I was going to wait and get into essential oils (EOs) later, but it has been on my mind since the topic of "food grade" EOs came up. So let's begin with the basics...
What are Essential Oils? - They are a condensed oil extracted from plant materials.
For example, the medicinal properties in 1 drop of EO might be the the equivalent of 20 - 30 cups of medicinal tea. (keep this in your mind as we go along in future posts)
It can take 225 Pounds of an herb, to create 1 fl oz of essential oil.
How are Essential Oils made? - By either distillation, or they are cold expressed...directly from the plant, with No other ingredients or they cannot BE 'essential' oils.
Now think on this...and I ask, HOW does one make an ESSENTIAL (meaning the base oil of a plant) oil, food grade, or non-food grade?
Right ...I call BS on the marketers of this 'Therapeutic Grade' for creating confusion on this issue. EOs are either 100% EO, or they are not. So, Read the labels, and research the brands. You ONLY want to be using 100% essential oils, and mixing in your own carriers if you are working with them at home. And PLEASE don't fall for the therapeutic EO farse and spend 4x as much on your oils.
Once a carrier is added, it becomes a Remedy, no longer an EO.
Once various EOs are blended, they also become either a remedy, or a preparation.
Once it is diluted and has sweeteners added, it becomes a flavoring, no longer an EO.
Do your research, there are plenty of good EO companies who do not add other substances into their oils...They don't have fancy websites with professionally designed marketing ploys though, so look for the simple places. Mountainroseherbs.com is usually very good with their quality, and there are many other older companies who have been making EOs since before we were all born.
But the bottom line here, is that there -->> IS NO SUCH THING <<-- as food grade, or therapeutic grade essential oils. I have been using oils for over 30 years and this is all new in the last 5 years. It is a money making marketing scheme, meant to discredit long standing EO companies and make these higher priced oils that are exactly the same oil, seem desirable.
Apparently it is working, as instead of 4 to 12.00 for a 1 oz bottle, people are willingly paying 20 to 50.00 for a 1/4 oz or 1/2 oz of the same thing with a pretty label.
SO I will say one last time, it either IS AN EO, or it is not...
We do always need to be aware of the actions and constituents of each plant, and be mindful of how they are used, which are poisonous, which are not...but that is another discussion entirely.
Okay, rant over :)
Update I was just looking on Mountain Rose Herbs...and even they are now using the word therapeutic, not in their titles, but in some parts of the description...I am sure to dispel the myth. If they do not, the confusion will continue.
They correctly mark their perfume oils 40/42, which is how it has always been.
This is a {Steemit Original} All words and photos by Elew
To read my other Medicinal Herb posts...
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/teas-oils-ointments-and-balms
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/medicinal-tea-vs-commercial-tea
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/herbal-prep-infusion-and-decoction
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-oil-infusion