Shopping Tips for Essential Oils
Take time to shop around and do the math. Essential oils can be purchased at a health food store, organic grocery store, New Age gift shop, mainstream drugstore, bookstore, perfumery, or natural cosmetics store.
There are quite literally hundreds of retailers, distributors and manufacturers worldwide who offer Internet shopping or auctions. It’s a good idea to study websites thoroughly to be able to determine and choose a reputable dealer with whom you want to do business.
Compare pricing which can vary dramatically. Excellent rose otto can vary from $300 to $700 per 1/2-ounce (15 ml) depending on the seller. If you are willing to pay the higher price, make sure it’s justified and that you ‘get what you pay for.’ Similarly, prices vary drastically according to country of origin. The most desirable essential oil of sandalwood comes from India and costs $150 per ounce (30 ml); sandalwood oil from Australia sells for $80 per ounce. When shopping online, compare shipping costs; a few large distributors offer free shipping with every order.
Finally, purchase essential oils only if they come in dark bottles, either blue or brown glass. Light and heat reduce the effectiveness of essential oils and shorten shelf-life. Oxygen in the air inside a bottle can cause color deterioration and rancid odor. Large quantities of oil are best recanted into smaller containers to reduce the amount of oxygen in the headspace of a bottle. If stored in fully topped-off, tightly sealed, dark-glass containers in a cool area, 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 20 degrees Celsius), essential oils last 6 to 24 months.
Ask your retailer for the life-span of a particular oil at time of purchase. At any point, if you detect a foul, or uncharacteristic odor, the essential oil has become rancid and is no longer therapeutic; in fact, it even might be detrimental to health and cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
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