What do you consider the most important thing a person should know before using essential oils?
That's a very good question and it addresses concerns I have that have grown as the essential oil
industry has exploded over the last few years. With so many people wielding essential oils, and sorely lacking in knowledge on how to properly use them, I've seen issues that have arisen from this.
The first thing people should know is that essential oils are powerful and potent. For example, it takes upwards of a hundred pounds of Melissa (lemon balm) to produce three small 15 ml bottles of essential oil. This makes the constituents in the oil highly concentrated. Because of the concentrations, the oils can work wonders on various conditions. But there is a downside to this. If too much is used (especially if the oil is consumed--which I don't recommend), the effects can be devastating on the body. For example, Peppermint is high in menthol. Menthol is good for sore muscles, congestion, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues. But too much menthol causes menthol poisoning, the symptoms of which can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and even death.
It's important to note that essential oils work, and because they work, there are unsafe limits. Like vitamins, essential oils are extremely beneficial in proper amounts, but can be dangerous--even deadly in large amounts.
Why are essential oils so expensive?
I'm going to let you in on a secret (and my former business associates are going to hate that I say this), but essential oils don't need to cost a lot to be of the highest quality. As a former owner of an essential oil company, I know the cost of oils as they are received from distillers. I also know that essential oils are often marked up hundreds and even sometimes thousands of percent over the cost value.You may think, well, you get what you pay for. That's not always true with essential oils. I'm not saying there aren't low quality oils out there, but oils don't need to cost a fortune to be of the highest quality.
How do we know whether an essential oil company has quality oils?
There are several things that determine the quality of an oil and much of the evaluation is difficult for a layperson to understand. But there are signs you can follow that will let you know that a company is concerned with quality. The first thing to look for is Purity level. 100% pure means that the oil is free from chemicals and pesticides--it does not mean that it is not diluted. If you want to find out if an oil is undiluted, look for the word unadulterated. Forget the terms therapeutic grade, medicinal grade, or any other grade...there is no government oversight for essential oils, and thus there is no official grading of oils. Each essential oil company will grade their own oils and the essential oil companies have created their own terms for grading.
And then I look for GC/MS testing results that are available to the public. This is a laboratory analysis that tells you exactly what is in an oil--the purity level and content of the oil. It will also show warning signs that can lead you to suspect that the oil has been added to, changed, or otherwise tampered with. If an essential oil company has those tests available, you can assume that the company is open and honest about the oils they carry. If an essential oil company says it's "proprietary information", I would ask myself what do they have to hide?
Lastly, I would ask the oil company if they have a head formulator and/or chemist on staff. If they do not, then I would be concerned about their quality control. It takes knowledge and training to know when there is an issue with an essential oil. And then if they do not have original formulas, what do they truly have to offer you? Quality essential oils can be found in many places, but experts knowledgeable in formulations is more difficult to come by.
