Natural cosmetics oils whose reviews are good. Manufacturers of essential oils - we focus on quality. So how do you recognize a natural essential oil?

Treatment with aromas, a pleasant and effective method of healing, is gaining more and more fans. Supporters should be able to distinguish a natural product from a fake.

This article is about how to check the quality of an essential oil at the stage of purchase and at home in order to protect your health.

Natural grades of essential oils

natural essential oils produced according to the classical (standard) technology. The accuracy of the technological process and the quality of raw materials determine the degree of naturalness of the resulting oil.

It is worth noting that most often we are dealing with essential oils that are relatively natural. The thing is that it is very difficult to accurately reproduce the chemical composition of natural raw materials, and proper processing requires experience, high skill, and often intuition.

Azulene containing essential oils belong to a special group and are distinguished by the presence in the composition of isomeric azulenes, which are not contained in plants, but are formed during steam distillation during the production of oil.

Isolates. Some essential oils contain a high percentage of one of the constituents.

For example, coriander oil contains about 70% linalool. Such oils are used to obtain this particular component (isolate) for the purpose of its subsequent use in perfumery, adding to other essential oils, extracting other elements from them.

Partially natural essential oils(enriched or adjusted) consist of the main essential oil and additives of natural substances isolated from other natural essential oils.

The purpose of fortifying or adjusting an oil is to improve the quality of the product by changing the chemical composition. However, such an adjustment is not always justified, since the biological activity of natural oil and the added component may not be equivalent. The quality of such oils can be considered satisfactory provided that the following conditions are met:

• the ratio of components characteristic of natural oil,
• compliance with the biological activity of the added components.

artificial essential oils consist partly or wholly of synthetic substances similar to natural ones.

Synthetic essential oils composed of substances that have no analogues in nature.

Artificial and especially synthetic essential oils are often completely unsuitable for the purposes of aromatherapy, being a gross falsification. They are distinguished by a pungent odor and allergic responses.

Aromatic compositions:

natural essential oils dissolved in natural fatty oils, or in synthetic solvents (propleglycol, ethyl alcohol, heavy esters),

blends of natural essential oils.

On the one hand, being a natural product, on the other hand, they have no analogues in nature. Aromatic solutions and blends of essential oils often have unpredictable and complex biological activities. Therefore, their use must be strictly controlled. These compositions are mainly used for the production of perfumes and cosmetics.

Fraudulent essential oils

The low content of essential oils in plants and the complexity of their production process explains the high cost of the final product.

For example, only 2.5 kg of oil is obtained from 100 kg of lavender, and to obtain half a kilogram of rose oil, 100 kg of rose petals will need to be processed.

High demand and the need to reduce the cost of production has led to the flooding of the market with low-quality essential oils diluted with cheap oils, solvents, impurities, as well as "natural copies" - chemically synthesized products ("nature identical").

You can get natural essential oil not from any plant, but only from essential oil.

Essential oils of cucumber, peach, lotus, fern, mango, coconut, banana, magnolia, linden, apricot, lilac, watermelon, kiwi, strawberry, melon, apple, pear, lily of the valley does not exist in nature!

All of the above "essential oils" are fake, and the plants from which they are allegedly obtained are not essential oils! These oils are perfume compositions.

To date, only 4% of the fragrance market is natural essential oils, and 96% are "natural copies" that have a lower cost.

Natural essential oils have a complex chemical composition: several hundred chemical compounds, many of which are unknown. It is impossible to copy this unique composition, which means it is impossible to copy the pharmacological properties of natural oil.

Artificial analogues not only do not have medicinal properties, but also pose a serious danger to our health.

in their composition there are isomers and components alien to natural essential oils.

Their human is not fully understood and can be unpredictable.

When buying cheap artificial or synthetic oils, remember

it is unacceptable to use them for medicinal purposes, it is especially dangerous to inhale such “ethers” through aroma lamps,aroma medallions.

This is fraught with allergic reactions, skin infection and more serious consequences in the form of eczema, asthma, and general poisoning of the body.

Only undiluted, unprocessed essential oils have true aromatherapy properties..

IMPORTANT!

If you are not sure about the quality, never use the oil for medicinal purposes. Counterfeits can be both harmless and very dangerous:

to harmless include essential oils diluted with alcohol or vegetable oil.

dangerous can become imitations of essential oils containing a high concentration of resins, synthetic fragrances, solvents.

Synthetic and artificial essential oils can only be used for domestic purposes: removing unpleasant odors in wardrobes, shoes, washing floors, scenting rooms. Using such drugs in everyday life, you need exercise extreme caution.

Label must contain:

botanical name of the ethereal plant in Russian and Latin. For example: "Lavender", Lavandula angustifolia;

the inscription "100% natural essential oil";

manufacturer;

receiving method;

best before date.

Package. International standards provide for dark brown glass packaging, 5-10 ml each, and for expensive oils, the packaging volume is even smaller. The bottle is supplied with a dispenser and a cap with a tamper-evident ring.

IMPORTANT: the presence of an orange square with a black cross on the package or label means that we have an active, potent, concentrated undiluted essential oil, which must be used with extreme caution for purposes.

With this sign, Council Directive 67/548/EWG (2008) obligated all European manufacturers of potent biologically active concentrated substances to inform consumers about the need to follow all points of the rules for use and not to exceed the indicated dosages.

Essential oil cost.

Many factors affect the price of the final product:

the value and rarity of the ether-bearing plant,

essential oil quality

percentage of essential oil in the plant,

labor costs in cultivation, production, transportation,

commercial markup.

Synthetic and artificial analogues are always much cheaper.

However, the high price of an essential oil, unfortunately, is not always a guarantee of its high quality.

We determine the naturalness of essential oils at home

Smell natural oil should not be flat and give off synthetics. Real natural oils smell multifaceted, different notes replace each other.

When opening the bottle, the smell should not hit the nose. Real essential oils are volatile, their smell dissipates in the air.

We sniff correctly: do not bring the bubble to the very nose, keep it at the level of the lower lip, move the bubble from side to side.

Citrus oils cannot smell for long - they are the most volatile. The heaviest and most resinous - conifers, can smell for a long time. If the esters of sandalwood or cedar have evaporated in a couple of hours, you have a fake.

However, modern aroma synthesis technologies make it possible to bring the artificial smell as close as possible to the natural one, it can be difficult to distinguish them right away. Therefore, when determining the naturalness of an oil, one should pay attention to one more characteristic property of a natural essential oil - its volatility.

Volatility. The essential oil evaporates rather slowly, with the exception of citrus fruits, and can leave behind a stain, pigments, but in no case is it greasy. The presence of fat may indicate that

esters are diluted with vegetable oils,

poorly cleaned of resins,

in front of you is an aromatic composition for domestic needs.

Appearance oils should be clear and clean, without suspensions and sediment.

If you add low-quality oil to cosmetics, then the milk or gel will become cloudy, and the cream will exfoliate.

At home, it is very difficult to determine the naturalness of an essential oil; only chromatographic analysis gives a 100% guarantee.

How do you define the quality of an essential oil?

Elena Valve for the Sleepy Cantata project

Essential oils are diluted essences from fruits, flowers and trees - it takes a lot of work to get even a small amount of essential oil. That is why the price is high, but at the same time they are incredibly potent, and a small amount can be used for a long time. They are usually sold in 10 ml bottles containing an average of about 200 drops. As you will see from the recipes, 200 drops can take a very long time to use.

The quality of oils is the key to health

An extremely important element of aromatherapy is quality and origin of the oil . Real and complete aromatherapy properties are only natural oils, not processed, not diluted, obtained directly from the distillation apparatus. In the perfume industry, in order to obtain a standard scent, oils are processed, unified, stabilized, etc. In other words, they undergo chemical and physical operations. Too much demand for aromatics, with the simultaneous need to reduce their cost, leads to the fact that commercial oils are often diluted with solvents or cheap oils, devoid of important and necessary components and adulterated with synthetic additives. Sometimes they can replace the entire essential oil, selling a cheap fake in return (for example, instead of lavender oil, sell lavandin).

Poor quality or adulterated oils can cause irritation, allergies, and even serious skin conditions. For example, a very popular pine oil, if not stored or expired, as well as falsified with turpentine, can be oxidized, and the products of the process - peroxides - can lead to skin tumors.

Synthetic oils - zero effect

Synthetic materials that mimic the aroma and appearance of an essential oil may not have the same therapeutic properties as the original and should not be used in aromatherapy. Synthetic chemicals carry the risk of harmful and unpleasant side effects just like synthetic drugs. It is absolutely impossible to reproduce the true composition of an essential oil in the laboratory. The most important components and substances, from which there are only particles, will inevitably disappear. Only all components of the essential oil, taken together, form a healing effect. If the oil says “identical to natural”, then the oil is synthetic, obtained in a laboratory and, therefore, unsuitable for aromatherapy. Synthetic oils also lack the life-giving power of essential oils derived from living plants. Living plants have a beat of life that chemicals don't.

When buying essential oils, keep the following guidelines in mind. They will help you find the highest quality oils with maximum therapeutic properties.

Rules for buying essential oils

1. Dark glass bottle

Sunlight and ordinary light are detrimental to the components of essential oils, the quality of the oil quickly deteriorates with prolonged exposure to light, and, accordingly, the therapeutic effect decreases. It is best to buy oils in stores with a high turnover, in which the oils are not stale on the shelves.

The bottle should not be made of plastic, as the components of the oil will definitely react with the plastic and poisonous substances will enter the oil. For the same reason, there should be no rubber seals in the bottle cap. And when making mixtures according to recipes, do not use plastic and metal containers.

2. Ring of the first opening

The stopper of the vial must have first opening ring.

3. The presence of a dosimeter in the neck of the vial

This will make it much easier for you to measure the number of drops without making mistakes. Practice before using the oil for the first time, as some pipettes will drain oil much faster than others.

4. Date of manufacture and expiration date

Be sure to pay attention to their presence. Aromatic oil is a product that, in an "expired" state, will not bring any benefit.

5. Small bottle

Always buy small quantities of oils. Usually, oils are packaged in 10 ml bottles, especially valuable oils such as rose, jasmine, verbena, tuberose - in 1 ml, 2 ml bottles.

6. The presence of the inscription 100% natural essential oil

When buying, pay attention to the fact that the bottle has one of the inscriptions: 100% natural essential oil, 100% pure, 100% essential oil, 100% pure, 100% artifisches (essentail) oil. Only pure, undiluted essential oils can be effective in aromatherapy. This is as true when used in burners and baths as it is when used in massage. Any oil that is not a pure essential oil may have a good aroma, but will not have the same therapeutic effect as the pure oil. Don't buy products labeled "aromatherapy oil" for the same reasons.

7. The presence on the label of the Latin and Russian names of the oil

The labels must indicate Latin and Russian names essential oil.

8. The presence on the label of the manufacturer and the method of obtaining oil

9. Oil price

As a rule, price is an indicator of product quality. Buy the most expensive oils you can afford. If you have a whole shelf with different oils in front of you, and the price for everything is the same, do not buy anything. Neroli, for example, can be 20 times more expensive than lavender. Buy from reputable places. If you still decide to transform yourself with the help of aromatherapy, do not spend a penny, remember - saving on your health and beauty is simply stupid!

10. Overseas oils

If you went on vacation to an overseas country, do not rush to buy aromatic oils there. Today, in our specialized stores, the choice of aromatic oils is so great that the eyes run wide. Therefore, there is no need to chase after overseas "curiosities", and besides, it is still unknown what they "splashed into a glass" there.

OPTIONS OF AROMATIC FAKE

"Delicious" smells. Essential oils of violet, apple blossom, lilac, lily of the valley, peach, apricot, linden, lotus, magnolia, fern, coconut, mango, banana, strawberry, strawberry, kiwi, watermelon, melon, cucumber do not exist in nature! These plants are not essential oil plants.

Label advertising. In accordance with International Standards, the label should not contain advertising information. If the label flaunts an inscription about the extraordinary benefits of this oil, then this indicates the low quality of the contents of the bottle. Companies that mask the low quality of the product stick a label with inscriptions like: “environmentally friendly oil”, “oil for professional aromatherapy”, “highest quality oil”, etc. The labels of manufacturers confident in their quality are standard and concise: 100% pure, 100% artifisches (essentail) oil (100% pure; 100% essential oil), because such oils, regardless of the use (professional or non-professional) are not capable of harming anyone.

The inscription "Oils for aromatherapy" - a group of preparations consisting of a mixture of essential oil (10-15%) with mineral, vegetable oils or alcohol (85-90%). It is not fake if the label on the bottle clearly states that it contains mixed oil, ready to drink. If, on the other hand, the mixture is sold as an essential oil, it is usually qualified as adulteration.

Low price. Large producers of essential oils have the best prices in the commodity market. Small companies act as distributors of large ones, purchasing essential oils at a higher price - the law of the market. If the seller of fragrances is a small company, then the price of quality essential oils is always higher than that of essential oil oligarchs. Competitive prices of small companies arise only when the quality of the product decreases: this is where diluents, synthetic fragrances, etc. come in. The cost of essential oils depends on the cost of raw materials.

Fake. Using a brand name from a well-known company to “promote” an unknown product, usually locally produced, is a common form of forgery found in the bazaar trade.

Substitution. When an essential oil is replaced by another, cheaper one.

MAJOR MANUFACTURERS

Styx Naturcosmetic (Austria) — http://www.styx-naturcosmetic.ru/

It all started with the Stix family estate. Where the secrets of the production of cosmetics and fragrances of impeccable quality have been passed down from generation to generation. The trademark itself was registered only in 1975.

The president of the company, Wolfgang Stix, is a pharmacologist by education, he develops his father's business, preserving the purity of the natural material and the traditions of the healing formulation of natural cosmetics. The company monitors the ecological situation and characteristics of the yield of plants used for the production of essential oils, visiting plantations of essential oil plants in all parts of the world. All cosmetic products and essential oils of Styx naturcosmetics are certified at the highest international level (GMP, ISN) and have certificates of organic plantations where plants are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Today it is one of the largest and most well-known companies operating in this industry in the world. Declare high quality oils. However, products of lower quality are exported to Russia compared to those sold in Europe. Oils purchased in the CIS countries are for external use only. In addition, the Styx technical line is sold in pharmacies - these oils are only for aroma lamps, they cannot be used orally for medical reasons.

Bergland - Pharma (Germany) - http://www.bergland.de/, http://kosmetikaoptom.ru/article/1855

A major European manufacturer of high quality products based on natural plant ingredients. The company was founded by a German pharmacist more than 25 years ago, and during this time has won 32% of the Western European market for essential oils. In 1996 Bergland-Pharma built a new plant certified to the highest GMP standards. Bergland products do not contain artificial preservatives, colors and flavors, refined petroleum products and animal ingredients. The official representative of Bergland Pharma in Russia is Paramed. Bergland-Pharma products are sold only in pharmacies and medical institutions. Various categories of products are presented in more than 200 pharmacies in Moscow in accordance with the specialization of the pharmacy.

High quality medically refined oils. Can be used internally.

Aromaterapie Karel Hadek (Germany) — https://karelhadek.ru/, http://www.karelhadek.eu/

Karel Hadek is a well-known aromatherapist from Germany, Czech by origin, a chemist by training. Author of many unique recipes. Production is currently located in the Czech Republic, Stribro. The company has been operating since 1983. In 2002, the company was issued a certificate, which confirms that the Quality Management System complies with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. The Association of the Czech Republic for Quality Assurance has issued the ORGANIC PRODUCT mark to the cosmetic products of Aromatherapie Karel Hadek, and the PURE ORGANIC mark to essential and vegetable oils.

Product lines: Aromatherapy cosmetics, Hygiene products and Essential and Botanical Oils.

The advantage of this company is the absence of mineral oils, chemical stabilizers and preservatives in the production. Only substances of natural origin, essential and vegetable oils of the highest quality are used.

Distinctive features of Karel Hadek cosmetics is that the same product can be used to care for different parts of the body. For example, with hydrophilic oil for intimate hygiene, it is quite possible to wash your face and take a shower. Most of the products (except for creams and tonics) of a famous aromatherapist do not contain water at all.

The products of this company are of high quality, it can be used internally.

Vivasan (Switzerland) - http://www.vivasan.org/

The company was founded in 1997 by Austrian entrepreneur Thomas Gettfried. Later, the international trademark VIVASAN was registered with the head office in Moscow and numerous branches throughout the country and abroad. Vivasan does not manufacture products, it is a registered brand. Vivasan is the general importer of the products of major Swiss manufacturers: SWISS Caps AG Dr.Duenner AG ELIXAN GmbH INTRACOSMED AG OSWALD GmbH and the Italian company COSVAL srl. VIVASAN partners are not new to the world market, they have international recognition and authority. They produce exclusive high-quality products for the VIVASAN company and under the VIVASAN brand. All Vivasan products are certified, there are global GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) quality certificates, hygiene certificates and from the Ministry of Health of the countries where they are imported.

Just (Switzerland) - http://www.justcenter.ru/

The largest European concern for the production of medical and preventive products, founded in 1930 by the Swiss entrepreneur Ulrich Yustrich. The company has its own plantations in the Alps. The main production is located in Walzenhausen, Switzerland.

Natural therapeutic and prophylactic cosmetic products developed in Switzerland in the own laboratory of YUST (Walzenhausen) according to ancient monastic recipes and manufactured using the latest technologies based on environmentally friendly medicinal herbs of alpine meadows. Just products are intended for face and body skin care, as well as prevention and treatment of various diseases.

The big advantage of Just products is that they: do not contain hormones, antibiotics, synthetic preservatives and components of animal origin; do not give side effects; hypoallergenic, i.e. do not contain substances that cause allergies; dermatologically tested; have a long lasting effect.

According to experts, these are the highest quality oils today, but their range is limited, but there are unique products.

IRIS (Russia) — http://aromatherapy.ru/

The Iris Aromatherapy Center has been operating in the Russian market of the beauty and health industry since 1994. CA Iris imports natural and vegetable oils from more than 50 countries of the world, and produces preparations from them for clinical, aesthetic and home aroma and herbal medicine.

CA Iris is the first and only company in the world with a full cycle of professional aromatherapy, has: Certified laboratory production of aromatherapy, phytotherapy and cosmetic products, Trade network covering all regions of Russia and the CIS countries, Aromatherapy clinic, where author's technologies and tools are successfully applied, International Institute of Professional Aromatherapy - MIPA (where both specialists - doctors, psychologists, cosmetologists, masseurs, and ordinary consumers of products are trained).

CA Iris products are 100% natural vegetable and essential oils produced from valuable organic raw materials of the Bio category (BioACP is a biologically active complex of natural polyterpenes, the most valuable fraction of 100% natural essential oils) is the proprietary know-how of CA Iris. There are no analogues on the market. Based on this raw material, the company produces aromatherapy and cosmetic products for professional and home use.

Aromapreparations "Iris" have no analogues due to the unique compositions and the content of rare polyterpene fractions of essential oils in them. And cosmetics created on the basis of such oils work wonders!

Primavera Life (Germany) - http://www.primaveralife.com/

The German company Primavera for the production of aromatic oils and other products used in aromatherapy is the undisputed world leader in this field. For more than 20 years, Primavera has been devoting itself to the study, production and distribution of aromatic oils. Primavera uses only 100% organic plants in the production of aromatic oils.

Magnificent oils of medical clearing. There is a huge choice, but there is no direct delivery to Russia - only through intermediaries, or buy it yourself in Germany.

Original ATOK (Czech Republic) — http://cosmeticsatok.ru/

The company was founded in 1997 in the Czech Republic by splitting from Karl Hadek AÖK. All Original ATOK cosmetic products, high-quality vegetable fats and essential oils meet the highest European criteria.

You can buy through official representative offices.

Aura Cacia (USA) - https://www.auracacia.com/

In 1982, Doug and Ann Nowacki founded Aura Cacia in Weaverville, California. Aura Cacia is the world's leading company in the production of natural oils and aromatherapy blends based on them. In its range of more than 300 of the purest natural oils that meet the highest standards. Aura Keisha produces exclusively 100% pure natural essential oils. To do this, careful selection of raw materials and modern testing methods are carried out to ensure that each oil is of the highest quality, and to completely eliminate even the possibility of counterfeiting.

Dr. Torres (Italy) - http://www.drtaffi.com/, http://dr-taffi.ru/

The DR .TAFFI brand of Natural Research Laboratories was founded by Dr. Enio Taffi in 1983. During all these years, Dr. Tuffy has been actively researching in the field of chemistry and cosmetology with the aim of producing cosmetic products based on a vegetable formula. Research has led to the fact that at the moment DR.TAFFI has an exceptional superiority over other cosmetic companies and has almost no competition due to the production of exclusively natural products.

IKAROV (Bulgaria) — http://ikarov.com/

EOOD IKAROV (Ikarov) was founded in 1991 in Bulgaria, the city of Plovdiv. Ikarov's products have the ISO 9001:2000 product quality standard (certificate) code and quality confirmed by European certificates. All products are certified in accordance with the requirements of the State Standard of Russia. It has hygienic conclusions, test reports and a certificate of conformity with GOST R. The products have proven themselves excellently with stable sales for many years in Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Touche Flora (Russia) — http://www.tusheflora.ru/

The beginning of the company's activity dates back to 1996, when the first supplies of little-known and, at that time, rare varieties of essential and fatty vegetable oils on the Russian market of cosmetic raw materials were made. Touche Flora specializes in the import and supply of a wide range of raw materials for the production of cosmetic products. The company is constantly searching for new, unique products for the Russian and world cosmetic markets, striving to make any exotic novelty really accessible to domestic cosmetics manufacturers.

In the Internet very praised according to reviews IRIS and Vivas n .

And the article about oil production in the USA and Europe .

The laws governing the distillation and use of essential oils differ between the US and Europe.

95% of essential oils sold in the US are edible, not medicinal - that's the difference.
In the US, for an essential oil to be labeled as oral, it must be re-distilled. This means that after the first distillation, the essential oil is distilled again under high pressure and temperature. In Europe, essential oils not are considered medicinal if they are re-distilled - that is, European legislation does not require this in order for the oil to be sold for oral use.

Another injustice that US law allows is the dilution of essential oils with less expensive esters or vegetable oils while still labeling "pure and natural" - which is what a huge number of companies use. In fact, it would be perfectly legal to dilute an essential oil with vegetable oil up to 90% and sell it as “pure and natural”, since vegetable oils are also natural.

Many saw the inscriptions " Premium"(a strange word that, in principle, means nothing); "perfumery grade" (has nothing to do with aromatherapy); or "high altitude" (also used mainly in perfumery and vaguely related to the medicinal properties of esters).

After distillation of the essential oil, the process is repeated several times. The oil molecules obtained first are the smallest and most volatile. Sometimes the distillation is repeated over and over to produce different levels of aroma for a specific use, mainly in perfumery, as is the case with Ylang Ylang. ‘Ylang Ylang’ means ‘Flower of Flowers’ and has a stunningly sweet floral scent. To obtain this aroma, it is distilled 4 times. The first circle is called "Extra", the next - I, II and III distillations. With each successive round of distillation, the essential oil evolves from high, more floral, "top" notes to more masculine notes with a hint of whisky. Next, the essential oils obtained by distillation of Extra, I, II and III are taken in equal amounts and mixed to create the Ylang-Ylang "Complete" fragrance. All essential oils go through a similar distillation, but ylang is the most talked about and openly sold on the market under the appropriate label.

In addition to the distillation and separation of essential oils comes the status "organic". In practice, this means that no synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms have been used at all stages of production, from growing a plant to processing it.
Thus, for the buyer, the mark "organic" or "certified organic" does not automatically mean the highest, medicinal quality of the essential oil, since 95% of all essential oils produced under the "organic" certification are flavorings for the food industry, and, therefore, are distilled under high pressure.

P.S. Due to complaints from manufacturers, the list of manufacturers of essential oils that are only suitable for use in an aroma lamp has been removed.

Literature: 1. Allison England. Aromatherapy for Mother and Child. 2. Anastasia Artyomova. "Aromas and oils healing and rejuvenating." 3. Vladislav S. Brud, Ivona Konopatskaya. "Fragrant Pharmacy. Secrets of Aromatherapy". 4. Denis Vicello Brown "Aromatherapy". 5. Lavrenova Galina. "Inhaling the marvelous aroma. Aromatherapy is a pleasant and easy way to heal." 6. Leonova N.S. "Aromatherapy for beginners". 7. Libus O.K., Ivanova E.P. "Healing Oils" 8. Tatyana Litvinova. "Aromatherapy: A professional guide to the world of scents". 9. Novoselova Tatiana. "Aromatherapy". 10. Dmitrievskaya L. "Deceiving age. Practices of rejuvenation". 11. Kedrova Maria. "Fragrances of beauty and health. Secrets of Cleopatra". 12. Nikolaevsky V.V. "Aromatherapy. Handbook". 13. Semenova Anastasia. "Oil Treatment" 14. Edited by Zakharenkov V.I. "Encyclopedia of aromas". 15. Carol McGilvery and Jimmy Reed. "Fundamentals of Aromatherapy". 16. Wolfgang Stix, Ulla Weigerstorfer. "In the Kingdom of Smells". 17. Mirgorodskaya S.A., "Aromology: Quantum Satis". 18. Internet.

Hello Ecoholics!

Long post for those interested in aromatherapy

Nowadays, the use of essential oils is becoming more and more popular, especially among ecoholics. Aromatherapy is a fascinating and serious thing, it has not bypassed me either, this topic is very interesting to me. Having learned something from aromatherapy, I learned its main rule - the essential oils we use must be of high quality ! Only a truly high-quality oil can give the desired result. Of course, the most reliable way to determine the quality of EM is the gas chromatography method in the laboratory, but this method is not subject to "mere mortals", so you have to do it on your own. In this post, I will talk about how I determine the quality of EM. This is my personal opinion based on information received from various sources and on my experience, so comments, corrections, suggestions are welcome!

So, I pay attention and consider the following:

1. Price.

Yes, yes, as you know, essential oil (EO) cannot be too cheap. The production of EM is a costly business. Imagine, you need to buy a huge amount of plant materials, often some plants are brought from far abroad - hence the transportation costs. It is necessary to rent or buy premises for production, certain equipment, specialists and workers who need to be paid are important. Without the purchase of containers for oils, the development and production of labels cannot be avoided either. I think that some laboratory tests for the quality and purity of oils are also carried out and there are many, many more nuances of production that we do not know about. All this costs money and not small.

Therefore, when I see that an EO in a pharmacy costs 80 rubles, I am immediately tormented by vague doubts ... Just imagine how much effort and expense has been invested in a bottle of oil and whether these efforts and expenses can pay off at a price of 80 rubles.

I also met manufacturers who sold all oils at the same price - grapefruit, rosemary, pine, cinnamon, and patchouli. In this case, doubts also arise, because each plant has its own oil yield! See from 100 kg raw materials receive:

eucalyptus - 3 kg EM,

lavender - 2.9 kg,

chamomile - 0.7-1 kg.

And to get 1 kg of rose essential oil, you need to process 1-2 tons of rose petals!

Therefore, it is impossible to set one price for all oils, so to speak, there will be no exhaust!

And even more so, if you see the EO of roses, sandalwood, neroli or jasmine (I somehow unknowingly bought Elfarma jasmine for 250 or 300 rubles) at a price of 200-500 rubles per 10 ml, this is not an essential oil! These are the most expensive essential oils in the world, they are often sold in 1 ml, and prices for 1 ml start at 1000 rubles. Some manufacturers dilute expensive EOs in base ones and talk about it with honesty. For example, you can find EM roses in jojoba. A conscientious manufacturer will never write that it is 100% rose EO, but honestly indicate that it is diluted in jojoba oil. I saw such oil, for example, in AuraCacia - everything is open.

Despite all of the above, essential oils can be bought at a more or less affordable price. All the oils presented in my photo are quite adequate (except for Iris, they have rather big prices).

There are, of course, high-quality oils "with a name", like Primavera, Vivasan, Iris, doTerra, they are quite expensive and it seems to me that it is more expedient to act on the principle "Less is better" Rather than stock all the shelves with cheap oils from the pharmacy, it is better to buy several bottles of high-quality effective oils.

2. Reputation, company policy, openness.

Some EM brands have already earned their positive reputation, so you can safely try them. Many brands are quite open to the buyer - on their websites you can find the necessary certificates, information about suppliers, test results, etc. Reputable companies often hold seminars on aromatherapy, post their scientific papers, recommendations, etc. Such openness for the client is conducive to buying, which means that this is not a manufacturer who badyazhet something in the basement

3. Natural flavor

Everything is simple here, if you buy orange EO, it should smell like orange, spruce EO, respectively, spruce, etc. Of course, we simply don’t know the smells of many plants (for example, how does real ylang-ylang or litsea cubeba smell?), so the rest of the “rules” must apply here. I have come across Botanica lemon EO, which we sell in many stores, and so this oil and the aroma of lemon have nothing in common. Botanica smelled like Bon-pari sweet candy, not lemon!

They also say that the aroma of essential oil is “voluminous” and multifaceted. To calculate the volume of the aroma, you can conduct a small test:

We take EM (I took lavender), 3 pieces of paper (I took a napkin) and number them for convenience. We drip oil on paper 1, after half an hour we drip on paper 2 and after another half an hour on paper 3. Then we listen to the aroma of each, it should be a little different. It's not even about the saturation of the smell, but how it reveals itself differently over time. If the aroma is the same and “flat”, this may not indicate the highest quality of the EO.

4. Appearance.

The oil is poured into dark glass bottles.

Glass is the most correct material for bottles, because. oils do not react with it, unlike, for example, plastic. Dark - because oils must be protected from sunlight, otherwise they may change or lose their properties.

The volume of vials is most often 5, 10 or sometimes 15 ml. Some manufacturers also make large bottles of the most popular and necessary oils. For example, in AuraCacia or "Aromashka" you can find lavender and tea tree oils, 50 ml each. Buy it, buy it!

The bottle must be equipped with a pipette dispenser, because the dosages of oils are calculated in drops.

Also, the label must indicate the name of the oil in 2 languages ​​- in the language of the manufacturer and in Latin. For example: Aura Cacia has Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) or Iris has Lavender (Lavandula officinalis).

At my aunt's, I saw Aspera brand sage oil in the bathroom - and so it had only the Russian name on it.

Also, information about the manufacturer must be present on the label.

5. Lack of "tasty" flavors.

I took this point from Svetlana Mirgorodskaya's book "Aromalogia". There are no essential oils of strawberry, raspberry, peach, mango, melon, watermelon, cucumber, etc. Bottles with such fragrances are most often sold under the name " aromatic oil" or " aromatic blend". I personally saw such a bottle with the inscription "Melon". This is not an essential oil, but simply a mixture of oil (well, if natural, but it seems to me that most likely mineral oil) and fragrances. Some people add such “oils” to aroma lamps, I would not do this, you never know what we will breathe while doing this!

6. Reliable sources.

Here I am referring to books, scientific papers on aromatherapy, blogs and articles by aromatherapists, which often provide recommendations and reviews for various oils.

I like the articles on the sites Aromashka, Aromarti, the video on Youtube on the AromatherapyTV channel, the books by S. Mirgorodskaya "Aromalogia", T. Litvinova "Aromatherapy: professional guidance in the world of smells". If you watch and read something, write, pliz, very interesting!

In principle, this is the main thing that I consider when choosing essential oils. There is also a very common test when you drop oil on paper and leave it for an hour or two and, supposedly, there should not be a trace of the oil. This test is slightly wrong. First, some oils can stain white paper. For example, orange EM oil is orange and bay oil is brown, so these oils will leave colored marks, albeit light ones. Someone writes that this method can only determine whether the EO was diluted with a fatty base (then the oil will leave a greasy trace), but here it is worth considering that some oils contain resins (for example, myrrh oil) and can leave greasy spots. Therefore, such a test is mostly stupid)

As you already understood from the photo, I love the oils of the American brand AuraCacia, which I order on the IHerb website, I fell in love with Aromashka oils, a domestic brand that buys oils from large conscientious suppliers and sells them under our own brand. I am satisfied with their price, quality and performance. Even in the plans for Aromarti oil, a manufacturer widely known in narrow circles (), it was recommended to me. Well, if it works out, someday I will try both Primever and Vivasan - very respected brands!

And now I will tell you which oils did not pass my test. Let no rotten tomatoes fly at me:

Botanika suspiciously cheap. As I wrote above, lemon does not smell like lemon. I also took an orange - it was nuclear orange! There is clearly something wrong, most likely the dye. And my Instagram friend wrote about their jojoba base oil – it didn’t freeze in the freezer! As you know, jojoba oil is essentially wax and it freezes at low temperatures (this is how I checked the jojoba "Spivak" and NowFoods - both froze), and so Botany's "jojoba" did not freeze! So I don't trust this brand.

Elfarma- I already wrote that at the beginning of my passion for aromatherapy I bought their oils, specifically - jasmine for 300 rubles. Jasmine EO cannot cost that much, this is one of the most expensive oils in the world!

Aspera- every pharmacy is filled with them, they are cheap! Such a low price is doubtful, and also, as I wrote above, I did not see the Latin name of the plant from which the oil was obtained on their bottle.

I have not tried more cheap and suspicious brands of oils.

Despite the fact that now there are many unscrupulous manufacturers selling synthetic fluids instead of esters, diluting esters so that they do not leave any useful properties, etc. etc., there are honest respected manufacturers who make quality products.

I urge everyone who is interested in aromatherapy to be very careful in choosing an essential oil, because it's about our health and beauty!

Thank you for your attention!

The main instrument of aromatherapy is the essential oils of medicinal plants. They are obtained from flowers, stems, fruits by steam distillation. Essential oils are a completely natural product. However, there are also synthetic oils that mimic the aromas of plants. Such oils, although they are called aromatic, are not suitable for aromatherapy. How to choose a quality oil?

Read the label. A natural essential oil must have an appropriate inscription, in addition, the botanical name of the plant from which the oil was obtained must be indicated on the label. This name is written in Latin. If you opted for a foreign-made oil, the label should have the designation: "Essential oil". This suggests that you have a natural oil. But the inscription "Fragrances oil" denotes synthetic oils.

Look at the bubble. It doesn't have to be transparent. Direct sunlight degrades the quality of essential oils.

Study the composition. Some phyto essences consist entirely of the oil of a particular plant, and some of the essential oil and base (usually jojoba oil, sea buckthorn, almond, peach, olive, grape oil are used as the base). In this case, the percentage of both should be indicated on the label.

Smell the oil of a plant whose aroma you know well. The smell should not be too sharp, clean, without impurities.

Safety

Essential oils cannot be used in their pure form. They contain too high a concentration of active substances, and this can cause an allergic reaction or skin irritation. Therefore, you will have to stock up on base oil, which is used to dilute the main component. For one teaspoon of base oil, there should be 5-10 drops of the essential oil that you are going to use for aromatherapy.

It is not safe to take essential oils internally. This can cause severe poisoning.

Where to add

Essential oils can be used in different ways. For example:

Light the aroma lamp. It will serve to prevent colds, relieve stress, relieve insomnia or increase efficiency - it all depends on which oil you use.

The aroma lamp is a saucer that is heated from below. Water is poured into a saucer, then dripped into essential oil at the rate of 2 drops per 5 sq. meters of the area of ​​​​the room in which you will conduct an aromatherapy session. When heated, the oil will evaporate, filling the room with the aroma of medicinal plants. Aroma lamps can be electric or conventional, when the mixture is heated with a small candle. If you opted for an ordinary lamp, make sure that the candle is located at least 10 cm from the saucer - otherwise the heating will turn out to be too strong, the water will start to boil, and the oil will burn out. Another point to pay attention to when choosing a lamp is the size of the saucer. It must hold at least 50 ml of water. It is not worth spending more than an hour indoors with the aroma lamp turned on - this can cause a headache. And for the first session, 20 minutes will be enough.

Make an inhalation. You can cope with a cold if you breathe over fragrant steam. Pour hot water into a saucepan, drop essential oil into it at the rate of 1-2 drops per 100 ml of water, bend over the saucepan, cover your head with a towel and breathe for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare scented cosmetics. It will help improve complexion, smooth the skin, get rid of acne and inflammation on the skin. Add an essential oil to your face cream (preferably a neutral, fragrance-free cream). The optimal dosage is 5 drops of oil per 150 ml of cream. You can also make cosmetic ice. Drop 1-2 drops of essential oil into a spoonful of honey, dilute honey in 100 ml of water, pour into molds and put in the freezer.

Choosing essential oils

1. Cold- oil of eucalyptus, sage, lemon, pine, cedar.
2. Stress- oil of bergamot, orange, mandarin, lavender, rosemary.
3. Insomnia- lavender, chamomile, vanilla, rose oil.
4. Apathy, decreased performance- mint oil, pine oil, citrus oil.
5. Acne, pimples- sage, chamomile, tea tree oil.
6. wrinkles- citrus oil, rose oil.
7. Headache- lavender, ginger, thyme oil.

Commodity markets have been divided for a very long time and the advantages of well-known manufacturers of essential oils lie not only in a good technological base and possession of production secrets, but also in the ability to acquire the best, first-class raw materials. Therefore, the brand name in this market segment means not only a high price, but also excellent quality that meets all standards.

The main consumers of the essential aromatic product are pharmaceutical companies, food and cosmetic industries. The process of making essential oils is very time-consuming and time-consuming, so the cost of natural oil simply cannot be low. Essential Oil Manufacturers must process more than one ton of raw materials in order to obtain several kilograms of fragrant elixir.

To date, there are several ways to obtain an aromatic substance. Manufacturers of essential oils use them depending on the source material and the purpose of the final product.

1. Steam distillation
This method allows you to save all the essential oils of the plant, it has been known since ancient Egypt. Raw materials are placed in a container and poured with hot water. In the process of heating, the water mixed with the juice of the plant rises and passes through special filters that trap essential oils. The water in which the plants were evaporated is also found in cosmetology and is the basis of lotions and refreshing sprays.

2. Extraction with solvents
In this case essential oil manufacturers use slightly different equipment. The feedstock is placed on grates and installed in a huge tank. Volatile solvents begin to drive through it, which, during the distillation process, are saturated with aromatic vapors. The resulting substance is a solid flower extract and is in demand among perfume manufacturers, as it has a more intense smell.

3. Getting the absolute
The flower extract is poured into an alcohol base, which gradually evaporates, leaving the so-called "absolute". It has a slightly different chemical composition than the extract or and is of great use in cosmetology.

4. Push-up
This method is used essential oil manufacturers to obtain pomace from the peel of citrus fruits: lemons, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, bergamot. It used to be a completely manual process, nowadays centrifuges are used. The oil obtained in this way is considered to be of very high quality and does not contain impurities.

At present, there are several well-known essential oil manufacturers who enjoy a well-deserved reputation and sell products of excellent quality.

Aromaterapie Karel Hadek (Germany)

Karel Hadek is a famous aromatherapist from Germany. He is the author of many original recipes that have already won the recognition of the inhabitants of Europe. The company produces cosmetics and aromatherapy, including essential oils. In the manufacture of its products, the company uses only natural ingredients obtained without the use of harmful chemical compounds.

Bergland-Pharma (Germany)

The company was founded 25 years ago in Germany. Today it is one of the most venerable essential oil manufacturers, its products account for more than 30% of all essential oils on the European market. Carries out deliveries to Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, etc.

Styx naturcosmetics (Austria)

The activities of the famous Austrian company are not limited only to the development of formulations, research on the quality of raw materials and the production of aromatic oils. Representatives of the company regularly visit essential oil plantations around the world and monitor the environmental situation in these areas.

Just International (Switzerland)

Swiss company, more than 75 years known as essential oil manufacturer with a high degree of purification. The company is one of the leading suppliers to the world market of natural excellent quality. All oils produced by Just are made from vegetable raw materials without the use of dyes and chemical additives.

Vivasan (Switzerland)

The success of the company is based on the use of only natural raw materials in the manufacture of products. The company applies all the latest developments and scientific discoveries in the field of healthy nutrition and medical cosmetics, produces drugs and essential oils exclusively based on vegetable raw materials.

When buying an essential oil, remember that it is an expensive natural product, and its therapeutic and cosmetic properties directly depend on the quality and the manufacturer.

Svetlana Krutova
Women's magazine JustLady