When it comes to the whole business of essential oils, the water can get muddy when you try to figure out how to choose the right essential oils. For instance, there are numerous oils that have antiseptic properties; a bunch smell wonderful; a variety have anti-aging properties and numerous are calming. That’s the reason for this post which is designed to help you choose the right essential oil.
Step 1- This must be the first thing you do in deciding how to choose the right essential oil
Before you even begin the process of choosing which specific essential oils it’s important to select a supplier of your oils. Your supplier should be able to provide you with oils that have been tested for their purity.
The testing of oils drives up the cost of the oils somewhat, but testing is critical when you are using an essential oil for its fragrance or therapeutic use. Essential oils are poorly regulated. This makes your choice of a reputable supplier even more crucial.
We at SpaFromScratch researched vendors for months before we settled on Ancient Healing Oils as a top pick to supply our goddesses. Our primary criterion was quality. Everything else followed way, way, way behind that.
Step 2 – Clearly define your use(s) for the essential oils
Very few essential oils have only one use, but many have a primary use. For example, say you want an essential oil for a diffuser. You want it to have a pleasant scent, but you also want it to help purify the air. If the primary use is to purify the air then the best oil for that purpose should be on your shopping list first. If you can purchase an essential oil that is an excellent purifier that also has a pleasant scent. That’s great. However, quite often you will need to blend oils to achieve the desired combination. This means you will need to purchase at least two essential and complementary essential oils.
Step 3 – Cost and shelf life considerations when you choose an essential oil
If you are just starting out using essential oils or only occasionally use them, purchase the smallest quantity of oil(s) possible for your creations. Remember, there are roughly 20 drops of essential oil per milliliter. There is roughly 24 drops per ¼ teaspoon. There are three reasons for starting with smaller quantities of an essential oil. First, you can test the essential oil for allergies, scent and effectiveness. Second, you don’t have to worry as much about spoilage. Yes, essential oils can go bad. Third, it will cost you less.
Step 4 – Research the essential oils for best use
I know this is a big job, but it’s important. If you go back to the example of trying to find the best oil to purify the air in your home, a Google search will give you a number of sites to explore. When you see the same oil for the same use multiple times on quality sites, the chances are you’ve got a good place to start.
When I research an essential oil for the posts on SpaFromScratch, I dig into the scientific data extensively because I think it’s important to give you the best information available. Plus, I know how much false information is out there. Sometimes I get carried away talking about an essential oil’s active ingredients and chemistry, but I can’t help myself. If you’re an active ingredients junkie like me, youmay have to dig even deeper into the inner workings of essential oils research to find the answers you’re looking for.
Conclusion
If you visit the “custom spa recipes” to the right of your screen, the information there will also help you choose the right essential oils. Keep in mind, that the recipes there do not include all essential oils available for use. As it becomes available, we sort through the new research on essential oils and their uses and report any changes.
Now go have fun and relax.
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