There are already many other guides in this section that do a good job of explaining what essential oils are and how they differ from fragrance oils.  My purpose in writing this guide is to help you choose the best oils available to you by explaining how to choose oils that do more than "just" smell good.

Purity

When an essential oil says "pure" on the label, it is simply telling you it does not contain particles of dust and other kinds of contaminants.  It does not tell you about the quality of the essential oil, just whether or not it is contaminated.

Of course, you always want pure essential oils!

But that isn't enough, especially if you want essential oils that are therapeutic (in other words, they do more than just smell great).  After thousands of dollars of testing over the last two years (for the Sheba Aromatherapy line of products), I have yet to find a single retail brand that is therapeutic (while their quality is high, only some high quality oils are high enough quality to be therapeutic).  The vast majority of online sources I have tested haven't been any better. 

So if you are frustrated as to why essential oils and aromatherapy don't seem to help you feel better, keep reading... if you just want instructions and not the reasons why, skip down to the bottom of this guide...

 

Why Do I Need to Know the Latin Names?

No, you don't need to learn Latin.  But you do need to know that if the Latin name isn't on the label, don't buy it.  Why?  I'll give you an example.  There are many, many, many different kinds of Lavender, and they each have a different Latin name.  Only a few of the kinds of Lavender have essential oils with therapeutic benefits (ex. "true" or augustifolia, "Spike," and a few others), and each one can do different things for you.  If you want the benefits of True Lavender and you accidentally buy Spike Lavender, don't expect to get the same effects as True Lavender!

Here's another reason why.  If the Latin name isn't on the bottle, the manufacturer is free to put whatever is cheapest at the moment into the bottle.  So one time you might actually get mostly True Lavender, and another time you might get mostly Spike Lavender.  You can't trust that you'll get the same benefits every time you buy a new bottle, and you will get frustrated as to why it doesn't work for you anymore!

And lastly the worst reason why the Latin name needs to be on the bottle.  Some very expensive essential oils, like Neroli, Rose, Jasmine, Melisa, Tuberose, and a few others may not actually contain ANY of those essential oil you think you are buying.  The real versions of these, even at wholesale prices, are thousands of dollars per pound of essential oil.  Why do manufacturers do this?  Well, for instance, there are several inexpensive essential oils that can be blended together to smell like Rose essential oil.  Yes, you may be buying a real bottle of essential oil, yes it may be pure, but if the Latin name isn't on the bottle it may not actually contain the actual essential oil. 

If the Latin name is on the bottle, you know it at least contains some of the essential oil you are actually trying to buy, even if it is only a tiny, teeny bit.

 

Authenticity

OK, so what is the last big catch?  Well, what if you want everything in the bottle to be what you are actually trying to buy?  Look for the word "authentic."  If it says authentic, it means that 100% of what is in the bottle is actually the essential oil identified by the Latin name on the bottle.

Instructions

So here's what you do.  To greatly increase your chances of getting a great smelling and actually therapeutic essential oil:

• Don't bother buying retail brands.  Look online for essential oil suppliers that include the following information...
• Pure - of course you want an essential oil that isn't contaminated with other things!
• Latin Name - now you know that at least some of the essential oil you are trying to buy is actually in the bottle and which essential oil it actually is!
• Authentic - the last piece of the puzzle - you now know that the bottle only contains the essential oil with that Latin name

• Use your nose.  The more often you buy oils that are pure and authentic, with the Latin name identified, the more your nose will learn to tell the difference in quality.  Pure, authentic, and Latin-name-identified oils smell better.  I could explain why, but then I'd have to write a second book-long guide!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Want to learn more?

To learn about safety guidelines for essential oils, including oils to always avoid and those to avoid if you are pregnant or suffer from high blood pressure, epilepsy, diabetes, or kidney failure, go to "Safety Guidelines for Using Essential Oils."

To learn about candles and aromatherapy, go to "Are Soy and Natural Candles Really Natural?"

I STRONGLY recommend the book, "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils," by Julia Lawless if you want to use essential oils.  This link will take you to my review of this book, where you will also find listings for people selling this book (I do not sell this book).

 

Please check out my other reviews, too:

"How to Make Your Own Chandelier Earrings Easily"

"Make Your Own Chocolate Candies"

"Soap Making Secret - How to Make Your Glycerin Soaps Last Longer"

"The Secret of Using Rutin to Trim Your Waist"