My favourite oil supplier is...

Opinions are like butts. Everyone has got one. Some are bigger than others. And just because you've got one, doesn't make yours more right than someone else's, it just means you've got one.

One of the questions I'm continually asked as a professional aromatherapist is what brand I use? Who do I buy my essential oils from.

And I have to stop and ask why?

Why does knowing what brand I use make to helping you with your health and wellbeing plan.

How does knowing make a difference to you?

Who I choose is based on numerous factors, but at the end of the day it is just my opinion. So what makes my opinion better than yours in regards to essential oils? Well, as a professional I guess my opinion is an educated one, but it is still just opinion. I could tell you who I use, but how does that empower you? Sure, it will make you a follower of my information, but honestly wouldn't you prefer to be empowered to make your own informed choices rather than just follow mine?

So, in the name of empowerment, here is a list of questions I pose when determining who and where to purchase my essential oils from.

Some of the questions you can ask or things to look for:

• Is the supplier someone who has been in the field for a number of years and is well known and respected by other aromatherapy practitioners and/or educators

• Is the Latin name of the plant provided so that you are sure you are getting the right essential oil? For example, there are several species of lavender.

• Is the chemotype listed? For example, Thyme linalool and Thyme thymol are VERY different, so just knowing that it is Thymus vulgaris is not enough information. Proper listing would read Thymus vulgaris CT linalool.

• Is the country of origin in which the plants were grown provided? A consumer would not be expected to differentiate oils from different countries, but this information is important to aromatherapists because quality can vary by country. This is an indication that the company is marketing to knowledgeable parties as well as general consumers.

• Is there a statement about purity? Is the statement a trademark? Or is it a genuine statement about the purity process. 

• What does the label say about what is in the bottle? Some essential oils are sold as blends and this should be noted, as well as therapeutic, fragrance and the like. These have different meanings. A fragrance oil is not an authentic essential oil and generally means it is a synthetic copy.

• Is the business owned by an aromatherapy practitioner or essential oil specialist? This can help you determine the level of advice and support the company can give you

• Does the bottle have a "best before" date? Whilst essential oils don't expire, they do have a shelf life, and this information will give you an indication of this.

• Can the supplier readily provide a batch-specific GCMS report on each essential oils? Many have them but don't supply them. Reading them gives you an understanding of exactly what is in the bottle. Being able to understand what they mean requires a certain level of knowledge.

• Can the supplier provide a readily able material safety data sheets (MSDS) as needed

• Does the supplier have a strong reputation in the field

• Is the cost comparable with other brands of the same essential oil? If it's really cheap, it probably isn't the real thing. But really expensive doesn't equate to quality either.

• Is there information about organic growing or wildcrafting?

This is just a few of the questions I ask of my supplier/s, but is not a comprehensive list. Hopefully this information gives you the information you need to develop your own thought and opinion on who is the best provider for you.

Formore information, check out Aromawebhttp://www.aromaweb.com/articles/essentialoilqualitypurity01.asp

Further reading:

https://www.naha.org/assets/uploads/The_Quality_of_Essential_Oils_Journal.pdf