Frequently Asked Questions

What is an essential oil synergy?

A synergy is a term often used in the Aromatherapy industry to indicate that a combination of essential oils have been blended together that complement each other or work synergistically with one another.

What does the term neat mean?

Neat is a term often used in the Aromatherapy industry to indicate that an essential or combination of essential oils are in their pure form and not diluted.  This term is adopted from the world of bartending when a patron in a restaurant or bar might order a neat scotch - meaning straight-up and not diluted.

What is an essential oil?

Essential oils are distilled essences that are derived from a wide range of aromatic plants. Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic extracts obtained from various portions of plants such as the; citrus peel, root, stem, bark, seed, flower and leaf.  

These essences contain upward of 50 to 200 different naturally occurring components that work synergistically within the botanical matrix of the plant rendering the plant with the ability to protect itself from invasive disease, repel predators and attract pollinators. The term ’essential’ does not indicate that these substances are essential to humans, rather the term ’essential’ is derived from the word essence. While these substances are natural they are still considered volatile chemicals that require the most stringent respect. There are many references indicating that humans have used herbal and aromatic extracts and resins dating back to the Mesopotamia era. It is imperative to know that herbal extracts and resinous plant materials are completely different from distilled Essential Oils.

How are essential oils made?

Essential oils are predominately produced through a steam distillation process (image above).

Citrus essential oils are primarily produced through a cold pressed process.

Co2 extracts are created via a process known as supercritical, whereby the plant material is extracted very quickly with carbon dioxide at room temperature.  The process is completed in an enclosed vessel to prevent oxidation. Co2 extracts are more aromatically and energetically vibrant than distilled oils and possess aromas that are more-true to the fresh plant material.

It takes several kilos of plant material and flower petals to yield a natural essential oil. Some plant material yields more essential oil than others which is why essential oil prices differ. When a particular plant does not yield much oil its natural odour molecules can be captured through a solvent process commonly referred to as absolute.

The oldest known method for capturing plant odours is called enfleurage. For example, gardenia petals would be soaked in a fat for several days and then the process is repeated until fat is saturated with the fragrance.  This is where the misunderstanding lies with respect to humans using essential oils thousands of years ago. During ancient times humans did not have the equipment and technological know-how to extract aromatic hydrocarbons from plants therefore in order capture the aromatics or perfume aromas was through enfleurage.

Are essential oils and the practice of aromatherapy regulated?

In Canada and the United States there are two professional organizations; respectively The Canadian Federation of Aromatherpists (CFA) and the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), these organizations have strict guidelines that practitioners and businesses adhere to with respect to the proper dissemination of information and education surrounding the use of essential oils, absolutes and natural essences and including the distribution of such. Aromatherapy is currently an unregulated and unlicensed field both for the practice of aromatherapy as well as the manufacturing of aromatherapy products, generally speaking aromatherapy inspired products fall under the category of natural wellness products (as long as no medical claim is being made) otherwise they may be considered as cosmetics. As a whole the industry seeks to comply with current safety and standards of practice, and to stay informed about potential impending regulations with regards to the manufacturing of aromatherapy inspired products and items that contain essential oils.

What is the difference between an essential oil vs. natural isolate or synthetic fragrance?

Essential oils are predominately distilled from leaves, stems, flowers, roots, seeds, bark or resinous substances that exude from trees such as sap. Natural cold pressed essential oils are extracted from the peel of citrus fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange.

Fragrant oils are industry approved aromatic materials that are used predominately in soaps, detergents, cleaning products, body care products, cosmetics and perfumes. Fragrant oils are relatively inexpensive and are created with petrochemicals. Advancements in the petrochemical industry over the last century have provided industries with the ability to create synthetic fragrance that mimic natural aromas such as lilac, watermelon or tobacco. These synthetic aromas are used extensively in the perfume industry and by manufacturers of body care products, detergents and soaps. Commercial brand products that are fragrant often contain synthetic fixatives which allows the scent to last for several hours or an entire day.

Pure essential oils are expensive and unstable constituents; for example a batch of fresh distilled lavender oil could contain between 25— 50% linalool (a monoterpene) or more generally referred to as an aromatic isolate that occurs in hundreds of aromatics plants and flowers. However, from season to season and depending upon the geographical growing location the resulting amount of linalool in a particular batch of lavender will vary. Varying amounts of linalool is not conducive to quality control standards when a manufacturer is trying to achieve a consistent scent. Chemists are capable of isolating or extracting linalool from naturally sourced aromatic solutions such as distilled essential oils. However, linalool can also be produced from petroleum and this latter form is often used extensively as an inexpensive filler and adulterator which relates to the fragrant oils discussed previously.

Can essential oils be used internally?

Essential oils that are of a culinary nature are used in the food and beverage industry as flavour enhancers. These additives are formulated by food chemists who are bound by industry protocols, licensing and government regulations. Sometimes you may see the term GRAS status on a label, meaning that a substance is Generally Recognized as Safe by the EPA & FDA (Environmental Protection Agency & Federal Drug Administration).† This does not indicate that an essential oil is safe to ingest as a medicine or from a nutritional perspective. Many companies are promoting the idea that it is safe to consume essential oils due to their naturalness and purity, with anecdotal marketing tag lines that entice purchasers into believing that essential oils can be used to cure, treat or render the human body from developing illnesses and disease. For example, adding a few drops of a cold pressed citrus essential oil to your water or smoothie does not provide any vitamin c, nor does it provide any other nutritional benefits compared to eating and/or consuming the whole fruit. Some essential oils contain naturally occurring substances that cause mucous membrane, esophageal and stomaching lining irritation. Under the code of ethics stipulated by organizations such as the CFA & NAHA, essential oils should not be ingested for any reason. However some essential oils are often seen as ingredients in oral products such as toothpaste and mouthwash.

How do essential oils work and how do odours affect people?

There are numerous books on the subject of Aromatherapy and piles of references on the internet directing folks to use essential oils either topically or internally to treat, cure, or prevent various conditions. However, making such exaggerated and unjustifiable product claims is sheer negligence. Many of these anecdotal claims are being made by companies and individuals who have construed scientific information.

There is however, empirical research indicating that pure essential oils contain constituents that are that are anti-microbial and possess insecticidal properties, some essential oils may provide topical relief related to musculoskeletal disorders, due to their cooling and/or warming properties, and some essential oils may benefit skin conditions.†

Essential oils should never be used on the skin undiluted and it is imperative to know which essential oils should be used in lessor dilutions and realize that many can cause dermal irritation especially those that oxidize quickly. There is also verifiable science indicating that from a psychological perspective that an odour, be it natural or synthetic, be it pleasant or obnoxious – will light-up various centres of the brain and elicit positive or negative mood states.†

Is one brand of essential oil better than another?

There is a lot of chatter purported by many businesses who indicate that their particular brand of essential oils are classified as the purest or possess the highest therapeutic quality.  Some companies even use trademarked sentences or tag-lines indicating that their brand of oils are certified in some manner.  This type of statement is misleading to the consumer - a trademark simply means that a business or person has gone through the legal process of securing intellectual property rights to a word, name, or phrase - which then inhibits another person or business to use the same statement on their product labels or in their marketing materials. Most essential oil companies do not distil or manufacture their oils, rather most businesses buy in bulk from raw material distributors or have pre-arranged contracts with agricultural producers and farms.

Can people be allergic to essential oils or synthetic fragrance oils?

Just because something is natural doesn’t mean that it’s good for you! Many botanicals are poisonous, many people have environmental allergies, and many folks have very sensitive skin. If you know that you are sensitive to a particular plant then it is best that you avoid that particular essential oil, absolute or natural essence. Over the last one hundred years many folks have developed sensitivities to synthetic perfumes and to petrochemical derivatives in cosmetics. Best health practices indicate that adopting healthy lifestyle habits and reducing our exposure to toxic ingredients will benefit our planet and our bodies.

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or by Health Canada. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.