What is the difference between expensive and cheap essential oils?

When we buy essential oils, it is not difficult to find that some essential oils only cost a few dozen dollars, while some essential oils cost hundreds of dollars. What is the difference between these two types of essential oils at different prices? Why are essential oils so expensive?

What is the difference between expensive and cheap essential oils?

The price of essential oils will naturally vary depending on their production volume and origin. For example, lavender essential oil has a relatively large production volume and is produced in large quantities in southern France and Xinjiang, China, so the price is generally around RMB 100. But for rose essential oil, generally 3,000 kilograms of rose petals are required to obtain 1 kilogram of rose essential oil, so the price will be very high if the production volume is low, generally around RMB 2,000 per bottle. Other more expensive essential oils include orange blossom, sandalwood, ylang ylang, etc. In addition, in order to reduce the ingredients, some unscrupulous manufacturers add artificial flavors to the single essential oils, or mix other essential oils to reduce the price. For example, some lavender essential oils contain both real lavender and spike lavender, and the smell is difficult to distinguish. However, it is not a bottle of pure lavender essential oil (although there is no artificial flavor, it cannot be considered pure lavender essential oil). There are even essential oils sold on the Internet for a few dollars or dozens of dollars. Everyone should be careful not to be deceived. When purchasing, you should buy regular brands.

Why are essential oils so expensive?

The price of essential oils is relatively expensive. As we all know, the production of some essential oils is low and relatively scarce, so the price is also relatively high. So what is the extraction and processing of essential oils? We also need to know the extraction method of essential oils. So when buying essential oils, through her extraction method, I have a direct understanding of the price and quality of the essential oils.

Essential Oil Extraction Methods Distillation Distillation is a relatively simple and easy method to extract essential oils. It is also the oldest and most widely used method. Most essential oils are extracted by distillation. The principle of distillation is to use the volatility of plant essential oils, convert liquid into gas by heating, and then cool it back into liquid. At the same time, the specific gravity and density difference between volatile oil and water is decomposed into volatile oil and water in which saturated volatile oil is dissolved. There are many methods of distillation.

There are many differences in how different plants are distilled. Therefore, people have developed various distillation methods, which are generally divided into steam distillation and vacuum distillation. The extraction method is usually to extract some essential oils, such as lemon, orange, bergamot, grapefruit and other essential oils. This method is highly feasible at home, but it requires a lot of pressure and is labor-intensive. This type of extraction is now mainly used in machine operations. The water and essential oil in the peel are squeezed out, and the essential oil and water components are separated by sponging the oil or other means. Solvent-based essential oil solvent extraction is the principle of using essential oils in a certain liquid.

The material is placed in a corresponding solution, and the essential oil substance is completely melted into the extractant by heating, and the solution is immersed in a container which is placed in the container and then heated to allow the ketone solution to extract the aromatic substance from the material, filter the paste, and then evaporate to obtain the essential oil. Essential oils such as sandalwood, frankincense, and myrrh are extracted using this method.

Why should essential oils be stored away from light?

First of all, everyone should note that not all essential oils cannot be exposed to light. If essential oils cannot be exposed to light, it is mainly because some essential oils contain photosensitive ingredients. Once the photosensitive ingredients are exposed to light, they will have counterproductive effects on our skin. It can also easily cause our skin to get tanned, and even cause skin diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that you use essential oils at night, as such essential oils contain photosensitive ingredients.

Moreover, when we use essential oils, photosensitivity refers to the presence of certain ingredients in the essential oils, which will cause the skin to become more sensitive to ultraviolet rays. If we use products containing photosensitive ingredients for a long time and in large quantities, and if we expose our skin to strong light, our skin will be more susceptible to tanning than normal skin. If we use them for a long time and in large quantities, and if we expose our skin to strong light, this will easily lead to skin problems.

As for general essential oils, the reason for their photosensitivity is that they contain an ingredient called bergamot lactone, so most citrus essential oils actually contain this ingredient. Moreover, citrus essential oils are mainly bergamot, sweet orange, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, etc. At the same time, sandalwood essential oil also contains photosensitizing ingredients.

Why do essential oils use dark bottles?

Essential oils are the natural essence of plants, so their characteristics include: volatile, afraid of light, afraid of drastic temperature changes, etc., so you must choose its own packaging to facilitate its preservation. Essential oil bottles are generally made of glass, and the thickness must ensure the sturdiness of the bottle. High-quality essential oil bottles must undergo a drop test from a certain height. Some essential oils are packaged in colorless transparent glass bottles, but they are also covered with a small aluminum can to ensure light protection.

Glass bottles are relatively stable and are not prone to chemical reactions with essential oils. Ordinary plastic bottles, including some plastic-like refill bottles, are not ideal. When containing essential oils, some harmful substances are easily precipitated out because some essential oils are highly volatile and their molecular structure is not very stable.