certified organic, chemical free oils.

Baby oils are mineral oils (petroleum products) usually containing aloe vera extract, Vit E, acetate and fragrance. Mineral oils clog pores causing pimples, and contain chemicals which may be harmful to your skin.