Essential oils are volatile oils – highly concentrated substances that are extracted from aromatic plants. They have been used since ancient times, and their continued popularity is based on the wide range of their culinary and medicinal uses.
Almost 700 different types of plants can produce useful essential oils that can be found on the market. Actually, the choice can be even overwhelming, as well as the prices, because extraction of an ounce of essential oil requires many pounds of raw material. So in order not to find yourself bewildered, follow next steps when buying essential oils.
First of all, think about the purpose you are looking an essential oil for. Different oils are used for different purposes, so you have to determine what sort of oils will best satisfy your demand. You can find the information in the Internet, or from your knowledgeable friend, natural foods grocer or a herbalist. After you determined your needs, you might find out that there’s more than one sort of oil that suits you. And even if you do not have a determined reason for choosing the particular oil, you can decide on their prices – since prices for essential oils vary widely, there’s no need to pay extra.
Then you should think of some alternatives to essential oil. There are quite a lot of them, actually. They can be hydrosols, absolutes or fragrance oils – they all may perform the service you are looking for, while being often cheaper as compared to essential oils. The first type of oil product (hydrosol or water essence) is in fact the byproduct of distillation (like in rose water, for example). During the distillation of plants, the vapor then condenses into hydrosols and essential oils that are later separated. In other words, a hydrosol is an essential oil but diluted in water, often containing some other side organic compounds. If dilution does not affect the result, hydrosols can often be used instead of essential oils in some methods of aromatherapy. As for the next product, absolute, it’s actually highly concentrated essential oils extracted with solvents. This usually happens with oil for which steam distillation is not very practical, like flowers. Absolutes can even be more expensive than essential oils, because they can often be diluted more and used for the same purposes.
The last oil product is fragrance oil, also known as floral water. It is usually synthetic compound having a scent similar to that of essential oils. Although they are cheaper than essential oils, fragrance oils are not actually suitable for therapeutic uses. In addition to those three kinds of products, you can also buy essential oils diluted in such carrier oil as grapeseed oil or almond. These may even be a better choice, especially if you want to apply the oil onto your skin.
Next, determine the price. Once you decided on the product, find out what is the best price for it. You may check out online and locally, but keep in mind the quantities and dilutions that can be compared at the same level. Keep the list of the prices you found and you will most likely find the general price at a certain level.
Then study the information about the oil you want to buy. The more you know about it, the better value you will get from it. For example, essential oils may vary in quality, as they may be made with different parts of the plants: like lavender oil, which can be made with lavender stalks and flowers or just with the flowers. The quality is better for the latter, of course. The same can be learned for the extraction methods (water distilled is often worse than steam distilled), time of harvest or place of origin. Everything matters.
After that, find out more about your real oil choices. As you are now an informed purchaser, you can ask the sellers questions. Also it will be good to study the bottles carefully (in case you shop online you have to scrutinize descriptions). The main purpose of this step is to get a clear idea of the real product. Smell different oils to be able to compare the scents. Ask how the plants were harvested, where they’re originated from and so on. The manufacturers of the oils you chose are also worth checking. The information can be got from everywhere – the retailers, your friends or the Internet. But don’t forget that the information you find will be valuable only if got from a reputable source.
Finally, note how the essential oils are stored. They should always be stored either in stainless steel container or a dark glass bottle. Those not stored in these are suspect. Besides, oils should be far from direct sunlight or excessive heat. If you are shopping locally, you have an excellent opportunity to see how the oils are kept. However, reputable companies can be trusted to keep oils duly.
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