How to Choose an Essential Oil Brand: 7 Things You Need To Know
Choosing The Best Essential Oil Brand
The world of essential oils can be very overwhelming. Especially if you’re just starting out and don’t know very much about them. You may be wondering how to choose an essential oil brand that’s right for you.
There are so many different claims being made about essential oils all over the internet. Especially in regards to which brand or company is the best. It can be soooo confusing. I know!
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So I want to help you but before I do let me make one thing clear. I don’t believe there is one perfect essential oil company out there. There are a lot of bad ones that you definitely want to stay away from. Read this post to learn how to spot them. But there are also a lot of amazing companies that sell high-quality, pure essential oils.
It’s up to you to do the research necessary to figure out which brand is best for you. So below are 7 questions you need to ask before choosing an essential oil brand.
1 | Where do the plants come from?
The best essential oils come from plants that are grown in their indigenous locations. This means the plant is harvested where it grows naturally in the wild. Native plants tend to have a better nutritional profile. They are much healthier because they have adapted to the soil and climate over the course of thousands of years.
Some essential oil companies own their own farms and have huge plantations where herbs and plants are cultivated in a mono-crop mass-production farming operation. This is not always a good thing. The essential oils will be better quality if they’re from organic sources around the world, in places where those plants are native to the ecosystem.
2 | Are the plants organic or wild-crafted?
Make sure the plants used to make the oils are organic whenever possible. If they’re not organic then verify they have been wildcrafted. Wildcrafted refers to plants gathered from the wild that are grown in their natural environment and harvested without the use of chemicals. These plants are often better than plants that are certified organic.
3 | What is their extraction method?
The extraction method is extremely important when choosing an essential oil company. Because even if a plant is organic or wildcrafted and has been sourced from an indigenous location, all the amazing therapeutic benefits from the plant can be destroyed in the extraction process if done improperly. Steam distillation at a very low temperature is best.
4 | Are the oils completely unadulterated?
Some essential oils go through second and third distillations to achieve a desired scent. This can remove the therapeutic benefits from the oil. You definitely do not want that. You want the oils to be completely unadulterated. Make sure nothing else is added to the essential oil as well. The essential oil should be 100% pure!
5 | Does the company provide gc/ms testing reports?
GC/MS testing can identify if adulteration has happened to the essential oil tested. It is very important that the company does third-party GC/MS batch testing on all of their essential oils and that they provide the test results to their customers. That way you can verify that the oil is pure and unadulterated. Many essential oil companies provide GC/MS testing reports right on the product pages such as Florihana essential oils, Eden’s Garden and Plant Therapy.
You can learn more about GC/MS testing here.
6 | Do they use proper bottling and labeling?
Examining the bottle and label of an essential oil is a quick way to determine whether you should investigate any further. The bottle should be glass and a dark color. The label should include at least the Latin botanical name of the plant and the country of origin. If it doesn’t I wouldn’t bother researching any further.
7 | Are the oils priced fairly?
Some essential oils are ridiculously cheap and some are ridiculously expensive. This is why proper research is soooo important. Don’t be deceived by the price tag. Just because an essential oil is super expensive does not mean it’s higher quality than a less expensive oil from another brand.
One of my favorite essential oil brands is Florihana. Their oils are amazing yet they’re significantly cheaper than the MLM brands that claim to be superior. And believe me, they are just as good if not better.
If an essential oil company meets all the criteria above and has affordable prices then you have found an essential oil company that is worth trying.
Tips about How to Choose an Essential Oil Brand
Most of the information above should be easily found on the company websites. If for some reason you can’t find the information you’re looking for, reach out to the company and ask. I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you.
Like I mentioned earlier, after doing careful research I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover there are many amazing essential oil companies. Remember you don’t have to be loyal to just one brand. I use oils from many different essential oil companies.
Although, my favorite right now is Florihana essential oils. You can read my full Florihana essential oils review here. They meet all the criteria above and then some. They’re awesome. But I also love Plant Therapy and Eden’s Garden.
fINAL THOUGHTS about how TO Choose an Essential Oil Brand
I hope this article equips you with the knowledge you need to do your own research and find the best essential oil company (or companies) for you. If someone is trying to convince you their essential oil company is best and superior to the rest, more than likely they’re trying to sell you something.
Sorry, I’m just being honest. I’ve been there done that and I’ve wasted more money than I’d like to admit because someone convinced me the essential oil brand they used was the “best”. And I believed them without doing any research of my own.
Oh well. You live and learn. Hopefully, this will help you to not make the same mistakes (and waste as much money) as I did. I’ll be writing a completely unbiased, in-depth review on some of the most popular essential oil companies soon. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below!
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I came across this site and so happy I did. I used to be a doterra and young living (minor) fan, love the smells but hate the prices. I recently tried Rocky Mountain Oils and I do like them; but prices are still a little high and some of the oils just have a less the pure smell to me and maybe that’s just me or just that they smell ‘different’, but they are also still a little pricey. My question now is…after reading your blog post, do I try Florihana or Simply earth? Then I saw reviews and prices on Eden’s Garden and Plant therapy too, which seem good. Do I order 1 or 2 from each to see which company and oil I will like best? I have my go-to oils and I just need to find low prices and the best fit for me. Suggestions ?
Hi. I would definitely recommend just purchasing a few of your go-to oils from several different brands. Try them out and see how you like them. I believe that you don’t have to be loyal to just one brand. My essential oil collection is full of so many different brands. When a brand I like has a sale, I like to take that as an opportunity to stock up on my most used oils. With the holiday season approaching, many good essential oil brands are having sales, making it the perfect time to try out some of their oils. I hope that helps.