How to choose premium essential oils is a very valid question, and quite an interesting one too.
Because of the wide variety of essential oils available, each aromatherapist has his or her own preference.
It is possible to find similarities between some lists, but the best way to choose your oils is to make your own choices according to the virtues of each oil.
Naturally, it’s not only about the choice, but about the quality of the product itself.
There are about 3250 essential oils, of which about 290 can be used in aromatherapy. Seek the right oil according to your needs. It should be stored in a bottle that will protect it from light and excessive heat. A premium essential oil is easily discerned by its labeling and the ingredients listed.
If it sounds too overwhelming, rest assured that it is simpler than it looks.
Table of Contents
The classification of essential oils
Before being overwhelmed, make sure you’ve read up on the basics of essential oils.
Essential oils are categorized in several ways:
- In alphabetical order
- Through botany
- By flavor
- Or by chemical component.
Some essential oils can also be classified according to:
- The pain to be treated
- Problems of the body
- Or the chakras.
In holistic therapy, health, well-being, and beauty are considered mental and physical balance factors. Poor health and the resulting ailments are evidence of a latent or real imbalance.
If we want to give an exact meaning of what energy is, think of positive and negative. It contains two opposing forces that balance each other in the best cases. ☯
This energy is our energy or life force.
We could visualize this energy as the heat of our body balancing with the cold that comes from outside or the darkness of the night balancing with the brightness of the day.
Essential oils are therefore precious liquids that promote this balance in our bodies.
Physical or emotional problems, seen from the angles of positive and negative phenomena, require a remedy to restore the perfect balance. ⚖
Allopathic medicine treats diseases based on this concept of duality. On one side the evil and on the other the sick.
Essential oils can also be classified on this principle of duality. The so-called negative oils have the following virtues:
- Relaxing
- Calming and stress relief
- Voltage regulators
- And sedative.
Then, we have on the other side, the essential oils called positive, which are:
- Stimulating
- Rejuvenating
- Invigorating
- And invigorating.
Choose your essential oil
Get these essential oils from a herbalist, an organic food store or a pharmacist-herbalist.
Another way to choose an essential oil is to smell it. If you experience a certain olfactory pleasure, it is because the oil works for you. If it doesn’t evoke any particular pleasure, then it’s not for you.
There is also a kind of affinity with essential oils that sometimes evolve according to your needs.
For example, an oil that doesn’t work for you today can do you a world of good at another time, proof that we constantly find our balance according to events and our awareness.
Besides being important to know the essential oils according to their virtues, it is also important to trust the intuitive choice which guides us.
The importance of labeling for essential oils 🏷
To make a good purchase, you need to know how to read a label correctly. You don’t need a degree in chemistry or pharmacology to understand what it says.
Here are some keywords that should appear on the label and assure you of a quality essential oil:
- 100% pure essential oil
- Therapeutic essential oil
- No additives or pesticides
- First distillation: undiluted and pure
- Maximum therapeutic benefit.
How to choose premium essential oils is all about familiarizing yourself with the subtleties of labeling. If you read “100% essential oil” it does not necessarily mean “undiluted”.
For example, a product may contain 3 drops of lavender essential oil diluted in jojoba oil and still qualify as 100% pure.
A few keywords of questionable labeling:
- Oil enriched with vitamins
- Rich in essential oil
- Mixture containing pure essential oil
- Plant-based oil
- Extract of the whole plant.
It is also important to check whether the labeling indicates which part of the plant that was used to obtain the essential oil.
For example, orange blossom essential oil and orange peel essential oil are two totally different oils. They do not have the same properties and therapeutic benefits.
Tip: Have a look at our other article for a list of the main essential oils to have in your collection and their benefits.
An undiluted essential oil has a longer shelf life. So it’s always better to buy it pure.
Shopping for essential oils 🛒
Take the time to shop around and compare prices. Remember that you can get essential oils on the Web, in a pharmacy, herbalist, or organic stores.
It is important to compare prices, because they vary greatly. Always keep in mind the same criteria: the quality of the essential oil.
Secondly, it is important to know which country it comes from, as this detail can influence the rate downwards or upwards, depending on the country.
Fortunately, you can also ask for free quotes and certificates to ensure the quality of the product.
The bottle containing the essential oil must be opaque, in blue or brown glass and neither light nor heat must harm the product.
Essential oils must be kept in a cool place and their shelf life is 24 months from opening.
The right choice, although perhaps a little time consuming at first, is well worth it.
Now that you know how to choose your essential oils, find out in advance about the different ailments you wish to treat or the different ways you wish to use them.
Tip: Check our other article for more info on massages with essential oils.
Remember that each essential oil requires special precautions and therefore it is always important to get advice before using it.
Enjoy your essential oil shopping!