Aromatherapy and essential oils have been around for some time, but the craze picking up speed lately with entire shops dedicated to selling aromatic ingredients and diffusers that come in all shapes and sizes. The whole point of it is to diffuse aromatic molecules of the essential oils or incense into the air that we breathe in and indirectly improve our mood.

Many people know that essential oils help us relieve stress and tension, maybe even sleep better, but most do not know how to choose quality oils. There are plenty of choices in the market but also plenty of bad apples as sellers try to pass off "flavors" and "perfumes" as essential oils. 

Essential Oils vs "Flavors" and "Perfumes"

Essential oils are natural substances extracted from the roots, bark, petals, and leaves of a plant. Even a small amount of essential oil requires many plants, therefore pure essential oils will be pricier.

Flavors, on the other hand, are synthesized from a mixture of natural and artificial substances, so it will come at a lower price. It is often used in beauty products to improve its fragrance, but it does not carry the same benefits to our body as original essential oils.

Therefore, it is good to keep these 5 criteria in mind when looking for quality essential oils:

1. Species of Plant

Select the species of plant mainly according to your aromatic taste. There are tons of choices from the harder wood scents to the sweeter orange scents to the very popular lavender oils. Even within the same plant, there are various subdivisions. For example, within the lavender essential oil family, you have a choice of "true lavender", "English lavender", "French lavender" and so on.

2. Origin

The environment in which the plant grew plays a big part in the essential oil's quality. The soil, climate, sunlight, moisture, and planting methods are all factors that affect the growth and health of plants. Some plants grow particularly well in areas specified for their production and therefore will be more popular.

For example, lavenders from Provence, roses from Bulgaria, and sandalwoods from East India would be more popular among similar peers. You can do a little research on which areas produce which plants specifically and take them into consideration.

3. Labelling

Remember, a proper essential oil bottle will be labelled with the origin of the oil together with the English and Latin names of the plants. The scientific names of the some plant species can be very similar so read it properly to make sure you're getting the aroma that you want. In addition, the label should read "100% Pure Essential Oil". Any other gimmicky words such as "Environmental Oil" or "Fragrant Oil" are actually flavors and perfumes.

4. Price

As mentioned before, the price of pure essential oils are usually higher. Among them, petal-based essential oils such as rose and jasmine command the highest price as they are rarer and much harder to extract from. Fruit-based essential oils such as lemon and orange, and essential oils based on ordinary plants such as lavender would be cheaper in general.

5. Smell

If you have bought essential oils before and plan to buy them from somewhere else, be sure to give it a good sniff. Bad merchants use poor quality essential oils to dilute good quality ones in order to get better margins. They might also unnaturally mix oils to sell their products better. Trust your instincts on this one and only get oils that make you comfortable.

Lastly, remember that although there are benefits, the effects of aromatherapy are not instant. You should use it for days and even weeks sometimes to start seeing the effects it has on your body. The most important thing for this is that it should make you feel relaxed and comfortable!