Essential oil 101: Tips when purchasing essential oils
GUEST POST: Erin Halcroft
As more and more people are turning away from drugs and medications and looking for healthier, holistic ways of living — more people are embracing essential oils. Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants, they are 50–70 times more powerful than herbs.
Despite many people only now learning about the countless health benefits of essential oils, they are not a new fad or discovery. Essential oils have been used throughout history for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. They were mankind’s first medicine. Use of essential oils dates back to ancient Egyptian and Roman times. Today, essential oils are used for a myriad of purposes, everything from reducing stress, treating pain, inflammation and infections to helping with sleep and digestive issues. They are also being used in hospitals and surgeons offices for their antibacterial properties, ability to profoundly affect moods and emotions, and help in recovery from illness and surgery; French aromatherapy doctors also prescribe essential oils to their patients. Their uses really are endless.
When it comes to choosing an essential oils, at first thought it might seem like a challenging task. There can be many brands to choose from, but I have some handy tips to help you navigate the market and find the best quality product that will deliver the optimum results.When it comes to choosing an essential oil brand there are a few things to consider as not all oils are created equal.
Purity is of utmost importance. You want to be sure that the oils you are using are 100% pure, organic and that the manufacturer tests every batch to ensure that there are no added nasties — pesticides, weeds or any substance other than the pure essential oil. Many companies dilute their essential oils or add synthetics to their batches to cut costs and make their product stretch further. Altering an essential oil changes the delicate chemical makeup of the oil and reduces its effectiveness. The therapeutic qualities are diminished not to mention the effects of toxic chemicals on the body.
The process of crafting an essential oil, from the soil to the bottle is an art form and a science. To obtain the highest quality and most therapeutic essential oil the correct species of plant needs to be grown, in its natural habitat e.g. lemongrass is grown in Southern India and lavender is grown in the Provence region of France, with the ideal growing conditions (soil, altitude, climate) and harvested at exactly the right time. The essential oil then needs to be extracted from the plant material. When it comes to extraction there are different methods which can be used, some are organic and some use chemicals and solvents. You really only want to use essential oils that have been extracted organically, primarily either steam distillation or expression, for obvious reasons.
Many essential oils are sourced from third world countries. Try to look for a brand that has a co impact sourcing program in place — similar to fair trade, to ensure growers and communities get a fair price for their products and they create jobs and infrastructure for communities.
Erin Halcroft is a yoga teacher, health couch and Doterra essential oil wellness advocate with a passion for sharing the life enhancing and health transforming benefits of essential oils www.mydoterra.com/erinhalcroft www.breathbybreathyoga.com.au
