You want to buy an essential oil but get confused about which company to buy from? It can be frustrating to
navigate through hundreds of different brands on the market. There are many oils available these days, but they are produced in many different ways and to very different ends.
To make intelligent and appropriate choices you must become aware of these differences. So let us help you get some clarity in this area.
Synthetic vs. Natural essential oils
Synthetic essential oils
Synthetic reconstitutions of essential oils use synthetically reproduced chemicals (usually petroleum derived) to recreate some of the properties found in nature. Price is a good indication if the oil is synthetically reproduced. These are pretty much a cheap way of imitating the aroma of a plant and they seldom include all the trace compounds which might be found in any given specimen of a certain plant material. These are used mostly by an industry which accepts a very low standard (for example cheap perfumes, WC fresheners, etc.) and they are not suitable for therapeutic use.
Natural essential oils
These, on the other hand, are derived from a real plant. The prices are naturally higher than those of the synthetic ones. However, read on to see the differences between these too.
Natural vs. 100% pure essential oils
Natural essential oils
Many companies that produce natural essential oils, in order to keep the price low often, include chemical dilutants, alcohols or other fillers, or mix cheaper oils with more expensive ones. Additives and adulteration can be harmful to the body and greatly reduce the effectiveness of the oil. These are also not recommended for therapeutic use.
100% pure essential oils
Did you hold a bottle of the essential oil that says 100% natural? Read on to see what else is there for you to consider.
100% pure vs. Certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils
100% pure essential oils – low grade
It is not a common knowledge that many of these oils do not derive from the plants grown in their own natural habitat, but from artificially created plant fields. These fields do not possess the same soil quality and climate that is so essential for a given plant to thrive and grow to its full therapeutic potency. Moreover, the soil may have been contaminated, or pesticides used to ensure maximised harvests. Of course, that is conveniently omitted from the description on the product. Well, if you buy low grade 100% pure essential oil, you may feel that you use a quality product, but the effect you expect from it is not really great., is it?
100% pure essential oils- High, therapeutic grade
These products have a whole different standard for essential oil purity and potency. This standard requires precise care and effort to protect what nature has created, which correlates directly with the health-enhancing benefits you expect from essential oils. The oils are sourced from their own natural habitat and they are not contaminated from polluted soil or pesticides. They do not contain any fillers or artificial ingredients and companies producing high grade therapeutic essential oils have very strict quality control.
But what makes these oils therapeutic?
Only this level of quality can ensure the correct composition of the active natural compounds that give the essential oils the therapeutic properties.
So what is the catch?
You can see that in order to reduce the costs, the quality of the oil is reduced. So, yes, the high grade therapeutic essential are about 3 times more expensive than the other low grade “relatives”.
