Essential
Oils vs. Fragrance Oils:
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Pure, unadulterated essential oils derived from the leaves,
roots, seeds, flowers or bark of a plant or tree are the source
extracted directly from nature via a form of steam distillation.
When you first begin working with essential oils, take care
in handling them. Lavender essential oil is quite safe for
the skin, as is tea tree, but some people can have allergic
reactions to them. When handling essential oils, it’s
wise to do a skin test. Simply apply a tiny amount on your
wrist, and if there’s no reaction within 24 hours you
are safe. As these oils can be costly, you must take care that
they’re always kept in a cobalt or amber colored glass
bottle and stored in a cupboard [out of direct sunlight] and
kept in a cool, dry place. When you buy an oil, write the date
on the vial. Most essential oils can last from one to three
years. Citrus oils have a shelf life ranging from six months
to less than two years. Essential oils can last for several
years, but the freshness disappears. There are some exceptions
with the darker colored, “heavier” oils
or resins. Patchouli is known to improve with age.
It’s important to know about fragrance oils and what
they really are. I visited an e-group for soapmakers and when
someone asked for a company where they could purchase essential
oils, a person gave the name of a company that sold only fragrance
oils! Obviously, to this uninformed person, the terms are interchangeable.
They’re not. Fragrance oils are synthesized in a laboratory.
They are sometimes referred to as “nature identical.” If
you’re looking for an inexpensive scent, then fragrance
oils fit the bill. But fragrance oils are not therapeutic grade
essential oils and never will be.
From personal experience, I’ve learned that sniffing
an essential oil right from the bottle and diluting it with
a carrier oil such as sweet almond or jojoba, makes a huge
difference. I smelled my favorite, vanilla absolute, a thick
balsamic oil derived from the pod of the vanilla plant. I determined
that the first whiff brought out the usual vanilla scent I
was accustomed to, but a millisecond later there was a stronger,
harsher scent. I then added a few drops to a bottle of sesame
oil and the change was magnificent! I had the aroma I equated
with the spicy-sweet scent of a dried vanilla bean pod. The
carrier oil had combined perfectly with the essential oil!
You should always dilute essential oils in carrier oils when
applying directly to the skin, or even in the bathtub. This
is a necessary safety precaution. Essential oils are very strong
and need to be diluted. Also, some essential oils may smell
good enough to drink, but are for EXTERNAL USE ONLY!
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