What's Up with These Essential Oils?
“I lived my whole life without essential oils.So what makes them so… essential?”
Did you know that essential oils have been an important part of healing therapies dating back as early in time as 4500B.C.?! Essential oils throughout history have become, well, an essential part of religious rites, ceremonies, beauty care, perfumes, & even food preparation. These highly concentrated, natural, plant-based aromatic fluids from plants & plant parts have been the foundation for herbal medicines & remedies for thousands of years. Believe it or not, essential oils are at the root of today’s pharmaceuticals (though they assuredly look much different!).
The Ancient Egyptians, big fans of personal hygiene & self-care (honestly, these Ancients invented self-care & beauty regimens), used thyme, lavender, & aloe for perfumes. As they were costly, oils were used primarily by ruling families (Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, ring a bell?) & priests who were the doctors of the day. Oils such as cedar & myrrh were used for embalming & protecting the soul of the departed. Essential oils were so valuable & important to the Egyptians that even King Tut’s tomb was found to have had 50 specially carved alabaster jars full of essential oils.
By 3000B.C., the use of herbs for healing began to be used in both traditional Chinese & Indian (Ayurveda) medicine practices. Ginger, sandalwood, cinnamon, & coriander were widely used as holistic medicinal treatments & for achieving emotional balance. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.E.), the Greek physician who is considered the Father of Modern Medicine, studied & recorded the medicinal impact of over 300 plants. Hippocrates is noted for his advice that the way to health is a daily aromatic bath & scented massage (& who wouldn’t enjoy that every day?!?!). Most importantly, Hippocrates asserted, is the direct health impact external application of essential oils had on internal organs & tissues of the body. The Romans were known for very generous application of plant oils to their bodies, bedding, & clothing for perfumes as well as using these oils in massage & bathing. Fun fact! There are 207 references to oils (mostly plant infusions of olive oil) the New King James Version of the Christian Bible!
It was the French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé, who was the first to use the term “aromatherapy” while studying the antiseptic properties of essential oils. His influential 1928 book, “Aromatherapie”, detailed the therapeutic healing capabilities of essential oils & was influential in medical practices in France. Ali-Ibn Sana (980 -1037 A.D.) is credited for being the first physician to discover & record the method of distilling essential oils- methodology that is still used today. During the 14th century Bubonic Plague, intense fear of this disease encouraged the burning of frankincense & pine in the streets to ward off “evil spirits”. Not surprisingly, less people died of the Plague in the areas where this ritual was carried out, thanks to the disinfecting & antimicrobial properties of these oil containing herbs- diffused into the air by burning- & breathed in by villagers.
Essential oils (more commonly called “EO’s” by aromatherapists & naturopaths) have become increasing popular & more widely used than ever before. From abrasions to sunburn to headaches the natural chemical-free therapy EO’s provide are more appealing & less damaging to the body- oftentimes more effective- than traditional, modern day over-the-counter treatments. Commercial manufacturers have caught on to ever-increasing interest in & popularity of more “natural” products like essential oils & have begun including trace amounts of EO’s in a wide range of hygiene products- deoderants, shampoos, body lotions, & even cosmetics- to market to consumer interest as well as demand. While it might make for some attractive packaging & appear to be “healthier” or more “natural”, it’s important to note that trace amounts of EO’s in these products are so small their therapeutic benefits are typically negligible.
Choosing Essential Oils
The best therapies are from the use of high quality, exceptionally pure EO’s. When used appropriately & properly, EO’s can be a powerful healing therapy. But in an industry filled with so much white noise, how do you sort through all that to find the best EO’s? Glad you asked! Answer: Be your own best advocate!
It cannot be emphasized enough to do your homework when it comes to choosing essential oils for your at-home or portable medicine cabinet. What is most important is not only to know what to look for but also how to spot low quality or fake EO’s that would be a waste of your money & provide very little benefit to your health- perhaps even be unsafe as well. For good or for bad the essential oils market is not heavily regulated by the FDA, but responsible EO companies will be transparent in their manufacturing practices as well as their product labeling. Just as we should be looking at the ingredient labeling on food, so too should we be doing this when choosing an essential oil for medicinal or therapeutic use. Here is what you should be looking for:
Common & Latin name of the plant- as well as the plant parts (i.e., root, leaf, stem) from which the oil was extracted- should be noted on the label. If no Latin or scientific/botanical name of the plant is mentioned, that particular oil is NOT a pure, medicinal grade, single essential oil, but instead likely an inexpensive synthetic or synthetic blend version.
Labels that reflect “fragrance oil”, “nature identical oil”, or “perfume oil” are not true EO’s. “Essence oil” is a blend of an EO with a carrier oil already mixed in, not a pure medicinal essential oil. Labels should specifically state the oil is “100 percent pure essential oil”.
When it comes to EO’s, wording such as “Clinical Grade” or “Therapeutic Grade” on labeling is nothing more than eye-catching false advertising as these terms are not standardized in the EO industry. Don’t let this terminology sway your purchasing decision regarding purity, quality, or better therapeutic benefit.
High quality therapeutic EO’s will be packaged in dark glass (amber) bottles for protection from UV light & oxidation, usually about 4oz. or (sometimes) less. Never purchase essential oils bottle in plastics. At Fig Tree Nutrition, we also recommend avoiding aluminum bottling to eliminate exposure to this damaging heavy metal which may leech into the oil over time.
Look for wording that describes how the oil was extracted (which should be by steam distillation, water distillation, or cold press only) & how it was grown (i.e., organic, wild-crafted, or traditional).
Because EO’s are highly concentrated & will be used for resolving disease in the body, it is very important to seek out EO brands that are organic, wildcrafted, & grown unsprayed/chemically-free to eliminate exposure to unnecessary, harmful toxins. Look for GMP, organic, third party tested, & non-GMO certification seals/wording on the label. Certifications assure the oil you are purchasing has met or exceeded standard manufacturing processes for purity & quality. Because of widely varying regulations from country to country it is important to read country of origin labels closely regarding plants used in the manufacturing of any essential oils.
Respectable essential oil manufacturers will have a great relationship with their plant sources & be involved in knowing how those farms grow the botanicals they are purchasing. These companies will also frequently test plant sources in-house & routinely participate in third party independent lab testing to assure the purity of their finished EO products.
In the EO industry, as with supplements, the phrase “you get what you pay for” is a great measuring stick for the quality of any essential oil. While it’s not necessary to purchase the most expensive brand, absolutely avoid purchasing essential oils (especially from big box stores) that seem like a great bargain. Not all botanicals are created equal! Some (such as saffron & vanilla bean) are more expensive to grow, harvest, & extract. For this reason, avoid companies who similarly price all their EO’s. Chances are those bargain priced essential oils will have little therapeutic benefit.
To help make your search way less confusing, we’ve spent dozens of hours thoroughly researching over 20 essential oil manufacturers to point you in the right direction when it comes to choosing high quality, affordable essential oils. You’ll see these carefully selected companies listed on the links below. We’ve chosen & recommend these companies for their high quality products, sustainability & manufacturing practices, transparency in labeling & testing, ethics, certifications, industry reputation, & generosity to their communities, chosen charities, & educational organizations. We hope you enjoy their products & encourage you to contact us with your feedback!
By clicking on these links & purchasing from these companies, as an affiliate, Fig Tree Nutrition may receive a small commission. Funds generated through earned commissions will be used to establish FigTreeKids Kamp summer programs & educational gardens in our community.