| essential oil distillers or companies are the same. If | | | | distilled or extracted. |
| you are considering purchasing oils for your own use | | | | Extraction and Distillation |
| or using essential oils in an alternative health related | | | | If evaluating essential oil companies and distillers, one |
| business then there are many things to bear in mind. | | | | should determine their methods of extraction and |
| For instance, many companies are selling poor grade | | | | distillation. Technically speaking if oil is not extracted |
| essential oils that are cut with solvents and base oils | | | | correctly, it cannot be considered therapeutic. |
| that can actually be harmful to humans and animals; | | | | Today, steam distillation is still the most often used |
| this is because the company does not have the | | | | and preferred distillation process for essential oils. It is |
| expertise to select or harvest the plants or distill the | | | | a very fragile, time consuming and costly process |
| oils properly. | | | | where only uncontaminated water is used to produce |
| So, regardless of whether an individual wants to start | | | | the pure oil; and no chemicals or additives are used. |
| a business or simply use essential oils at home, it is | | | | Distilling oils is an art where even the length of time |
| important that one finds a company that is reputable | | | | and temperature at which it is distilled can change the |
| and responsible; and places consumer safety and | | | | quality of the oil to the point where it is rendered |
| trust in front of the bottom line. | | | | non-therapeutic; and therefore, that is why it is so |
| Organic Materials | | | | important for companies to have expertise in this |
| Essential oil distillers of the highest caliber will only | | | | area. |
| work with the purest materials. One does not want | | | | Experience |
| to use oils that have been extracted or distilled from | | | | One can now see how a distiller or essential oil |
| fruit, flowers or plants that have been sprayed with | | | | company has to have expertise in so many areas to |
| chemical pesticides. Look for a company that actively | | | | ensure that good quality therapeutic grade oil is |
| participates in growing and harvesting at least a | | | | produced. It is amazing that one can use organic |
| portion of the plants they use to produce oils; and | | | | plants and a steam distillation process yet still produce |
| has a program in place to accept or reject batches | | | | non-therapeutic oil just because the understanding is |
| of plant material. This is important because even how | | | | lacking. This is where strict testing of the finished |
| the plant is grown and harvested affects the | | | | product is critical. A good company will conduct |
| outcome of the oil and determines in part if the oil is | | | | regular evaluations of their plants and their oils; and |
| considered therapeutic grade or perfume grade. | | | | reject any plant or discard any oil that does not |
| Synthetic Additives | | | | meet those standards. |
| Many essential oil distillers or companies use synthetic | | | | Seriously speaking, people who are using oils for |
| substances such as solvents to produce a larger | | | | healing purposes or in alternative health practices on |
| quantity of oil and lower the cost of production. A | | | | humans and animals should only be considering |
| very important fact to keep in mind is that once oil is | | | | therapeutic grade oils; and companies who produce |
| changed (adulterated) in this fashion, then it no longer | | | | essential oils need to make sure they are labeled and |
| contains any therapeutic value. Thus, adulterated oils | | | | marketed appropriately. This is for the safety and |
| are considered fragrance grade oils and not pure | | | | benefit for all of us who use essential oils whether it |
| therapeutic grade essential oils; and should not be | | | | be for personal or professional use. |
| used in healing or alternative health work. | | | | Conclusion |
| Therefore, it is important to know what type of oil | | | | Choosing the best essential oils distiller or company |
| you are using. For instance, the bottle should be | | | | can be a process, but one worth evaluating when |
| labeled 100% therapeutic grade oil and should | | | | desiring high quality essential oils. Oils that have been |
| be sold in a dark bottle to limit degradation. Even oils | | | | distilled and adulterated with synthetic chemicals as |
| that are labeled organic are not necessarily | | | | most of all the essential oils one finds at the local |
| free of solvents because that only lets the purchaser | | | | health food store are not therapeutic in action and |
| know how it was grown not how the plant was | | | | will not give one the desired outcome. |