Mythbusting essential oils: Part 2

There wasn’t going to be a second article on myth-busting essential oils. We knew essential oil education was important, but we had no idea how many people wanted it. As thousands of readers visited our site for the first post, we decided it would be our mission to spread better information on essential oils. 

And with this in mind, we came across more misinformation that spread rather quickly. Here are five more misconceptions about essential oils, and what you should do instead.

Solvents are bad

You might have spotted certain bloggers warning about the dangers of solvent extraction. Which is interesting, since we all consume at least one solvent every day, without a problem. Some common examples of solvents are ethanol, acetone, and water. Solvent extraction involves using one of these liquids to separate the essential oil from the plant matter. 

A solvent is a tool, and not an ingredient - your essential oil will be pure and untainted if the process is performed properly. 

It doesn’t matter what you contain them in. 

This applies to pure essential oils, which will degrade in anything other than dark glass bottles. What’s more, essential oils are so potent that they can actually dissolve plastic bottles. Rather than run the risk, make sure you purchase and store your essential oils in dark glass bottles, which not only protect from leakage but prevent oils from degrading and losing their vital properties. 

And because essential oils can melt through plastic, this should be all the more reason not to ingest them. Just imagine what they could do to your internal organs. 

You can add them to your recipes 

Please stop ingesting essential oils. All of the benefits you could possibly want from them can be achieved through topical application or diffusing. While it might be tempting to add a few drops to your recipes, essential oils are not regulated as a food item, and they’re not safe for human consumption. Regardless of how finely filtered or ‘pure’ the oils are claimed to be. 

They’re natural, so you’ll never have an allergic reaction

Hate to say it, but you can still be allergic to essential oils even though they’re natural. This is one of the main reasons we advocate for proper dilution. If you’re new to essential oils, always start with 1% dilution. Over time, you may build up a tolerance to essential oils, but concentration should never go above 5% in any given topical application.

Beyond allergies, children, pregnant women, people with epilepsy, and pets can suffer from sensitivities to specific essential oils. As positive as the effects of these natural extracts can be, they must be treated with respect. 

More expensive oils are better

Well, this is true and false. Certain essential oil brands hike up their prices, insisting that this is because they’re premium quality. Other brands dilute their essential oils with other liquids so they can sell them for a lower price and still make a profit.

Another factor which should be acknowledged is the changing climate and unsustainable harvesting, 

Do you still have questions about essential oils? Send us an email, or find us on Facebook and Instagram, where we can help you find a solution!

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