So Why are some essential oils that are labeled 100% pure so much cheaper? How can a company call there oils “therapeutic grade” when they have synthetics in them ? Why do some smell sweeter than others?
I had these questions too! When I first started with Young Living I bought a ton of other oils from other companies. Just doing homework . either they smelled good in the bottle but then smelled funny in the diffuser, to watery, to oily to even use in the diffuser, and as I got used to pure grade essential oils, smelled to fake!
Did you know that if you buy a essential oil that smells the exact same way everytime..Its probably got synthetics in them? yep! A real essential oil should vary alittle on smell because of soil conditions, where it was grown, and which type it is. Did you know that a real essential oil should never be oily ? Essential oils are not really oils at all!
I have come across some great explanations from the Magical Essentials and from The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. I will try to condense as much as possible.
For effective therapeutic use it is crucial that only pure essential oils be used-that is, natural plant essences which have been extracted by steam distillation, It is quite pointless buying any other product, no matter how charming its aroma may be, because reconstituted products or chemical copies of natural essences simply do not work for medicinal purposes .. A unscrupulous supplier ,will dilute a pure essential oil with a carrier oil and will pass it off as a pure natural essence. These fakes are easier to spot than others. They’re oily!!
A pure essential oil DOES NOT EXPIRE!
The key to producing a Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil is to preserve as many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the essential oil as possible, Most of these elements are very fragile.
there are 4 levels of therapeutic oils:
PURE: Oil was not diluted with a lesser quality essential oil. Example: Lavender essential oil is often cut with Lavandin which has very little therapeutic qualities. And as mentioned previously, “pure does not mean it has no chemicals added ti it!!!
NATURAL: Oil was not adulterated with vegetable oils,propylene glycol, SD Alcohol or 40 other chemicals!
COMPLETE: Oil was distilled at low heat and low pressure so that the therapeutic properties are there. The have not been rectified or purified (which means stripped or redistilled)
Essential oils are often redistilled to make a small amount of oil go farther. Producers can make more profit that way. The problem is-when you redistill the oil,THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES ARE LOST! ITS LIKE USING A TEA BAG OVER AND OVER AGAIN!
Distillation can determine the value of the oil or destroy it. Essential oil distilling is not just a job-it’s an art! (Just follow Gary Young) If the pressure is to high, or the temperature is to high, it may change the molecular structure of the fragrance molecule, altering the chemical constituents. A distiller who is only interested in profit will distill oil for 15 minutes at very high temperatures with very high pressure. This way they can produce more oil and thus earn more profit ( And you get poor quality with very little benefits)!
So check this out…
Lavender essential oil does not produce all its therapeutically effective substances unless it is distilled for one hour and 30 minutes…BUT MOST LAVENDER IS DISTILLED FOR ONLY 15 MINUTES! Another trick some distillers will do to produce more oil is to redistill the plant material over and over as many as 5 or 6 times!The oil distiller will then save the first batch to be sold a therapeutic grade oi and the rest is sold to unsuspecting public as so called “pure oil” And tecnically it is! Maybe that’s why its cheaper?
GENUINE or GRADE A: These are the cream of the crop! Great care is taken at every step of the process. Seeds are not from hybrids and are grown in organic soil that has never been subjected to chemicals.
Also Genuine or Grade A oils must have clarity of definition (one plant could have 200 species). And-the distiller must be no more than 50 miles away from the site where the plants were harvested. Distillers must also have Gas Chromatograph readings(and of course Young Living does).
Anyway you get the idea. You get what you pay for. If you just want something to smell good with no value ..then do what ever. But if you are actually looking for wellness for either physical , emotional , or spirtual. Then only get the best. This is why I only use Young Living.. I want the actual benefits of using essential oils. They have a seed to seal promise..I have gotten results from there essential oils..and fast. I have also bought health food store essential oils and only got a headache from them .
I have been gathering up this information for awhile I hope this helps you make smart choices!http://katscorneressentiallysimple.com/
