Is it just me?
I received a small catalog from Universal Companies and found several EO brands that I had not heard of before. Several of the massage perodicals/journals contain ads for unheard-of EO companies. Biotone, TheraPro...so many known companies that produce massage oils and cremes have now gone into the EO business. All claim to sell quality products...not adulterated...not "cut." But yet, when I have tried them or smelled them, they smelled funny or had no effect. Prices are all over the chart, from high to low. So using the old addage that "quality means you pay more," well...that doesn't help.
I have been impressed with YLEOs so far. I even have some Nature's Sunshine (NS) EOs to use for treatments (Tx). When I smell them, I don't detect an alcohol or "off" smell. NS EOs have an "earthy" smell to them. Not sure why so different from YL.
I would like to learn about quality EOs from the companies that you have worked with and trust. I also would like to know about EOs that you stopped using and why. Thanks for taking the time to comment on my post. Have a great day!
Jean Ann Scholefield
Jul 30, 2010
Katharine Koeppen
I started out using cheap, commonly available EOs from the local Whole Foods, and could never understand why I didn't get results from my aromatherapy blends... until I was introduced to high quality oils. I've use 11 or 12 different brands during my career, including most of the ones mentioned in this thread, and found that most of them weren't up to snuff. Out of frustration, I began importing my own EOs from artisanal grower/distillers.
Although there are claims that owning your own farms, providing GCMS analysis, and buying an expensive EO are all guarantees of quality, none of this is necessarily true. Neither is "scientific data" quoted as "proof" of an essential oil's efficacy or quality... data is frequently spun by a company and twisted to fit their purposes, which you will frequently figure out if you actually read the original studies cited.
What is true is that if you expose yourself to many different EOs and seek out ethical teachers (a rarity in the business), you'll eventually educate yourself enough to be able to recognize a fine quality EO. I would suggest going to as many essential oil educational conferences as possible to sample products at all the exhibitors' booths. Discreetly ask conference attendees about the reputations of the various people who are touting their products or classes. Attend conferences which are sponsored by professional organizations (not essential oil companies!) who do not have a vested interest in the products being exhibited. You'll quickly figure out who's being truthful and who's not.
You mention that the EOs from two different companies do not small the same. Again, this is a matter of exposing yourself to a wider range of suppliers. The variance in aroma could be a matter of quality or adulteration, or it might simply indicate that the companies source from different parts of the world. For instance, geranium EO from Comoros smells quite different from Egyptian geranium, which in turn smells quite different from South African geranium oil. Again, if you are serious about aromatherapy, please invest in a few professional conferences and classes to educate and empower yourself.
Katharine Koeppen, RA
Aromaceuticals
www.aromaceuticals.com
Jul 30, 2010
Sylla Hanger
Sylla
Aug 3, 2010