What to look for and resources
When looking for essential oils it is extremely important to know your source. Where do they grow it, how is it distilled, is it sprayed with pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals. Essential oils are not regulated and they can say most anything on the labels so you want to buy from suppliers that are committed to selling quality oils. Many essential oils being sold on the market are adulterated, have synthetic ingredients added, or can even be sold as Lavender oil but not contain any actual lavender oil. It is up to us as the consumer to search out quality oils that are exactly what they say they are.
A few ways to do that are to know your source. Important items to obtain on each essential oil you purchase include: Common name, Latin name (exact genus and species), Country of origin,and chemotype (when relevant) should be on the label. Asking a supplier the Type of Extraction (distillation or expression), how it was grown (organic, wild-crafted, traditional) and how do they store their oils before shipping or if in a store how are they stored is important. Are they in a dark cool place? In stores be sure to check that they are not in direct sunlight. And I like to have the GC/MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) sheet if possible but at the very minimum get the above info before purchasing.
We are obviously oily nerds and love information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by going to the website and searching MusclesandMoods. You can also find info at one of our favorite schools Aromahead Institute. They do lots of webinars, and even a You Tube channel. Aromatics International has a lot of great recipes and info for customizing blends for your specific needs. Check out this section on their website for some inspiration. Robert Tisserand's website has a lot of oil chemistry info and tons of safety information.
A few ways to do that are to know your source. Important items to obtain on each essential oil you purchase include: Common name, Latin name (exact genus and species), Country of origin,and chemotype (when relevant) should be on the label. Asking a supplier the Type of Extraction (distillation or expression), how it was grown (organic, wild-crafted, traditional) and how do they store their oils before shipping or if in a store how are they stored is important. Are they in a dark cool place? In stores be sure to check that they are not in direct sunlight. And I like to have the GC/MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) sheet if possible but at the very minimum get the above info before purchasing.
We are obviously oily nerds and love information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by going to the website and searching MusclesandMoods. You can also find info at one of our favorite schools Aromahead Institute. They do lots of webinars, and even a You Tube channel. Aromatics International has a lot of great recipes and info for customizing blends for your specific needs. Check out this section on their website for some inspiration. Robert Tisserand's website has a lot of oil chemistry info and tons of safety information.