Abbey Essentials has been quieter for a while, and that was intentional. We paused visible growth to protect the parts of the business that matter most: sourcing integrity, consistent quality, and regulatory readiness. In a market where speed often wins attention, we chose discipline instead. That decision was not reactive, and it was not defensive. It was a protective move designed to keep standards stable while the wider essential oil supply chain became less predictable.

The essential oil industry has faced a set of overlapping pressures that are easy to feel but hard to see from the outside. Global economic disruption has affected costs and lead times across agriculture, processing, and packaging. Freight instability has also made routing less reliable, with delays and surcharges becoming normal rather than exceptional. Environmental pressures and overharvesting risk have intensified for certain botanicals, especially where demand grows faster than sustainable harvesting and cultivation can support. On top of that, some suppliers have changed how they work, which can make it harder for smaller, quality-focused businesses to secure the same materials consistently.

Those pressures show up as ingredient volatility and quality inconsistency. Even when the botanical name is the same, harvest timing, climate conditions, distillation choices, and storage can shift aroma, colour, viscosity, and performance. This is not a problem that can be solved by marketing language. It is solved by traceability, relationships, and a willingness to refuse material that does not meet standard.

Why we paused visible growth

Choosing to slow outward activity gave us room to strengthen the foundations that protect customers and the long-term brand. When supply becomes unstable, the temptation is to broaden ranges quickly, switch inputs quietly, or compromise on documentation to keep up with demand.

We did the opposite.

We used the pause to rebuild how we source, verify, and document, so that the oils we supply remain dependable for makers, therapists, salons, and retail customers who need consistency across batches. That includes customers building compliant products where paperwork and repeatability are not optional. The goal was simple: reduce risk for everyone downstream, including small businesses that rely on us.

What changed behind the scenes

During the pause, Abbey Essentials focused on changes that protect quality and keep things reliable. We rebuilt our sourcing network with a bigger focus on long-term relationships, because consistency comes from working with the same trusted growers and distillers over time. We also tightened up how we track each oil so we can confidently say what it is, where it came from, and how it was made. On top of that, we improved our shipping routes so oils are less likely to be delayed, mishandled, or stuck in conditions that can affect freshness.

We also raised the bar on what we accept. We check batches more carefully for how they smell, how they look, and how they behave, not just whether the paperwork matches. If something is not good enough, we would rather wait than swap it out for something “close enough”. We also improved how we store and handle oils so they arrive in better condition, with less chance of changes that can happen when oils sit too long or are exposed to heat.

Finally, we strengthened how we pack and check products here in the UK, so the end result is more consistent. The aim is simple: oils that smell as they should, feel as they should, and stay fresher on the shelf, without cutting corners to chase fast growth.

The misinformation problem in essential oils

A second reason we have taken our time is that the essential oil market has a trust problem. More and more often, synthetic fragrance oils are being misrepresented and sold as genuine essential oils. That blurs the lines for customers and makes it harder to know what you are really buying. Over time it damages confidence in pure oils, even when they are sourced properly and produced responsibly.

One part of the confusion is scent expectation. A real cinnamon essential oil, for example, can smell sharper, drier, or more intense than the “bakery cinnamon” smell many people expect. That cosy, sweet profile is usually a blended fragrance, artificially created to smell like a baked product, not a single plant oil. If you want to understand what a true spice profile can smell like, our Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil is a good reference point for a naturally bold, concentrated aroma.

It also helps to do a simple sense check when you are shopping. Producing genuine essential oil has unavoidable costs, starting with the plant material itself - many oils require a lot of botanical matter to produce a small amount of oil. Then there is distillation, batch handling, basic quality checking, safe packaging, and labour. Shipping is also part of the reality, and it happens twice: first getting the oil from the distiller or producer to the business, and then getting it from the business to the customer in a way that protects the product. That is why prices vary so much between oils and across seasons, and why very cheap listings should make you pause. If you see an “essential oil” being sold for around £2, it is reasonable to ask how that price could cover the ingredients, time, packaging, and both stages of delivery without something being compromised.

A low price does not prove something is fake, but it is a strong prompt to look closer. Check whether the listing clearly states the botanical name, the country of origin, and whether it is 100% essential oil rather than “fragrance” or “perfume” oil. Look for realistic descriptions rather than “smells exactly like” claims, and be wary of vague labelling that hides what is actually inside. If a seller cannot explain what the oil is and where it comes from, it is harder to trust what you are putting in a diffuser, adding to blends, or using in products.

Texture misconceptions create further noise. Some authentic oils are naturally thicker, darker, or more resinous depending on the plant and how the oil is produced. That is not automatically a sign of poor quality, just as a very pale oil is not automatically “better”. On the flip side, a very runny oil is not automatically fake or synthetic either, because many genuine essential oils are naturally quite fluid. The key point is this: if an oil has been diluted with a carrier oil, thinned with another added ingredient, or blended to change how it pours, it may still smell pleasant and be usable for some purposes, but it no longer qualifies as 100% pure essential oil. Some sellers do this to make an oil feel “light”, to stretch a batch further, or simply to make it dispense more easily, and it can be hard to spot unless the labelling is clear and specific.

Lastly, there is a lot of unsafe dilution advice circulating online, often presented as one-size-fits-all rules without context. You will see claims like “apply neat oils directly to skin”, “more drops means faster results”, or “if it is natural it is always safe”. In reality, essential oils are highly concentrated, and “natural” does not mean risk-free. What is sensible depends on the oil, the person, and the use case, and responsible guidance should emphasise caution and appropriate dilution rather than shortcuts. You will also see blanket statements such as “all essential oils are safe for children”, “all oils can go straight into bath water”, or “any oil is fine in any diffuser for as long as you like”, when the reality is that different oils behave differently and different people react differently. Clear labelling, realistic expectations, and practical education protect customers and protect the reputation of genuine essential oils.

Oil-first, with clear categories for makers

Abbey Essentials remains oil-first. Our core focus is essential oils, supported by fragrance oils for makers, carrier oils, aromatherapy products, and a practical skincare range including body care bases, creams, gels, and lotions. The point is clarity, not hype. Fragrance oils have a legitimate place in candle making, soap making, and home fragrance, and they should be sold and used as fragrance oils, not confused with essential oils.

For makers, fragrance oils can be the right tool when the goal is a familiar, cosy scent that customers already recognise in home fragrance. Our Spice Fragrance is a niche example made for DIY and product making. We write fragrance oil descriptions with clear intent, focusing on what they smell like, how they behave in blends, and what they are actually for, rather than dressing them up as something they are not.

With skincare we do the same thing: we keep it clear and practical. Many of our base products are kept simple and unscented, so they work as they are, or you can add your own scent later. Where we sell creams and gels with ingredients already in them, we keep it straightforward with familiar natural add-ins, rather than relying on heavy perfume. Keeping categories clear like this helps reduce confusion and protects trust in pure essential oils.

Rebranding, as a functional upgrade

Alongside the behind-the-scenes changes, we have already rolled out a rebrand that better reflects what Abbey Essentials is today. You will see updated bottle designs and a stronger, clearer visual identity, not just to look different, but to make the range easier to recognise, easier to navigate, and more consistent across the board.

The upgrades are practical too. We are strengthening our procedures in how products are handled and packed, with a focus on better, more controlled filling and finishing. Our oils already use tamper-evident packaging, so customers can see if something has been opened before it reaches them.

For creams and lotions, the focus is moving towards vacuum-style dispensers where it makes sense, because they protect the product by reducing repeated contact with air and fingers. We originally held off because we wanted materials like glass, aluminium, or other lower-impact options, rather than defaulting to hard-to-recycle plastics. In the meantime, while we kept waiting for the right options to catch up, the packaging landscape changed. Recyclable materials and dispenser designs improved a lot, so we are now trialling newer options that still support hygiene and product integrity while moving the environmental side in the right direction.

This is not a reinvention. We have not changed who we are, we have just improved how it is delivered.

What comes next

The next phase is not about growing as fast as possible. It is about being steady, reliable, and useful. We want Abbey Essentials to be a trusted place for high-quality oils and clear information, with more education that helps people buy and use oils with confidence. That includes supporting formulators and small brands, and also pushing back on misinformation in a calm, practical way, so customers are not left guessing what is real and what is marketing noise.

Behind the scenes, we will keep strengthening supply resilience so ranges stay consistent and customers are not hit with sudden swaps or unpredictable batches. We will also keep improving the way we do things for the businesses we support, so they can grow without cutting corners or being caught out by avoidable issues. Stability-first means fewer rushed changes, clearer categories, and more confidence in what you are buying.

We will keep making our product information more useful too. That means clearer scent descriptions, realistic expectations, and simple context on what each oil is best used for, so people are less likely to buy based on hype and more likely to buy what actually fits their needs. Bergamot Essential Oil is a good example of the kind of straightforward, expectation-setting product information we want across the range.