Aromatherapy supplies can be found at health stores, certain grocery stores, and online. At Aromatherapy.net, we sell and promote the highest quality products we can find.
No matter which complementary tools and accessories you choose to buy, you should purchase the highest quality essential oils possible. Because essential oils are the main ingredient in an effective aromatherapy practice, extra care should be taken to purchase quality oils.
Here are a few tips for discerning good oils from bad:
- Read labels carefully. Many perfumes can be labeled like essential oils, making things confusing for the consumer. “Lavender aroma” is not the same as an actual lavender essential oil. “Carnation aroma” is a mixture of black pepper and ylang ylang essential oils whose combined essence is similar to the more costly carnation essential oil.
- When you can, check that oils have been harvested organically and responsibly. In general, the fewer chemicals involved in extracting or bottling the essential oil, the better.
- Check the prices. Because the difficulty of extracting essential oils varies from plant to plant, this should reflect in their prices. Some oils will always be more expensive, including jasmine, melissa, rose, and neroli essential oil. If you find these essential oils at much lower prices, it’s likely that they have been diluted or adulterated with synthetic substances. Some suppliers have been known to dilute essential oil in a carrier base and pass it off as pure. Others add synthetic chemicals to the essential oil, which can cause nausea, headaches, and skin irritation.
- Test the essential oil with blotting paper. Essential oils aren’t actually oily, for the most part, so you can easily test to see if an essence has been diluted with a carrier oil. Just place a drop of essential oil onto blotting paper and wait for it to evaporate. If it leaves behind an oily patch, it has likely been diluted and won’t be as therapeutically potent. (Note: Some essential oils, like vetiver, are more viscous and will leave an oily patch.)
- Check the appearance of the essential oil. Good oil will not be cloudy and will maintain its clarity.