Why Quality Essential Oils Cost So Much and Why Cheaper Oils are Not a Better Value

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Freely adapted from Grade-A-Notes.
Used by permission.

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The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's love manifest in molecules

Essential oils are very complex substances, some containing more than 200 different chemicals, joined in an intricate aromatic mosaic.  And, for an essential oil to have the properties needed for medicinal aromatherapy, each of those chemical constituents must be present in the proper proportion.  (See the articles on AFNOR standards and essential oil chemistry.)

But, one thing that complicates the process of producing a quality oil is that these aromatic chemicals are very fragile and volatile.  If great care is not taken in the distillation of the oil, the delicate structure of the oil will be fractured, leaving you with an oil that has a poor chemical profile and/or is essentially inert — dead.

Unfortunately, in today's market, most producers of essential oils are more concerned about the cost than the quality.  They take shortcuts in the distillation process or add chemicals into the mix — or simply whip up a synthetic, Franken-oil — to produce oils that may smell okay, but lack any of an true essential oil's therapeutic value.  They may work well enough for recreational fragrancing, but they are not at all suitable for true aromatherapy.

Quality essential oils: They are very costly to produce

Producing a pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil is very costly.  Why is that?  Well, for one thing, it often requires several hundred — or even thousands — of pounds of raw plant material to produce a single pound of essential oil.  For example:

• It takes three tons (as in 6,000 pounds) of melissa leaves and flowers to produce one pound of melissa oil.  Its extremely low yield explains why it sells for $9,000 to $15,000 per kilo.
• It takes 5,000 pounds of rose petals to produce approximately one pint of rose oil.  So, it's not difficult to understand why this oil is so expensive.

For medicinal aromatherapy, the quality of the oil is the key

There is a vast difference in the quality of oils on the market today.  Most essential oils (about 98% of them) are produced for the perfume industry, where the main considerations are the oil's aromatic qualities (how it smells) and producing it at as low a cost as possible.  And that is fine, for that purpose. 

These distillers have found that they can produce more oil at a higher speed if they extract the oil at high pressure and high temperatures, and add chemical solvents during the distillation process.  In so doing, they lose many of the therapeutic chemical compounds of the oil (they are either flashed off with the high heat or are never released from the plant material), but most people still think these oils have an exquisite fragrance.

The problem arises when these oils are marketed for aromatherapy purposes. 

You see, in terms of essential oils, aromatherapy is about more than just the smell.  You need the whole range of chemical constituents in the oils to achieve safe and effective therapeutic results.  And, although the fragrance might be pleasing enough with these cheaper oils, the delicate chemical balance of the oil necessary to produce therapeutic results has been altered.  Even worse, these cheaper oils can be quite toxic, as one powerful chemical constituent of the oil loses the balancing influence of the chemicals lost in the distillation process

The Benefits of Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils

When it comes to anything more than recreational fragrancing, it pays to obtain the best oils possible.  If you choose cheaper oils, your results are likely to be very disappointing, at best.

However, using quality essential oils provides you with several benefits:

1. Essential oils have a small enough molecular size to quickly penetrate the tissues of the skin.
2. Essential oils are lipid-soluble, capable of penetrating cell membranes — even if the membranes have hardened due to oxygen deficiency.  According to Jean Valnet, M.D., essential oils can affect every cell of the body within 20 minutes, and are then metabolized like other nutrients.
3. According to researchers at the University of Vienna, essential oils stimulate blood flow, which increases oxygen and nutrient delivery.
4. Essential oils are some of the most powerful antioxidants known, as determined by the ORAC test, developed by Tufts University.  They may prevent mutations, fungus and oxidation in cells, and work as free-radical scavengers.
5. Essential oils repel bacteria, fungi, infections and viruses, and are antiseptic.  Some essential oils have been shown to destroy all tested bacteria and viruses.
6. Essential oils may detoxify cells and blood.
7. Essential oils containing sesquiterpenes — such as frankincense, myrrh, lavender and many others — have the ability to pass the blood-brain barrier.  This has been cited as a major hurdle in developing effective treatments for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease.
8. Essential oils are aromatic and, when diffused, may provide air purification by:
   • Increasing ozone and negative ions in the area;
   • Eliminating odors from cooking, bacteria, mold, animals and other sources;
   • Filling the air with a fresh, aromatic scent.
9. Essential oils promote emotional, physical and spiritual well being.
10. Essential oils are made up of three of the same elements as the human body — hydrogen, oxygen and carbon — making them very compatible with the body and giving them a balancing effect.

Don't just fragrance your environment, insist on therapeutic-grade essential oils for all the benefits aromatherapy has to offer.