HOW TO BUY ESSENTIAL OILS
There is tremendous buzz about essential oils these days and competition among various companies selling them is strong. With so much information, some of it quite confusing, how can you know if the oils you are using are of the best quality and won’t contain unwanted chemicals.
That’s why I decided to put together this simple guide for you. I hope it will help you cut through the noise and give you the valuable and unbiased information you need to decide on which brands of essential oils are worth trying for you and your family.
If you are completely new to essential oils and unsure how to use them, check out this informative guide on the various and most common uses of essential oils.
While I am not a trained expert on this subject, I have used a number of different brands and individual oils over the past 15 years or so. Some worked very well, others not so much. I embarked on my own journey to find out why. That journey included finding out as much as I could to be able to make an informed decision.
One important lesson applies to essential oils and that is that quality matters. Through my informal research, I learned that not all essential oils are grown, harvested, and distilled the same way. Those differences can have a tremendous impact on what potential benefits you will gain from the use of essential oils.
Here are some of the important factors I took into consideration when writing this guide for you:
- Farming practices
- Distillation methods
- Country of origin
- Plant species
- Dilution and/or additives
- Storage methods and packaging
To reap the maximum benefit, it is important to choose and use organic essential oils. There is a lot of confusion about terms like therapeutic and aromatherapy grade oils. Without going too deep, these terms are generally used to describe better quality oils.
In reality, no official essential oil grading system exists at this time, except for the standards that are mandatory for an oil to qualify as organic.
Purchasing organic essential oils will at the very least ensure that the plant material from which they were derived was not exposed to harmful pesticides. Avoiding exposure to pesticides, especially when dealing with a substance that will be inhaled or applied to the skin in some form is always a great idea.
The basic bottom line: research before you buy so you can feel good about the essential oils you are using! By reading this guide you are off to a good start.
Today there is an ever-growing number of essential oil companies that offer essential oils in varying numbers and at different price points.
To make choosing where to buy easier for you, I compiled a list of reputable retailers who uphold high-quality standards for their essential oils at the bottom of this page.
It is important that you carefully check out each one to make sure you receive the best product possible. When you look into buying the best oils for your own personal use, make sure the following questions are answered to your satisfaction:
How long has the company been in business?
While not necessarily the prime indicator for superior quality, the length of time in business shows experience and knowledge in the field of essential oil production and use. You want to be sure to purchase your oils from a company with a long and proven track record.
Where does the company get its oils?
Do they harvest, process, distill from their own farms or farms they control? Or do they purchase oils through brokers from farmers who may or may not follow good growing practices? Why should this matter? A company that gets its oils strictly from third parties may not have any control over how and where the crops are grown, the distillation process, or the quality of the plant material from which the oils were derived. Even oils from inferior materials or ones that have been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse can be considered and sold as pure essential oils.
How are the oils tested?
You want to ensure that each of the oils you purchase for use by you and your family has been rigorously tested for quality and purity. You are spending your hard-earned money and you deserve the best. Among the factors to consider is whether or not those tests were conducted by the essential oil manufacturer or an independent, speak non-biased third party.
Another factor to consider is whether or not the company provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the proper and most effective use of their products. It’s certainly not a total deal breaker if they don’t provide education. But I have found that producers and sellers who are passionate about their products will also want you to get the most out of them.
When it comes to something that is as useful, versatile, and important as essential oils, making sure you get the best product for your buck is a priority. Here is the list of essential oil producers/sellers I promised above.
Each of them upholds high standards of quality. Not all types of essential oils are sold by each company, so it’s good to have several options for purchasing. I checked out the available information for each one and found them to be good choices.
Feel free to click on the link for each company to explore!
- Young Living
- DoTerra
- Revive
- Plant Therapy
- Eden’s Garden
- Rocky Mountain Oils
- Now
- Mountain Rose Herbs
- Aura Cacia
- Original Swiss Aromatics
- Florihana
Each of the companies listed above offers online retail. Some, like Young Living and DoTerra, are direct sales, a few of them can be found in mainstream grocery stores (some DoTerra, Now, Aura Cacia). Every one of the brands mentioned here is synthetic free.
I hope the above information will help you make the buying decision that fits your needs and requirements best. While I have my definite favorite when it comes to essential oils, I did not want to include my choice on this page, because I feel I owe it to you to allow you to come to your own conclusion when it comes to oils.
Of course, I always welcome your questions and suggestions. If there is anything else you would like me to address when it comes to the purchase and use of essential oils, feel free to drop me a line!
If you are interested in incorporating essential oils into your life, be sure to sign up for exclusive access to the FREE Resource Library. In it, you will find a number of useful ways to use essential oils from creating simple skin and body care products to all-natural cleaners.
Here are a few ideas to get you started using essential oils!
How to create Homemade Soap like a Pro
Things I no longer buy and WHY- Cleaning Edition
Homemade Lip Balm – a Super Easy Recipe
None of the statements made on this page have been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant as medical advice. They are for entertainment purposes only. If you have any questions regarding the use of essential oils, always consult a qualified medical professional.