NOTE: For an introduction into safety guidelines and use
of Essential Oils click here.
Essential Oils are volatile, aromatic substances, which have a long
tradition of use in natural medicine, perfume, incense, skin and health
care. Using the Essential Oils of plants for therapeutic purposes is
known as Aromatherapy and has been practised for thousands of years.
Essential Oils are produced in two ways:
1. Water/steam distillation from seeds, roots, wood,
leaves and flowers. This is the most common method.
2. Pressing of the peel of citrus fruits. Citrus Oils
are the only ones produced in this way. These can also be produced through
distillation.
Extraction through the use of solvents is a method also used for certain
oils. We do not call these Essential Oils as they do not contain true
aromatic substances such as Absolutes and Resinoids but contain substances
which are not volatile.
So that you may know exactly what you are buying, we provide you with
the following information about our Essential Oils.
Manipulated Oils
The trade in Essential Oils over the past 100 to 200 years has modified
its product to suit its customers - the perfume, cosmetics, pharmaceutical,
confectionery and food industries, tailoring it to what these require.
Examples of this are: Lavender Oil which smells the same year after year;
Peppermint Oil with the same menthol content year after year; and perfumes
with similar ingredients. Low prices and standardised products have become
more important than quality.
This means that many of the "Essential Oils" on the market
today are Manipulated Oils, produced by mixing Oils from different plant
sources or by mixing Oils with synthetically produced aromatic chemicals.
These oils may be good for the purpose for which they were made - to
provide a pleasant fragrance or aroma. However, if these oils are sold
under the guise of being genuine Essential Oils derived from a particular
plant and therefore with particular therapeutic properties, one should
be aware that they will not have any of the desired effects of a genuine
Essential Oil. In fact, if sold and used in this way, they may even do
more damage than good.
"I recieved oils yesterday, and I have
to say I am more than impressed. I loved the literature and I
am compelled to make some of your soaps etc. I will definitely
be ordering again."
Paula M.
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Aromantic’s Purchasing & Sales Policy for Essential
Oils
Our policy is to sell 100% genuine Essential Oils of good quality,
extracted from raw plants and parts of plants. We are able to identify
their chemical constituents, indicate whether or not they have been
altered, manipulated, or contain only a part of the original Oil (as
can happen with e.g. Ylang Ylang and Camphor Oils). We are also able
to indicate methods of growing and country of origin - all those details
which you, the consumer, may require in order to feel secure in your
choice of us as your supplier of Essential Oils.
We have chosen our suppliers very carefully and we work in close
co-operation with different high quality Essential Oil producers.
Whether producers or distributors, or both, our suppliers all share
the following codes of Best Practice:
1. Our suppliers are either the producers themselves
and/or are distributors who buy direct from producers all over the
world. Through building up this direct contact with smaller growers
and producers, whose methods are documented carefully, either the
distributors, or we at Aromantic, are able to guarantee where the
Oils come from, what growing methods have been used and how the Oils
have been produced.
2. Before purchasing Oils, our distributors are
provided with batch samples. These are tested for fragrance, appearance
and consistency and the best one from amongst those which can be sourced
to a defined plant or plant part is selected. When purchasing Organic
Oils, all documentation is checked. If they are in any doubt about
the Oil's constituents, a sample is sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Aromantic is supplied with extensive and detailed Quality Test and
Analysis Data from our suppliers who are also the producers.
3. When the Oil either arrives at the distributor
or is ready for sale at the producer, it is given a batch number,
which will remain the same and be recorded throughout their tests
and controls. At Aromantic, we continue this trace ability with our
own system of linking suppliers' batch numbers to specific products
that we stock.
4. Our suppliers who are distributors also carry
out their own quality control of all Essential Oils they buy in and
do not solely rely on what the data the producers have given them.
How our suppliers carry out the Analysis of Essential Oils
There are several methods for ascertaining whether or not Essential
oils are genuine i.e. that they are truly volatile Essential Oils extracted
from raw plants. Some of these methods make use of the physical senses.
The fragrance of an Essential Oil will indicate its age, and comparisons
are carried out with other samples of Oils of the same type. Do they
smell the same? Are they volatile to the same degree? Do they smell
synthetic? Do they smell of alcohol? The ability to detect the subtle
differences through smell is acquired only with experience and training
over a long period of time.
Different Essential Oils have different colours and consistencies which
can be seen and felt. An Essential Oil can be tested on a piece of paper
to see whether or not it has been diluted with a Vegetable Oil: an Essential
Oil is volatile (which a Vegetable Oil is not) and will not leave an
oil stain (which a Vegetable Oil will). Anyone working with Essential
oils can learn how to do this. The simplest physical tests which are
carried out are those which determine the degree of optical distortion
the Oil creates, its refraction index and density.
Tests are carried out which combine gas chromatography with mass spectrometry:
one separates the molecules in the Oil and determines how many there
are, the other establishes what chemical constituents are present. The
Oil is then assessed, based on these tests and by studying data gathered
from hundreds of other tests carried out on samples of the same type
of Oil. Are the constituents comparable and typical? Are the different
samples similar? There will often be a similarity between two out of
three samples. In this way one can determine whether or not the Oil
has been extracted from a raw plant and other Essential Oils, artificial
fragrances or cheaper, isolated constituents of Oils have been added.
Aromantic’s Purchasing & Sales Policy for Essential Oils
Our policy is to sell 100% genuine Essential oils of good quality, extracted
from raw plants and parts of plants. We are able to identify their chemical
constituents, indicate whether or not they have been altered, manipulated,
or contain only a part of the original Oil (as can happen with e.g. Ylang
Ylang and Camphor Oils). We are also able to indicate methods of growing
and country of origin - all those details which you, the consumer, may
require in order to feel secure in your choice of us as your supplier
of Essential oils.
We have chosen our suppliers very carefully. We work in close co-operation
with different producers of high quality Essential Oil from France and
other European countries, as well as dealing with small and fairtrade
projects in Africa and India. Whether producers or distributors, or both,
our suppliers all share the following codes of Best Practice:
1. Our suppliers are either the producers themselves and/or are distributors
who buy direct from producers all over the world. Through building up
this direct contact with smaller growers and producers, whose methods
are documented carefully, either the distributors, or we at Aromantic,
are able to guarantee where the Oils come from, what growing methods
have been used and how the Oils have been produced.
2. Before purchasing Oils, our distributors are provided with batch
samples. These are tested for fragrance, appearance and consistency and
the best one from amongst those that can be sourced to a defined plant
or plant part is selected. When purchasing Organic Oils, all documentation
is checked. If they are in any doubt about the Oil's constituents, a
sample is sent to the laboratory for analysis. Aromantic is supplied
with extensive and detailed Quality Test and Analysis Data from our suppliers
who are also the producers.
3. When the Oil either arrives at the distributor or is ready for sale
at the producer, it is given a batch number, which will remain the same
and be recorded throughout their tests and controls. At Aromantic, we
continue this trace ability with our own system of linking suppliers'
batch numbers to specific products that we stock.
4. Our suppliers who are distributors also carry out their own quality
control of all Essential Oils they buy in and do not solely rely on what
the data the producers have given them.
How our suppliers carry out the Analysis of Essential Oils
There are several methods for ascertaining whether or not Essential
Oils are genuine i.e. that they are truly volatile Essential Oils extracted
from raw plants. Some of these methods make use of the physical senses.
The fragrance of an Essential Oil will indicate its age, and comparisons
are carried out with other samples of Oils of the same type. Do they
smell the same? Are they volatile to the same degree? Do they smell
synthetic? Do they smell of alcohol? The ability to detect the subtle
differences through smell is acquired only with experience and training
over a long period of time.
Different Essential oils have different colours and consistencies, which
can be seen and felt. An Essential Oil can be tested on a piece of paper
to see whether or not it has been diluted with a Vegetable Oil: an Essential
Oil is volatile (which a Vegetable Oil is not) and will not leave an
oil stain (which a Vegetable Oil will). Anyone working with Essential
oils can learn how to do this. The simplest physical tests that are carried
out are those, which determine the degree of optical distortion the Oil
creates, its refraction index and density.
Tests are carried out which combine gas chromatography with mass spectrometry:
one separates the molecules in the Oil and determines how many there
are, the other establishes what chemical constituents are present. The
Oil is then assessed, based on these tests and by studying data gathered
from hundreds of other tests carried out on samples of the same type
of Oil. Are the constituents comparable and typical? Are the different
samples similar? There will often be a similarity between two out of
three samples. In this way one can determine whether or not the Oil has
been extracted from a raw plant and other Essential oils, artificial
fragrances or cheaper, isolated constituents of Oils have been added.
Information you are given about each Essential Oil
We provide you with the following information about our Essential Oils
so that you know exactly what you are buying:
Popular Name - In a very few cases we use the most commonly
used name even if this is not the correct one to use, technically speaking,
e.g. we'll use Lemongrass rather than Malabar Grass.
Plant Part - The part of the plant that is used for
distillation.
Country of Origin - Where the plant is found wild or has been
grown. Oils are usually distilled in the country of origin but, particularly
in the case of e.g. resins and seeds, the Oils may be distilled elsewhere.
Latin / INCI Name - The full Latin name is used in the INCI (International
Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) classification system. You will
find this name in square brackets to the right of the Cultivation and
Safety Codes and to the left of the Essential Oil description.
Cultivation Method
The following letters or abbreviations indicate the growing method/conditions applicable to the plant(s) from which each Oil is made, as follows:
- ORG/ORG W = Organic, either cultivated (ORG) or formally classified 'wild crafted' (ORG W), which is certified by the Soil Association, the UK’s largest organic certification body
- O = Conventionally grown
- T = Conventionally grown but without artificial fertilisers or chemicals
- W = Wild (unclassified)
Organic Control Organisations
The following organisations regulate each of the Organic Essential
Oils in the relevant countries:
Soil Association, UK.
KRAV, Sweden
EcoCert, France, Worldwide
C.A.A.E. Spain
IBOAA, Israel
BCS Öko Garantie, Germany
AMAB, Italy
Demeter (biodynamic control organisation)
Safety & Storage Information
Warning!
Essential Oils contain the active ingredients of a plant in a highly
concentrated form i.e. small amounts of Essential Oils are capable of
huge effects. To obtain best results, it is important to use them correctly
and sensibly. Overdosing can cause injuries! They MUST NOT come into
direct contact with mucous membranes or, of course, with the eyes. Do
not use Essential Oils undiluted directly on the skin and do not take
internally unless advised by a professional. Essential Oils should be
kept in a dark, cool place, out of reach of children and away from medicines.
We recommend that you learn about the uses and effects/possible side
effects of Essential Oils before using them yourself.
Certain Oils should be used with extra care. These are marked with the
following numbers printed in brackets on the left side of the name of
an Essential Oil in our Catalogue. When you see one of these numbers,
we recommend that you take the time to study that Oil's full range of
properties and effects, particularly taking into account the following:
- Use with care; this Oil may irritate the skin or mucous membrane.
- This Oil is photo-sensitive; do not use before exposure to sunlight.
- When adding this Oil to Bath Products, add only the equivalent of
1-2 drops per bath.
- This Oil may not be suitable for use during pregnancy.
- This Oil may not be suitable for people with epilepsy.
Please note that opinions vary on the effects of certain Oils on people
with various medical conditions as do individuals' responses to Oils.
Please seek advice from a health professional if you are unsure.
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