In Part 2 of our aromatherapy intro series, we’re talking about all the things you should know when choosing an essential oil brand (or brands). If you missed last week, we talked about the basics of what essential oils are, what they do and how.
Later on in the post, I’ll list the specific brands I use, and I just want you to be clear that I’m not sponsored by any of these companies. I do, however, wish I was (yo I got bills to pay! lol). A couple of the brands have Amazon stores, one is available via Thrive Market, and one has a separate affiliate program. So I will be using a couple affiliate links, but there are no motives for sharing these brands other than they are truly the three I like and use the most.
What to Look for When Choosing an Essential Oil Brand
Before simply listing off brands I’d recommend, I want to go over what you should look for in making your own purchasing decisions. There are *tons* of essential oil brands, many of which I haven’t tried. A lot of companies are actually buying the oils from the same suppliers and just putting their individual branding and packaging on them. So there could be a small local brand in your city that sells essential oils of the same quality or even better as the big name brands.
The Label Should Include:
- Common plant name and its Latin botanical name | This will ensure you’re buying the right essential oil. For example, Eucalyptus citriodora, Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus smithii are all commonly named Eucalyptus. However, as the Latin botanical name shows, these are three different species of Eucalyptus and therefore they’ll have different chemical makeups.
- Country of origin | There are natural variations in the chemical composition of essential oils that will occur depending on where the plant was harvested, at what altitude, in what soil and at what time of year. So if a brand is boasting that it harvests all its plants for essential oils right at home in the good ol’ USA, well, that may not actually be a good thing. The ideal environment for some plants to grow is not in the US (for others it’s perfectly fine!).
- Part of the plant used | Leaves? Stems? Peel? Flowers? Quality and chemistry can differ between parts of the same plant.
- Method of extraction | The only true essential oils are those obtained from distillation and expression. Other methods produce aromatic products which contain the essential oil and the solvent. Expression will be used with citrus oils being extracted from a fruit peel. Steam distillation is going to be the most commonly used method for most other essential oils.
Sometimes for the sake of space, all this info won’t be on the bottle’s small label, but if you go to the website, the individual product page should have it all listed.
There Should Be Price Differences between Oils
When choosing an essential oil brand, look for one with varied costs. If you find a whole range of essential oils all the same price, that probably means they have been adulterated with cheaper synthetic scents, vegetable oils or a similar essential oil that’s cheaper. Now to be clear, it’s not a bad thing to buy an essential oil and vegetable oil blend or a multi-essential oil blend. But they’re just that: blends. You’ll notice more expensive essential oils like Rose otto often come in jojoba oil to bring the price down. That’s fine! You just wouldn’t use it the same as if it were 100% pure essential oil, and the brand should be marketing it accordingly.
The reason some essential oils are more expensive than others has to do with the yield of essential oil from the plant. The more oil glands present in the plant, the higher the yield of essential oil and the less expensive the cost to extract it. So it’s not that more expensive essential oils are necessarily more useful or of higher quality than less expensive ones. They’re just harder to extract in large quantities (Rose otto is the prime example).
Avoid Words Like “Perfume” & “Fragrance” or Additional Ingredients
If a bottle is labeled “perfume essential oil,” “fragrance essential oil” or “potpourri essential oil,” it doesn’t matter that the words “essential oil” are in there—the substance is of synthetic composition. And it goes without saying that if there’s something listed on the bottle other than the essential oil, it’s not a 100% therapeutic-grade essential oil.
Organic Is Best
When possible, look for certified organic essential oils. I mentioned earlier how the quality of the plant’s growing conditions (soil, environment, etc.) affects not just the quality of the oil but the actual chemical makeup of it. There is also the issue of allergies and sensitization. Sometimes if a person has an allergic reaction to an essential oil, it’s actually in reaction to a pesticide or herbicide residue used on the plant, and not the essential oil.
Essential Oil Brands I Use
Plant Therapy
Lots of my essential oils are from Plant Therapy because they have a wide (and growing) array of certified organic essential oils. They have an Amazon store which makes things super convenient. And for anyone who uses Ebates to get money back when shopping online (I use the toolbar plugin), you get cash back at Plant Therapy’s website. Plant Therapy works with analytical laboratories and the Michael Jordan of essential oil safety, Robert Tisserand, to ensure purity and quality of its oils. I also LOVE how informative Plant Therapy’s website is—you can learn so much about each essential oil before buying them!
Aura Cacia
Right up there with Plant Therapy is Aura Cacia because they offer certified organic oils and are conveniently available in Whole Foods, on Amazon, and select oils are on Thrive Market (aka savings if you’re a Thrive member!). I also love that right on the bottles it says the essential oil has been tested for purity via gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (two ways to determine if an essential oil has been adulterated).
Mountain Rose Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs offers all the essential oils, carrier oils and herbs you could need, with most of them being certified organic. Like Plant Therapy, their website is super educational and you can read a ton about each essential oil. I love this company and the quality of all their products is high, but they’re just a little behind when it comes to the convenience factor. Granted Amazon Prime has ruined us all so in some ways it’s an unfair comparison, but the shipping costs with MRH are high and the speed is slow. You’re getting a great product so it’s worth it, but still hard to justify when Plant Therapy and Aura Cacia have such convenient options.
If you’ve found other essential oil brands that you love and trust, share your suggestions in the comments!
Aromatherapy Certification Update: My final exam has been mailed in (woop woop!). Now I’m just waiting to see if I passed. Until I have that final approval, I’m going to post these generalized, introductory posts about essential oils. Once I’m legit, we’re gonna get to the fun stuff (i.e. blending recipes!).
xo Nicole
I’m glad to aee Plant Therapy on your list. I discovered them on Amazon several months ago and love their oils. Miuntain Rose Herbs is another favorite. I’ve been buying from them for years.
Have you ever tried The Organic Witch? I haven’t searched their site for more info lately but don’t think I’ve seen it. They have a lot to choose from and seem decent but I’d be very open to your opinion or experience. Thx
Have you ever looked in to Jade Bloom Essential oils? They have all of the product and you can get the GC/MS test results. I love the Jade Bloom EO’s! Great company, fast shipping and wonderful customer service! The truly love their customers!
What is your take on NOW EOs?
I LOVE mountain rose for lots of goodies, but also lament the shipping costs and delivery time. I stumbled upon a sacred frankincense oil from Rocky Mountain oils on Amazon a few years ago that I needed in a rush. I didn’t expect much, but it was amazing! I went to their website and turns out they are a great company with an extensive quality and testing process. Their prices are competitive and you can get many of their oils on Amazon. They’ve been my go to ever since!
I’m new to EOs and always looking for more information of other good quality companies. I have bought YL oils to support a good friend and have been enjoying them. I’m glad to see your post on Rocky Mountain Oils. I just bought Lavender and Sacred Frankincense (bc I couldn’t find just Frankincense on Amazon).
They smell lighter than YL oils and the price and delivery are great. Looking forward to trying some of the other companies listed too.
Go to Jade Bloom. My specific site is https://jadebloom.com/elizabethdurbin. I get bonus points for people going to my site and ordering. You can just browse or order. They have free shipping on orders over $15. and have GC/MS testing done on every one of their oils plus 3rd party testing! The have the lowest prices on pure 100% therapeutic oils! I just love this company. when you check out their oils they have all the information on the oil, where it sourced from, method of extracton, and the latin name, plus all you need to know that it’s a pure therapeutic 100% oil! Great company! The customer service is unbeatable as is the price!
I am curious if you have tried or researched Eden’s Garden and Rocky Mountain Oils? These are two very popular brands in my area of Ohio and I’d like to hear an unbiased opinion from a qualified person on their purity and quality.
I would be interested to know about Edens Garden too!!
Hello, I sometimes use Edens Garden and they are good. They provide GC/MS testing and are an advocate of the safe use of essential oils.
I’m a Clinical Aromatherapist and recommend several brands for the following reasons 1) pure oils with GC/MS testing results available upfront 2) sustainably sourced 3) supports ecological sustainability projects 4) offers organic and wild harvested oils, and 5) promotes safe use.
1. Floracopeia http://www.floracopiea.com
2. Mountain Rose Herbs
3. Plant Therapy
4. Florihana
5. Aromatics International
Very good article! I have used YL and Plant Therapy for a few years and find them both very good. Lately, I’ve been trying a brand called REVIVE and honestly it’s as good as YL and the prices are very affordable. Free shipping too. Do you have any insight on this brand?
I’m Glad to see another certified a Room a therapist out here trying to explain to people the dangers of using essential oils and not being prepared to use them. What people don’t understand is the essential oils that they’re buying offer the stores war the counter possibly could be 100% organic but most likely or not and if they think that they’re gonna go to pinterest and get a blend or recipe and use it for that specific thing they could actually be doing their body harm I really appreciate this blog so I wanna thank you for doing that to getting the word out that century oils is Madison it’s not Kandy. Just like we tell our kids when we were giving them the bubble gum flavored amoxicillin nope this is medicine but it just tastes better. Central’s are the same way they smell great they have a lot of wonderful benefits but it is and always will be medicine. Dangerous but effective if you know what you’re doing. If you wanna know what you’re doing you need to go to school and learn about them.
Hi,
I’m from Spain. I just began with EO’s a few months ago. I bought Young Living oils, but the price is too high and moreover, I want to learn more deeply about oils (not only instragram recipes).
Do you know which course or online training I could take? I want to understant oils and be able to make my own solutions based on my knowledges not in a recipes “one for all”. Could you recommend high quality training, please?
Thank you in advace.
P.D. Sorry, my English is very bad!!
I’d also like to know about Rocky Mountain Oils
PURELY products utilize GC/MS as well. Thanks for info on coined words used in marketing other products.
I like aromatics international. I recently found d a company called Revive. It says the oils are organic and has gcms reports. I’d be interested in hearing if anyone has tried them
I make natural soap and body care products so I’ve tried a LOT of different eo’s. I really love Mtn Rose Herbs and Eden Botanicals. Eden has extensive information on their website and the sell samples which are great for the lesser known oils that you’ve never smelled. Plant Therapy oils are good too.
I’m always disappointed that oils from The Ananda Apothecary never seem to be mentioned in posts about essential oil brands. I have always found them to be very effective. A good many are organic and the information provided about each certainly seems correct, detailed and very useful.
Many of my friends use only YL or DT. I have been very happy with Plant Guru.
I like Jade Bloom! They have pure oils with GC/MS testing which they list on each essential oil, testing from a 3rd party, sustainable sourced oils,They support ecological sustainability projects, They tell you where each oil comes from, the process they use to make the oil, they promote safe use and they have wonderful Customer Service. They also have certified Aromatherapists online to chat with! I love this company and their prices can’t be beat! They also have training classes you can take for free! They have wonderful recipes and you can join their essential oils online group to ask questions and everyone in this group is very supportive and helpful! The CEO Adam also gets in on the conversations and is very helpful!
An acupuncturist recommended Snow Lotus Oils to me – source on label, artisan, organic, I’ve been pleased with the oils from them, love the Sweet Drams blend. http://www.snowlotus.org/
I like plant therapy, but just wondering why they do not have the supplement facts on their bottles? I thought that was important?
I question your recommendation to purchase from Amazon. I don’t buy haircare products, cosmetics, essential oils, etc. from Amazon due to the prevalence of fake products sold on Amazon, often with harmful ingredients. If you are writing an article about which products are highest quality, then you should instruct people to purchase direct from the manufacturer. It’s the only guaranteed safe supplier.
I don’t recommend buying from third parties on Amazon. Plant Therapy has its own Amazon store so the oils are still coming from them. I can update the post to clarify that.
I have a family member who works for Amazon and assured me that as long as it states “sold and shipped by Amazon” or it is the company’s own store as she mentioned, and just shipped by Amazon, they are very strict about quality and ensuring no counterfeits, and he said to avoid third party sellers such as a store selling multiple brands…
After several years with DoTerra, I no longer promote them. I started with them and had no intention, ever, to market them for a profit. I just wanted to learn and benefit from oils. I learned a lot and never made it to the Convention until I retired from 37 years of teaching. The Convention made me walk away. There are better options. I found Edens Garden based out of San Clemente in California and they have free shipping. I can order Tuesday night and it’s in my mailbox on Thursday since I live in So Cal. Excellent quality, far more single oils to choose from, several sizes to choose from and test results on the website, along with comments on each oil from customers. They do not promote ingestion. Their price for copaiba is 1/4 what DoTerra sells it for and the quality is the same. Also recommended is Plant Therapy out of Twin Falls, Idaho. They also have free shipping, far more offerings than DoTerra, excellent prices and each bottle already has a label on the top…a big plus for me. Both brands have related FB pages that are moderated by certified aromatherapists and ingestion suggestions are deleted. I am impressed. I do have quite a selection still of DoTerra oils but I’m done ordering from them and paying through the nose. I prefer oils that are just as good but nowhere near as expensive. DoTerra says, “we cut out the middlemen” when it comes to those who buy from the farmers and sell to the companies, but the myriad “middlepeople” in your upline and the pockets of the company cause a huge price jump for consumers.
I love Eden’s Garden, too. Thank you for your support of them as I rarely find them mentioned on sites like this and think its’ because they are a small company and let themselves grow by word of mouth. I’ve yet to find a reason to stop buying from them.
My favorite brand is Veritas by Pranarom, an organic, sustainably sourced company. It is based in Minneapolis. I also like Wyndmere, mentioned by my doctor, because it is a local (for me, in Minnesota) company owned by women. I can get it in the clinic.
I’d also like to know if you’re familiar with Revive EO’s and your opinion if you are. I’ve used YL, dT and Mountain Rose but Revive is less expensive with free shipping & friends who switched from the above 3 companies I mentioned say they are very happy with Revive. A few people have asked about Revive in the comments so I look forward to your reply! Thank you for a great article!
Hello, although this is an older discussion, I thought I’d share this article from a consumer group on essential oil quality. Personally, I don’t buy from MLM companies mostly as a protest in have they fail to train their sales force particularly when it comes to ingestion.
https://www.consumersadvocate.org/essential-oils
Where are you getting your certification from
What do people on this thread think of Revive oils?
What is your opinion on the THRIVE brand oils?
I like the now essential oils & products I get at my local health food store.