My (Terrible) Experience with Cheap Essential Oils

Hey, friends! Hope your week has been wonderful. Today I want to sit down and chat with you about another “Don’t B.Stupid” experience that Jess and I have been through so that you don’t have to. 😉 Did you know the essential oil market is just as volatile as the oils themselves? In our culture, it’s so easy to label an oil as “pure”, and fill it with synthetics & carriers. Why? Well, I’ll tell you why.

Essential Oil Grades, Broken Down

Before we hear my story, let’s get down into the nitty gritty, shall we? Essential oils aren’t rated by the US Government, and literally, the only requirement we have to label a bottle of essential oil as “pure” is that the bottle needs to contain only 5% essential oil. YOU GUYS, how ridiculous is that? On top of this, that measly 5% doesn’t even mean top grade essential oil!

Ready for a grade breakdown? Well, here you go:

• Grade A is therapeutic. These oils are made from organically grown plants and distilled at low temperatures. i.e- awesomesauce oil
• Grade B oils are food grade. However, they may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, chemical extenders, or carrier oils. i.e- yuck!
• Grade C oils are perfume oils that often contain adulterating chemicals. They usually use solvents, for example, hexane. Hexanes are odorless constituents to gasoline and are labeled harmful to human health, highly flammable, and detrimental to the environment. Hexane is used to gain a higher yield of oils per harvest. Solvents, in general, can be cancerous and are in many store-bought oils. They may also be diluted 80-95 percent with alcohol. i.e- double yuck-o!
• Grade D is called “floral water,” which is aromatic only and is usually a byproduct of Grade A distillation. After all the oil is pulled out, the leftover trash water is sold to companies which will fill 5 percent of the bottle with this “leftover trash water,” fill the rest with carriers, and label it “pure.” i.e- run away!

My First Perfume

Now, this is where my story comes in. This was before we really started using Young Living exclusively for our oils & health products. It was also before I knew about essential oil grades, and what companies can sneak in their oils under the radar to make their products more affordable.

I asked for a natural perfume for my birthday. I sent the link to my family, and my sister Brigid treated me to the little luxury that I had asked for. It was a precious gift to me, because it was my first legit perfume, came in gorgeous packaging, and had a beautiful, light vanilla scent. The ingredients seemed clean enough, with only denatured alcohol and an essential oil blend.

Cheap Essential Oils + Headaches??

I was so excited to get my perfume, and immediately put it on! Something went horribly wrong though: Jessica would get a headache every single time that I would wear my perfume. I brushed away the side-effects for a while, because I kept telling myself the ingredients were clean, so it must be all in her head! (ha. no pun intended 😛 ) Eventually it got to the point where it was a contentious topic between Jessica and I, because of the misery I would cause her every time I would wear it (sorry dear!). So, I stopped wearing it.

A few months later (after we had gotten more educated on Young Living & Essential Oils in general) I decided to try it again. This time I got a headache. The smell had become so synthetic and gross, and my body was immediately ticked-off by it. Then it clicked. The Essential Oil grades, you guys! Remember what I said about Grade C Oils (perfume oils)??? Without a doubt, this seemingly “clean”, “natural” product was utterly adulterated with toxic chemicals. 

Feeling Cheated

Now, some of you might know that there are certain oils that, even if they are of a high grade, do cause headaches in certain people simply because of their strong, chemical-makeup. I’m not talking about these oils. I’m talking about Juniper, Grapefruit, Heliotrope, and a Vanilla scent of some form. I’ve used real Grapefruit & Juniper essential oils, as well as Vanilla Essence from Young Living, and have never had a bad experience with them.

I felt a little (a little? A lot!) cheated that a company I had put my trust in to provide natural products, was offering the sad quality that I experienced. I learned from this, first-hand, that even if the ingredients state “Essential Oil”, I still can’t know for sure that that “oil” won’t affect my body in a negative way because of it being a low grade. I was pretty much replacing toxic chemicals (conventional perfume) with toxic essential oils. No Buenos, amigos.

Who to Trust?

So who can you trust? Well, I am sure that there are a lot of companies out there who might have higher standards that you can experiment with. I haven’t run across too many that I’ve been over the moon about. There is always some way that they cut corners, that gives me a reason not to trust them. Honestly, Seed to Seal is the way to go. It’s Young Living’s promise to you that when they say “natural”, they mean it. You can learn all about the beautiful Seed to Seal process in Jessica’s previous post, as well as on the Seed to Seal website.

I’ve never had a bad experience with Young Living products, and trust the company whole heartedly. To be honest, our culture has flimsy standards for “natural” and “organic.” This is why understanding the story, reputation, and integrity of a company selling “natural” products, plays a vital role in your ability to trust them. Do their products come from the heart & soul of their company wanting to bless others, or is it just to make money & sell a trendy product? Do the research. It will always be worth your time, especially in the realm of wellness & essential oils!

Ok, that’s all I have for today, friends. I hope my story was enlightening + a blessing to all of you! If you want to learn more about essential oils, join Jessica and me on Facebook on the 14th for a live video class! If you want to join Young Living & be on the B.Well team, we’d love to have you. Sign up here or shoot us an email!

xo, Charlotte B.