How do essential oils differ in quality?
Essential oils can differ in quality depending upon several factors. How was the plant grown? How has it been handled? Has the farmer’s skill been handed down from generation to generation? What type of equipment was used? Is the plant material organic? Was the right amount of steam and pressure used in its distillation? Have solvents been used in the distillation process? Has the plant been distilled for the correct amount of time? (Each plant varies.) The experienced aromatherapist will be able to tell this just by smelling the oil. Because he or she might say that one oil is better than another, people mistakenly believe that there are several grades of oil. This is not true. It is simply that there are many people distilling essential oils with different apparatus and different plant material from varying countries. Do not be misled by words like; natural, genuine, authentic, medical grade and food grade. These terms are often used to describe essential oils but mean very little. T
