Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds that are obtained from various parts of the plant like the stem, bark, leaves or flowers. They have been used by different cultures for thousands of years and are known for their incredible benefits. Enriched with natural nutrients, essential oils are a key ingredient in skin and hair care products. Moreover, the volatile property and refreshing fragrance make essential oils a preferred choice for aromatherapy.
With the diverse benefits offered, essential oils make the perfect addition to your beauty regimen. However, are you baffled by the wide options available?
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned buyer, selecting the right essential oil requires careful consideration. The following guide can help you make informed decisions and select an oil that works best for you.
Factors to consider when choosing an essential oil:
The world of essential oils is vast. Each essential oil possesses a distinctive characteristic and provides certain benefits. Before making a purchase, it is important to have clarity about your requirement. Moreover, you also need to consider the purity and grade of the essential oil. The rising popularity of essential oils has led to the emergence of various inferior quality oils. Some of these contain little or none of the natural ingredients. This immensely reduces the efficacy of the oil and makes it much inferior in quality than pure essential oils. This implies that having an understanding of the purity and genuineness of essential oils is necessary.
However, determining the purity of an essential oil is a challenging task. After all, the appearance and aroma alone cannot be taken as factors to gauge purity. In fact, various version of the same oil may also be available. In this regard, you need to know that fragrance oils, aromatherapy oils and perfume oils are not the pure forms of essential oils. The constituents may also include vegetable oils.
You can use a simple test to figure out the purity of an essential oil. Add a drop of essential oil to a piece of paper and allow it to dry. If you notice that the oil leaves behind a stain, there is a possibility that the oil contains vegetable oils.
Methods used to extract essential oils:
Various extraction methods are employed to derive essential oils. An understanding of the methods used will help you make the right choice while selecting an essential oil.
- Cold pressed method:
This is a manual technique and can be conveniently employed for plant materials that readily release the aromatic compounds. A sponge is utilised to press the fruit and the oil is later collected from the sponge. This method of extraction is widely used for citrus oils that can be obtained from the rinds of fruits. The oils that are obtained by this method of extraction are believed to be the most superior. This method does not involve the use of heat and as such the oils obtained retain their natural fragrance and properties. - Steam distilled method:
In this technique of extraction, steam is used in a closed chamber to obtain the volatile compounds from the raw extracts. Even though this method makes use of heat, the oils obtained possess the original properties. This is because the extracts are not subjected to their boiling points. - Solvent-extracted method:
This method makes use of a chemical process in which a solvent is used to bind with the aromatic compounds. Later the solvent is separated. Apart from alcohol, compounds like hexane, acetone and propane are extensively used. The fact that the solvents may leave behind harmful residues makes this method comparatively an inferior one. The oils obtained from such a method are not used for therapeutic purposes.
Buying the right essential oil:
Eager to reap the rich benefits of essential oils?
Packed with natural goodness, essential oils can do wonders for your skin and hair. However, this means that you need to buy a superior quality essential oil that is pure and unadulterated. Considering the following factors can help you make the right choice.
- Purity:
When making a purchase, make sure to steer clear of the synthetic version of essential oils. The purity of the oil is extremely important and a factor that cannot be overlooked. There are pure essential oil blends available for specific purposes. If you think that the blend serves your requirement, you can go ahead with it. However, you may find it difficult to figure out the exact proportions in the blend. As such, it is best to pick an essential oil and find out if it works for your skin. This method will help you get an understanding of oils that are most beneficial to you. - Organic:
The presence of even a small amount of chemical compound can hamper the effectiveness of an essential oil. Therefore, it is wise to choose oils obtained from plants grown organically. - Versions of essential oils:
There are different versions of essential oils available and you need to know what each of these stand for. To be sure that you are buying the right oil, make sure to check the botanical name on the label. In this manner, you can stay away from being confused by oils that have the same name but derived from different plants. An example is the German and Roman chamomile oil, both of which are different oils. - Trusted company:
Choosing a reliable brand that is known for offering products that are genuine can help you procure pure essential oils easily. Avoid deals that offer essential oils at flat rates. In other words, do not compromise on quality.
Looking for pure and organic essential oils?
N-Essentials is home to a huge selection of pure, natural and organic cosmetics and essential oils. In case you are looking for more information about pure ingredients and essential oils, feel free to contact them. Alternatively, you can also send an email at info@n-essentials.com.au.
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Kriscel Diane 