DON'T Buy THESE Essential Oils: Where to Buy Quality Essential Oils
There are some disturbing things taking place in the essential oil sales world these days. This quick post is a note of warning and some suggestions to help keep you safe as you look for quality essential oils that are SAFE and effective for your babies, pets, other family members, and yourself. Find out what companies are best to purchase essential oils from.
I have some IMPORTANT information that you really need to know if you use essential oils. And even if you don't use them now, this is valuable information because someday you might want to. Also, you can use this information to help others.
Please, please, please, PLEASE.....if you're going to purchase essential oils, please don't purchase them from just anyone. There's a reason I'm sharing this with you, and you'll find out in a moment.
More and more often I'm seeing low quality and/or adulterated essential oils being sold online and in stores. They've always been in the big box stores, even gas stations....
And now I'm seeing them being sold by influencers with massive followings on YouTube or by online or physical businesses in completely unrelated areas....like online and physical herbal tea shops or shops that sell homemade body care products, homestead products, or home goods.
It makes my stomach turn because:
1) These essential oils are most likely adulterated with synthetic scent chemicals made in labs....
or with fragrance oils that are downright toxic....
or with who knows what?
2) People are buying these "pure" essential oils because they're being told they're just fine to use! To slather on your children's skin or on your pets (or yourself)...in other words, people are being lied to, manipulated, and even potentially made sick.
You might be wondering what brought all this on?
Well, I came across a(nother) shop I trusted that had nothing to do with essential oils previously, NOW adding them to their repertoire of products.
I was floored and deeply disappointed.
I KNOW there's no training in aromatherapy there. I KNOW the owner doesn't have a real, personal relationship with the small farms and distillers all over the world for sourcing. The only thing I can think is that it's about the money?
The reason this is important is because what you put ON your body gets INTO your body through your skin. Just about everything.
This is why magnesium oil (as an example) works so wonderfully topically....that magnesium just soaks right in and affects your entire system. Essential oils, with their tiny molecular structures are the same way.
That's why QUALITY essential oils work.
It's also why people give up on essential oils if they're using low quality, adulterated or inferior products, as these just won't be effective therapeutically. And...these can also make you very, very sick, especially over time.
You should be able to ingest the things you put on your skin, as a matter of fact. If you can't eat it, don't apply it.
Here are some characteristics to look for in a company selling essential oils:
1) They're transparent about where they're getting their essential oils
**Did you know that there are massive bulk "essential oil" companies who do not care about sustainability, fair trade, quality, or purity who sell "essential oils" to small businesses who then relabel the oils under their own brand? Some of these companies even do the labeling for these small businesses with a promise to buy back the essential oil if they don't sell.
YIKES!
These middlemen basically just dump inferior oils (and who knows what else) from all over the world together to sell to small businesses who don't have the knowledge to know this.
In fact, I suspect most essential oil "accidents" etc. are caused by adulterated or poor quality essential oils. Can you imagine putting something low grade or potentially toxic on your sweet child's skin? Or into your pet's air or food? Or your own?
We'll talk about pricing in just a moment....but these oils are usually CHEAP.
2) They have a LONG history of purchasing essential oils and sourcing from around the world. As in decades.
It takes time to develop relationships with the small farmers, wild-harvesters, and distillers. To make sure that these farmers and wildcrafters are operating with a love of the land and not greed. A LONG time.
Some high quality companies have their own farms and distilleries. For these, I'm always curious about their sustainability practices and whether or not they're growing organically.
3) Exclusivity: They don't sell a whole bunch of unrelated things.
They stick to aromatherapy and products related to aromatherapy.
If you're not buying from a person or company who is educated and stays in their lane, well.....
4) On their site, they have LOTS of education about essential oils that is both accurate and safe.
Aromatherapy is not a skill you learn over night. Ask me how I know. It takes many, many years to learn at a clinical level. It's a love.
5) The Latin name is included on the label
The reason this is vital information is because you can have several plants in the same genus with completely different actions. Also, the common name is often used for more than one plant, and these can even be from completely different families of plants. You want to know what plants you’re working with.
6) The country of origin is on the label and/or on the site with the exact batch number.
This is also important because it avoids you buying some of those “global” inferior essential oils that are all combined together. You should be able to find out EXACTLY where and what country your essential oil was distilled in and the specific batch number too. If it’s not on the label, then check the website of the company. If it’s not there…..do not buy it.
7) There's an accompanying GC/MS report for EACH batch and oil
(although these aren't all they're cracked up to be when it comes to quality since I don't think they identify lab-created molecules. In other words, you'll see the percentage of linalool, for example, and that's it. Linalool can be made in a lab. Essential oil with lab created linalool is inferior.
8) Price: The prices are NOT insanely cheap
Super cheap prices are probably your first and biggest clue that you're not dealing with a company with knowledge or integrity in essential oils.
If the price of the essential oil is too good to be true...RUN.
For example, I recently saw a one ounce (that's a LOT) of vanilla essential oil being sold for just $20 in an online shop I was getting ready to make a purchase from. I was shopping for something else the store is known for, and I was shocked to see essential oils now added to the product line up.
Back to the price of $20 for an ounce of "vanilla essential oil."
My friend....this is impossible. There’s no way this is real vanilla essential oil.
The vanilla essential oil (absolute and also oleoresin) I have in my clinic is 15 ml (1/2 ounce) and both cost around $197. They're pure and high quality. I know exactly what's in them. I know where they came from. I know how they’re made. I trust the company I purchased them from.
I know it's tempting to want to believe that you're getting a high quality essential oil for such a great steal, but....NOPE.
There's a LOT of labor, love, and plant matter that goes into the distillation of essential oils, and for plants that aren't readily available all the time (like vanilla, frankincense, sandalwood, etc.) or that don't contain much essential oil (rose, jasmine, neroli, etc.), I'm sorry (not sorry), but these are going to be EXPENSIVE if they are of the quality you want to use for yourself and family, especially therapeutically.
If price is a concern for you, purchase essential oils from more sustainable plants like citrus and mints from knowledgeable and honest companies and just avoid the precious oils altogether. In this way, spending $15 to $25 on 5 ml of peppermint or lemon essential oil is actually reasonable.
REMEMBER:
Essential oils (like medicinal herbs) are NOT regulated by the FDA. They can be dangerous due to this fact. On the other hand, we all deserve to be able to use herbs and essential oils for our wellness without government overreach.
What you put ON your body ends up IN your body a great deal of time. If you can’t eat it, don’t apply it.
The onus is on us, the consumer, to know what it is we're buying.
Here's where I buy my own essential oils for therapeutic use---the kind I'd use on my own grandbabies and furbabies......
1) Aromatics International They personally vet each small farmer and distiller. They actually travel and get to know the people around the world. They understand the hard work that goes into the process. Their prices reflect this integrity and hard work, and to me, that's priceless. They've been my favorite place to shop for EO's for a long time now.
2) Amrita Aromatherapy They are very skilled at combining herbal preparations with essential oils.
3) Florihana: Like Aromatics International, this is a family owned distillery that's been around a long time and has a great reputation
4) Pompeii Street Organics: This is the first company recommended to me when I began my first certification course about 7 years ago by the teacher.
5) Perfect Potion: This is Salvatore Battaglia's company, and I know it's legit because he is.
6) Plant Therapy To be honest, I feel like they're great, but I do plan to find out more about their sourcing if I can. Finding out how a company sources oils can be tricky business.
7) Rocky Mountain Oils Same as Plant Therapy.
NOTE: The companies with links are affiliate links and added because I have them handy. You can look up the other companies easily.
I'm sure there are other good companies out there, but I personally choose the above companies for when I'm working therapeutically, and this includes topical products like salves.
For wash off products like soap, I feel Starwest Botanicals is just fine.
One thing I ask myself is, "Would I ingest this essential oil internally?" Although, like some herbs, not all essential oils should be used internally. I'm super careful with ingestion. (And yes, I'm certified in this practice, or I wouldn't be talking about it.)
By the way, I also trust Young Living and the quality of their oils, as they have their own farms all over the world and have a great vetting process for sourcing outside their farms. (I'm not a distributor, by the way, although I'm considering it because I'm actually pretty impressed by their sourcing.)
Final Thoughts on Sourcing Your Family’s Essential Oils
Where you buy your essential oils is massively important to be sure you’re getting the highest quality product. There’s SO much competition nowadays in the aromatherapy world, and it behooves us all to take the “Buyer Beware” saying strongly into consideration when we go to make a purchase.
Don’t just trust a shop owner because they’re a shop owner. (Are they educated and certified?)
Don’t just trust a large influencer with a huge audience on YouTube or Instagram because they’re popular. (Are they educated and certified?)
Don’t just trust anyone who sounds good. Vet the experience and knowledge of the company and people you’re purchasing your essential oils from. Please, I implore you.
Essential oils are amazing, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
The small farmers who grow and distill the plants deserve to be treated with respect.
We all have a responsibility to EDUCATE ourselves in order to make the best decisions possible.
Ignorance isn’t always bliss, my friend. Sometimes it’s just downright wrong. If in doubt, reach out to a level 2 or above certified aromatherapist.
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
P.S. Be sure to click here to get my FREE Guide to 25 Essential Oils Safe for Kids!