What is an essential oil?  What makes an essential oil so pure? In the past I was always skeptical about essential oils and other products for that matter and their level of purity.  Every company says they are 100% pure or therapeutic grade.  So what’s the deal?  Well first off, educate yourself on what exactly an essential oil is and why it is so powerful.  Second, when looking for a company to buy from, recommendations help and sampling the product is important.  Third, what do I want this oil for?  Is it just for the fragrance of the oil?  Are you looking for the oils to aid in everyday ailment issues?  Are you interested in taking them internally?  All of these questions are important and will help in finding the right oil for you.

What is an essential oil?  It is a volatile liquid that is distilled from plants (including their respective parts) such as seeds, barks leaves, etc.  Factors that determine the purity and therapeutic value of an oil is its chemical constituents.  Everything matters when it comes to producing an essential oil.  Where in the plant the oil is taken, the climate and time of year the plant is extracted, even the distillation process.

What makes it so pure?  Well, if the chemical constituents is what is the most important thing, you need to think about a number of variables that can affect it.  We talked about a few variables already, but think about the soil condition, what fertilizer was used, geographical area.  You really don’t want someone growing lavender in their backyard and making an oil ( a little exageration) but true.    Lavender is grown in the wild in France, to name one.  All of these factors can determine the effectiveness of the oil.

I have a preference that I cant express here, but I would love to tell you if you wanted to hear([email protected]) The company that I use, has there own internal certification process to make sure that the oil that they are receiving is pure.  In addition to that they do what they call “Co-Impacting” which means they are very involved with the growers to ensure that small scale farmers and harvesters are treated ethically.   It is an initiative that develops mutual partnerships, creates jobs while providing reliable income in underdeveloped areas. I think that when you have a grower and recipient who is truly dedicated to the purity of their plants and believe their crops are worth more than “gold” because they use it for medicinal purposes.  I believe they want to give you the highest quality and by the way are proud of that quality and are not afraid of showing you their (as they say) “whole card”.

So, if you want the oils for the fragrance then let your nose do the buying.  If you want essential oils for health and wellness and even to change your life then let your mind do the buying.  Either way, I think your instinct will tell you the right answer.   For me I knew immediately when an oil was just not right.  I wasn’t going to settle until I found the right one for me. Stay calm and oil on! xoxo-Nicole