Essential Oils - Not just for Crunchies, Hippies, or Wiccans Anymore!!

Essential Oils are a hot topic. EOs are becoming more popular and people are very passionate about their "brand."

When I told my pastor father that I was using essential oils more and more, he was a little apprehensive about me using them. He went through the 1970's - the Hippie Era - and also a time of the New Age Religion; a reliance on self and Mother Earth. Essential oils were and are popular with the New Age religious body. I spoke to him about my uses and he seemed a little more at ease. So, it's no just for Wiccans anymore!

The "brand" of EOs is hotly debated on the web. I followed one blogger on her journey to find the best brand, and it took her ten months!!! I'm not that patient. I read with interest her findings and thoughts: Her number one caution is to find out the distillation process. This is how the essential oil is processed. Steam distillation is the best. Distilling the leaf, stem, or flower on the first distillation yields the best quality oil. Some companies dilute this distillation with water or chemicals. Others distill the original product a second and third time, squeezing out the remaining oil. These are called second, third, and complete distillations - which are not as good as first distillation.

So, to make a long story short, I have come to the conclusion:
If I'm using the EOs in a cleaner, I'm not too concerned about first or second distillation.
If I'm using the EOs as a topical solution for my body, I want a first distillation.
If I'm using the EOs in a room spray, in my laundry, in a diffuser, I'm not concerned about distillation.
Some people ingest EOs. I'm not that advanced yet, and haven't done enough research.

 Essential Oils can be pricy. They come in .5oz or 1oz bottles, and even larger. But, one only uses a small amount at a time, making even the smallest bottle last a long time. They also have a fairly long shelf life - one to two years at least.

I ordered my Essential Oils from the Vitamin Shoppe. I also have bought a bottle at my local health food store for about $0.50 more, but I saved on shipping costs. I bought Aura Cacia (a decent brand at an affordable price), NOW (a not so decent brand at a great price), and some other oils at decent prices. This was before doing a ton of research, so I went with price over distillation process. After doing some research on my own, I am going to advocate on behalf of Mountain Rose Herbs. The oils come from first distillation AND are affordable. Native American Nutritionals come in second, but are a little pricey.

There are some MLMs (Multi Level Marketing) companies out there. DoTerra and Young Living are the two popular companies. The benefit of a company like this is that you have a representative who can answer questions about their essential oils.

I will post about my uses in upcoming blogs.