Pure Essential Oils
Ever wonder what makes essential oils pure? For beginners, just choosing from the variety of essential oils can be confusing. Throw in terms such as organic, natural, raw, and pure, and it will make you dizzy. Whether it’s for skin, hair or health care, it is important that you choose the best essential oil. You have to determine the quality and purity of the oil that you are going to buy. And what’s better than a bottle of pure essential oil? With tips from our guide to quality essential oils, you will learn what makes an essential oil pure.
Healing and improvement come with every drop of essential oils. Remember that your skin and hair deserves the best oil in the market. Discover all about pure essential oils and their benefits.
What Are Pure Essential Oils
Essential oils are extracts from organic ingredients such as plants and trees. However, there are instances that oils can be recreated using chemicals. These oils are called synthetic oils. You must avoid using synthetic oils, even for aromatherapy. Make sure that you are using a pure essential oil.
Natural or organic oils fall under various categories of purity. These categories can determine the safety, quality, and effectiveness of the oils. There are essential oils in the market that may contain toxic ingredients such as solvents and chemicals. Pure essential oils do not contain such chemicals to ensure that every drop is only beneficial for the body. Quality oils are made from the finest ingredients. Their manufacturing processes follow strict guidelines to ensure that the final product is safe, effective, and of high quality.
Pure oils are the type of oils that will provide benefits even with just one drop. They are packed with an abundance of natural compounds derived from their organic ingredients. Whether it’s for skin, hair or for ingestion, the important thing is that you use a pure essential oil. Pure oils are very useful in organic body care since they can replace many types of products. To learn more about the uses of pure oils in organic body care, check the page below.
READ MORE: Organic Body Care
Difference Between Pure and Synthetic Oils
Essential oils are generally safe enough to use for personal care. You can enjoy their various uses and benefits when you know how to apply them properly. However, it is important that you first determine the purity and quality of the oils. Here are the differences between pure and synthetic oils.
Ingredients Used
To produce pure essential oils, only one type of ingredient is needed. This ingredient is often an organic raw material such as roots, leaves, flowers or seeds. With the high demand in the market and the expensive fees for importing ingredients, some manufacturers make fake oils. These oils are made from various chemicals that when mixed together, creates the same scent as the original oil.
Characteristics of the Oils
A pure and unrefined essential oil has a scent, color, and thick texture. However, this does not mean that synthetic oils do not have these characteristics. Synthetic oils can have scents, colors, and textures altered through refinement, but you will notice that most synthetic oils will look, feel, and smell fake. It is best to do a research about the characteristics of an oil before you buy a product.
Initial Effects
Pure oils may be too harsh to apply to skin directly. For safe and effective application, dilute them with carrier oils before doing a patch test. A patch test is important when you are testing the effects of the oil on skin or scalp. It will help you determine whether your skin is sensitive to a certain type of oil. Most synthetic oils are used for aromatherapy since it is easier to recreate a scent from scratch rather than its effects. Remember that aromatherapy oils are not as gentle or safe as topical oils.
Long-Term Effects
High-quality essential oils are healthy for the body. They provide nourishment to skin or hair. This is why using essential oils help improve your overall health and appearance with regular use. On the other hand, synthetic oils can risk your health. Even oils used for aromatherapy may have long-term effects on your body. Diffusing the oils cause the molecules to spread into the air. In this way, you are not safe from inhaling the molecules of chemicals used to produce synthetic oils. Your body may not show signs instantly but continued use can cause risks to your health.
Make sure to always use pure essential oils to improve the health of your body and mind. Check out this blog for tips on the best essential oils you can use for each season.
READ MORE: Essential Oils for Every Season
Why Choose Pure Essential Oils
Pure essential oils are some of the most effective products you can use for skin and hair. They are rich in nutrients and packed with therapeutic effects. All of these can be found in every drop of essential oils. One of the best benefits of using essential oils is that you can use them as substitutes for your regular products. Instead of using night creams or moisturizers, look for light essential oils that will seep deep into your skin to give it a softer and suppler feel. You can look for antioxidant-rich oils to protect your skin from sun damage too.
With the wide selection of essential oils, you will never run out of choices whether it is for skin or hair care. They are safer compared to regular products too. Introducing harsh and toxic chemicals to the body can cause damage that may not show instantly. However, the body might still suffer from small-scale effects that can accumulate over the years. Pure essential oils offer a safe alternative to chemical-infused products for a healthier personal care. Nature provides what the body needs and nature’s answer to your dilemmas comes in a bottle of extracted pure essential oils.
Learn Other Types of Oils to Avoid
Aside from synthetic oils, there are other types of essential oils that you need to avoid. Learning the differences among these oils will help you determine which oil is pure and high quality.
- Diluted Oils – Diluted oils are mixed with other types of oils, lower-grade oils or other substances that can reduce its effects. Most diluted oils contain carrier oils that can change its consistency, scent, color or effect on skin or hair.
- Adulterated Oils – Adulterated oils are often made to increase the quantity of the oil. They may contain fillers such as chemicals, synthetic ingredients or cheaper types of essential oils. The difference between dilution and adulteration is that in dilution, the oil is thinned using oils and alcohol. While in adulteration, there may be synthetic ingredients used to increase the quantity of the oil.
- Refined Oils – Refined oils go through a process to add or remove certain elements namely; scent, color, and texture. Solvents and chemicals are often used to refine oils. However, not all refined oils are harmful to use. Some vegetable oils are used for cooking, making them safe to consume.
- Absolute Essential Oils – Absolute oils are extracted using alcohol, which is why they may contain traces of it. Most of the absolute oils are used for aromatherapy, so you should not ingest them. Some absolute oils are safe to apply to skin. Rose absolute oil is a perfect example for this. While it is mostly used for aromatherapy, it has great benefits for skin care too. Discover more uses of rose oil by visiting the page below.
How to Pick High-Quality Oils
Do not mistake pure essential oils for synthetic or diluted oils. While oils are worth buying, you may be duped into paying for a fake oil. By learning the differences in each essential oil product, you can get high-quality oil at an affordable price. Here are some factors to consider when buying an essential oil.
Label and Packaging
The label of an essential oil must indicate the ingredient/s and its botanical name, the brand, manufacturer, and directions on how to use the product. Since not all oils are recommended for ingestion or topical application, it is best to indicate the correct usage of the product in the label.
The container or packaging of the essential oil also matters. Remember that some oils are photosensitive, meaning; they are likely to react by speeding up oxidation when exposed to sunlight. This shortens the lifespan of the oil and degrades its quality. Look for pure oils in amber or dark blue glass bottles. They are the best choices for containers to maintain the purity and quality of the oils.
Oil Characteristics
Doing a patch test before buying the product helps you determine whether it is authentic or fake. The same applies to essential oils. Doing your research before buying products is helpful. Learn about the texture, thickness, color, and scent of the oil. Test whether the oil:
- Mixes well with water
- Feels greasy or sticky when applied to the skin
- Smells suspiciously like alcohol or chemical
These are signs that the oil you are buying might be synthetic. Most seed essential oils such as castor oil have a nutty or earthy scent. They may smell unpleasant especially when you use them for skin and hair. When you buy castor oil that is odorless, you should consider that the product is most likely refined. It must have a thick consistency too. However, castor oil should absorb through the skin in a few minutes and should not leave an oily residue. Otherwise suggests that it is not pure or unrefined.
READ MORE: Castor Oil
Tips to Find Pure Essential Oils
Pure is a term used by many brands to promote their essential oils. However, few of these brands follow the standards for producing pure essential oils. This is why it is important for consumers to learn how to distinguish pure essential oil from others. Here are some tips that can be helpful in choosing a pure essential oil:
- The label of an essential oil product must indicate significant information such as:
- Ingredient/s and botanical name/s
- Manufacturer and their address
- Certification from regulating bodies/agencies
- High-quality oils must have amber or dark blue-colored glass bottles. Droppers should be made from glass too, to avoid chemical reactions with other materials such as plastic.
- Try a blotter test on essential oils before applying to skin. It can show if there are traces of chemicals or fillers in the product. However, do not consider this as an accurate test since some heavy oils may leave a residue on the paper. Here’s how to do the blotter test:
- Take a piece of white blotting paper or a white thick paper and put two drops of oil in it.
- Wait for it to dry and look for any residue. Some oils will leave the paper looking subtly darker than normal. Refined or synthetic oils will leave rings of darker colors in the area where the oil is applied. For oils that leave noticeable dark colors in the paper, do not use them anymore.
- See if some oils have suggested uses. Since certain oils are not safe for ingestion or topical application, the labels must determine where they can be used.
- Try mixing oils with water. Oils should not mix well with water since they are heavier than water. Their high density makes them unable to dissolve in water. This applies to food-grade oils.
- Aromatherapy oils should have strong scents that you need to dilute with carrier oils or water. When oils have subtle scents, it may be because they contain fillers or carrier oils.
- Topical oils should not leave a sticky or rough residue on skin. Oils have small molecular particles, making them fast-absorbent.
- Choose USDA certified organic products. They are pure organic oils that you can use safely for skin and hair care.
Pure essential oils are versatile, making them a great product for personal care. Each drop packs nutrients that can improve your overall health. Choosing pure and natural oils maximize the benefits you can get from essential oils. Leading brands such as Shiny Leaf are dedicated to producing only high-quality oils that nourish your body from head to toe. Check out this collection to find more natural oils you can use for personal care. Each product has benefits that can make your skin softer and your hair shinier.
READ MORE: Natural Oils
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