As natural body care products and aromatherapy become popular, the distinctive oils of plants are attracting more and more attention. As in any money-making field, there are reputable, responsible manufacturers and those who offer inferior products. If you want the best for mental, emotional, and physical health, choose organic and wildcrafted essential oils from a company with certification as well as independent ratings by an industry watchdog organization.
An essential oil is a volatile compound that gives a plant a distinctive odor, flavor, or property. The aromatic components can be taken from stem, leaf, blossom, root, or bark, depending on the plant. A volatile oil readily turns to vapor at room temperature. This is the reason for the fragrance of the rose or of the sprig of lavender. This oil may be a natural way to attract pollinators or repel insects and animals that would feed on the plant.
As with any oil, these fragile plant compounds can be easily damaged by using high heat or chemical solvents in extraction. They can also be rendered impotent by exposure to sunlight and air for long periods. Harvesting and processing must be properly done and carefully monitored to give a pure, clean product to consumers. Organic oil will have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides, and extracted by mechanical rather than chemical means.
Getting the oils from the field (or woods) to the final commercially-available bottle is tricky, as well. The plant essences must be quickly processed in small batches (machinery heats up quickly as it operates) and packaged in dark glass bottles. Shipping and storage is important as well, to keep the product from heat and light.
'Wildcrafted' simply means harvested from the wild. This, of course, is not always a positive if the product comes from a rare plant. However, many companies own their own source lands, where the populations of native plants can be monitored. Other plants may be cultivated in conditions that carefully replicate the native habitat. Producers thereby have control over both harvesting and delivery to the processing plant.
Independent, third-party testing is important to evaluate the final product for purity, potency, freshness, and overall quality. A high level of expertise is required to render a quality essential oil. The plant must be harvested at the right time of day, season of the year, and under the right conditions. Not all 'healthy' products are created equal, so make sure the company that produces an item has a good track record in the industry.
The organic certification that a company gains - hopefully by adhering to all the rules - is an indication that it truly cares about the quality of its products. Independent lab results that indicate both purity and potency are valuable as well when consumers are trying to find a reputable provider. Wildcrafted herbs are likely to be completely natural and untainted, too, and test results will show this.
Mental, emotional, and physical health can be maintained or restored with the use of pure essential oils. By choosing pure, clean products, people can enjoy a better quality of life.
An essential oil is a volatile compound that gives a plant a distinctive odor, flavor, or property. The aromatic components can be taken from stem, leaf, blossom, root, or bark, depending on the plant. A volatile oil readily turns to vapor at room temperature. This is the reason for the fragrance of the rose or of the sprig of lavender. This oil may be a natural way to attract pollinators or repel insects and animals that would feed on the plant.
As with any oil, these fragile plant compounds can be easily damaged by using high heat or chemical solvents in extraction. They can also be rendered impotent by exposure to sunlight and air for long periods. Harvesting and processing must be properly done and carefully monitored to give a pure, clean product to consumers. Organic oil will have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides, and extracted by mechanical rather than chemical means.
Getting the oils from the field (or woods) to the final commercially-available bottle is tricky, as well. The plant essences must be quickly processed in small batches (machinery heats up quickly as it operates) and packaged in dark glass bottles. Shipping and storage is important as well, to keep the product from heat and light.
'Wildcrafted' simply means harvested from the wild. This, of course, is not always a positive if the product comes from a rare plant. However, many companies own their own source lands, where the populations of native plants can be monitored. Other plants may be cultivated in conditions that carefully replicate the native habitat. Producers thereby have control over both harvesting and delivery to the processing plant.
Independent, third-party testing is important to evaluate the final product for purity, potency, freshness, and overall quality. A high level of expertise is required to render a quality essential oil. The plant must be harvested at the right time of day, season of the year, and under the right conditions. Not all 'healthy' products are created equal, so make sure the company that produces an item has a good track record in the industry.
The organic certification that a company gains - hopefully by adhering to all the rules - is an indication that it truly cares about the quality of its products. Independent lab results that indicate both purity and potency are valuable as well when consumers are trying to find a reputable provider. Wildcrafted herbs are likely to be completely natural and untainted, too, and test results will show this.
Mental, emotional, and physical health can be maintained or restored with the use of pure essential oils. By choosing pure, clean products, people can enjoy a better quality of life.
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You can find a summary of the reasons why you should use organic and wildcrafted essential oils at http://www.naturalassortments.com right now.