Stephanie K Naturals Blog

The essential oils you buy might not be what you think. In order to keep demand for low prices, essential oils often are in some way adulterated to lower costs. Some unscrupulous companies even sell altogether fakes as the real thing.

Here are a few red flags too look out for when choosing a supplier.

The supplier is not a well known and reputable company. Sellers on eBay are the first to come to mind, but anyone who has not had a strong reputation should be looked into very carefully.

The oils do not have a strong scent. Most essential oils have a quite powerful scent undiluted. They can be quite overwhelming and it is not recommended that you inhale it straight from the bottle (Instead, waft the scent over to your nose). If the scent is not strong, you could have oils that are already diluted.

They are priced much lower than the going rate. The old adage applies—-you get what you pay for. If they are significantly cheaper than comparable offerings on other sites, they are very likely poor quality or adulterated.

Essential oils are not clearly marked or separated from fragrance oils. I once visited a health store that had an aromatherapy section of mixed fragrance oils and essential oils. The only way to distinguish them was to find the extra fine print on each bottle. It was a mix-up waiting to happen.

The botanical name of the source plant is not given. This is a biggie. If they don’t tell you what species it is from, perhaps they don’t know themselves. Uneducated vendors sometimes market perfume oils as essential oils and don’t understand the difference.

The seller uses hype and questionable marketing terms. Many of the phrases commonly used to describe essential oils sound great, but really don’t have any concrete meaning. “100% pure” and “therapeutic grade” means only what the supplier decides it means. At least in the US, there is no standardization or system of grading. The producers or suppliers are the ones who these claims.

They make grandiose claims. Some claim their products are far superior to everything else on the market. They have sources that are “exclusive,” they use special testing that no one else uses. They’ll tell you only their oils are quality oils. Truth is, there are many reputable suppliers who have been in the business for decades. And, often unknowingly, they use the same distillers as the competition.

Always buy from a knowledgeable seller or company with a solid reputation for selling real essential oils. If you don’t know, ask around on the internet. There are a number of forums, groups and mailing lists where you can get great recommendations.

When and why would it be important to have authentic, natural essential oils?

If the only purpose of your essential oils is a nice scent, it may not make any difference to you whether or not your EO is really a pure natural EO. Sometimes though, it’s important to know you are purchasing a pure and high quality oil.

1. Aromatherapy — Aromatherapists insist that only natural plant extracts are appropriate for aromatherapy. Whole oils may have therapeutic properties that synthetic reconstructions do not have.
2. Allergies and sensitivities — You could be allergic or sensitive to certain chemicals in the unknown adulterants.
3. Higher cost — If you pay premium for an essential oil but you get a fragrance oil, you’ve been cheated out of the extra money you’ve paid.
4. Internal use — It is crucial that you know what you are ingesting! If you intend to use oils for culinary use or any other internal purpose, not only must you research, research, research, but you must be certain sure you are using a true essential oil.NOTE: I do not recommend anyone but the most advanced and well-read users try using internally. Please do not harm yourself or those you love by ingesting the wrong essential oils!

So how do you know if your EO is not the real deal? See my next entry…

Have another reason or two? Share them here in a comment!

Bergamot essential oil has a wonderful fresh, uplifting scent. It makes an excellent top note and is another favorite oil of mine.

Bergamot

• Source – Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia, cultivated in Italy
• Plant parts used – rind of the fruit
• Aromatic extract – expressed essential oil

In perfumery, bergamot is used extensively as a top note and is common to many fragrances and cosmetics. It is very uplifting, and in aromatherapy has been used to treat tension, anxiety stress, depression and more. Bergamot oil is phototoxic, meaning it can cause sensitivity, sunburn and skin pigmentation when exposed to sunlight. The chemical components that cause phototoxicity can be removed through distillation or treatment so that it may be used for leave-on skin products without problems.

The oil is extracted from the rinds of the small pear-shaped fruits. The fruits are called bergamot oranges, but the skin is yellow to green. They are commonly grown in Italy and named for the city of Bergamo where it was first sold. Earl Gray tea is flavored with bergamot oil. The fruit itself is not eaten, and it is cultivated just for its oil.

A Grasse rose farm, run by fourth generation farmers, is having to sell off the precious rose fields.

Natural Misconceptions by Haley Alexander van Oosten

There’s no surprise that few are willing to pay for the luxury of real rose oil, especially when the synthetic alternatives are so much cheaper and the average consumer knows no difference.

It is a terrible shame that a tradition passed on through many generations will be lost. Besides losing the culture, the history, and the beauty of the process, the supply of natural oil will further dwindle. I have not yet had a chance to sample Rose de Mai from Grasse, but it’s one I’d hoped to procure in the future.

My hope is that as the demand for natural products increases, so will the demand for aromatics–and that cultivation and production of botanical aromatics will not become a lost art.

Maker Faire starts tomorrow! If you’re in the Austin area this weekend, come out because it’s going to be fabulous! Saturday it will be from 10am to 10pm, and on Sunday it will be from 10 am to 6pm.

I’m making final preparations for my Maker booth where I’ll be demonstrating perfume blending.

Check out Makerfaire.com for more info! Be sure to come by my booth in the crafts section and say hello!

The Swag Bags are coming soon!

Swag Bags are the perfect way to choose your holiday gifts. Sample items from 10 different EGCG shops including perfume, balms, soap, scrubs and lotions.

Starting Oct 15 you’ll be able to purchase them through the EGCG Etsy Shop. Hurry, because they are limited edition you’ll want to get one before they sell out!

Autumn Spice

This perfume is my entry in EGCG’s Iron Chef Challenge. The EGCG challenge for the month of September was to create an item with these ingredients: Orange, Spice and Vanilla.

Autumn Spice begins with a blend of four orange essential oils–Wild orange, Blood orange, sweet orange and orange juice. Then come the spices! Nutmeg, cardamom, clove, black pepper and turmeric blended with a soft vanilla base.

It’s available both in my Etsy shop and on StephanieKNaturals.com!

Diana Rajchel, fellow natural perfumer, interviewed me for this months installment of Perfumery Without Pretention over at The Rebel Perfumer. Or Le Parfumeur Rebelle, but either way it has great reads and lots of blogs links, so check it out!

A lovely painter named Silja recently made a request on the Etsy forums. She asked for pictures of eyes so she could paint them. I responded to the call, and before I know it she sends me a link to this result:

Already it is featured on The Chic & Green Blog. You can see more of her beautiful work at 5erg’s blog or her Etsy shop.

Sandalwood… ahhh… my favorite oil. It’s not only a pleasure to sniff, but it is fantastic to work with in oil blends. It must be used consciously and in small amounts, and it is one oil I will always treasure.

Sandalwood

• Source from India, santalum spicatum from Australia, santalum austrocaledonicum from Vanuatu and New Caledonia
• Plant parts used - heartwood (interior wood, not branches and twigs)
• Aromatic extract- Steam distilled essential oil, sometimes also a solvent extracted absolute

Santalum album from India is highly prized for its exquisite aroma. It is warm and sweet, a deep earthy and woody scent with vanilla-like overtones. Mysore, the “City of Sandalwood,” produces oil that is considered the best quality of all sandalwoods. Unfortunately the area has been, and continues to be, overharvested. Consequently oil from Mysore is very expensive.

Santalum spicatum is a sandalwood similar to santalum album that grows in Australia. Its aroma is similar but spicier. Australian sandalwood also may be solvent extracted for a higher yield. This absolute is stronger in scent than distilled oil, but it is not as delicate.

Santalum austrocaledonicum is harvested in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Its fine aroma is close to Indian sandal, and many find it the best replacement for Indian sandalwood. This type is the one I’ve been using in my perfumes. It is sourced from a company that has been planting sandalwood trees for years to offset the harvested trees.

Currently there are plantations in Australia, Vanuatu and other areas, but the claims of sustainability are dubious. Trees must mature for up to 60 years for the highest yield of oil and for the oil to be of the best quality. Wild-harvesting will continue until these plantations mature and yield enough wood to keep up with its demand. Until such a time, natural sandalwood oil will be something of a rarity.