How to Buy Essential Oils for the First Time

Aromatherapy has become very popular in recent years and can be used for a number of wonderful practices which can help to improve a person's health, mood and life in general. Essential oils are the backbone of aromatherapy and are concentrated oils derived from plants and used for their aromatic qualities. There are a number of things you should keep in mind when shopping for essential oils because not all essential oils are created equally.

Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for essential oils for the first time.

1. Be aware that there are synthetic essential oils and avoid them. There are some oils which are always synthetic such as lilac, strawberry, and rain to name a few. If you stumble across a company that has these scents in their essential oil line then there is a good chance all their essential oils are synthetic. Since aromatherapy calls for pure essential oils, avoiding any lines that carry synthetic scents is important. Those who are experts in aromatherapy believe that synthetic essential oils do not have the same therapeutic effects as pure essential oils, and that they are more likely to cause headaches and allergic reactions.

2. Make sure before you purchase an essential oil that it is pure. Some companies dilute their essential oils with vegetable oil. If you are not sure whether or not an essential oil has been diluted with vegetable oil you can open the bottle and put a small drop on a piece of paper or tissue, if an oily stain is left behind on the paper or tissue then most likely the essential oil has been diluted with vegetable oil.

3. If you notice when shopping for essential oils that all the oils in a line are the same price then do not purchase oils in this line. The price for each essential oil should be different since with respect to pure essential oils the price is based upon how much of the plant is needed to produce the appropriate scent. If the oils are all priced the same then they are probably not pure nor carefully created, and may even be diluted.

4. Be sure and check the quality of an essential oil before buying. One way to do this is to get a whiff of the scent. Remember essential oils are concentrated so a little whiff should have a pretty overpowering scent. It might even make your eyes water if you get too much of a whiff! If the scent is light, and not very strong then the essential oil is not pure and not one that you want to purchase.

5. If you are planning on buying several essential oils, take a break after choosing a couple because your nose can become desensitized after sniffing too many different scents one right after the other. Giving your nose a break will ensure that you are able to discern pure essential oils from ones that have been diluted.

6. Pick essential oils from companies that list the latin name for the plant in addition to the common name. Also, the catalog for your line of essential oils should have the country of origin for the plant and the method of extraction.

7. Don't purchase any essential oil that is labeled aromatherapy oil, fragrant oil, or perfume oil. These are all indications that the essential oil is not 100% pure. Avoiding bottles labeled in this way will help to ensure that you get a pure essential oil.

8. Don't purchase essential oils in plastic or clear bottles. Sunlight destroys the active properties in essential oils. Essential oils should be stored in either solid amber or solid dark blue glass bottles in order to protect them from the sunlight which can spoil them.

Keeping these tips in mind when shopping for essential oils will help you to not be fooled by the many imitation and low quality diluted essential oils available on the market right now. Many companies are trying to cash in on this popular alternative therapy, and some think nothing of playing on a consumer's ignorance about how essential oils are created in order to make a few extra bucks. So, you might even want to take this list of tips with you if you aren't sure you'll be able to remember them all! Good luck with buying your first essential oils.