What is the difference between essential oils vs fragrance oils? Real vs fake? Hippie vs department store? Healing vs toxic?
Simply put essential oils are derived from plants and fragrance oils are a mystery concoction of undisclosed synthetic chemicals.
By definition Aromatherapy is the healing practice of using natural essential oils to enhance psychological and physical well-being. Calling something natural or aromatherapy that contains synthetic fragrance is one of the most common misrepresentations among natural products, and especially in soaps and candles.
Synthetic fragrance is not Aromatherapy.
Essential oils are volatile plant extracts made from steam distilling or cold-pressing flowers, bark, stems, leaves, peel, roots, seeds, resins, or other parts of a plant.
Essential oils (EO's) are steam-distilled pure plant extracts used for scenting, flavoring, or healing applications in aromatherapy.
Fragrance oils (FO's) are synthetically made chemical scent compounds found everywhere in modern life.
Synthetic fragrance oils are hard to get away from as they're found in most commercially offered cleaning products, room fresheners, personal care products, laundry soap, stationary, hand sanitizers, baby diapers, toilet paper, tampons, food, drinks, candy, toys, and so much more.
Many skincare products, soaps and candles, even those labeled "natural" often contain fragrance oils. It is common for a soap label will say "contains essential oils." However, such a label can be deceiving -- it is always important to check if it ALSO contains fragrance oils.
Fragrance oils are problematic because these synthetic compounds, they are drying and irritating to the skin, and can cause many other potentially serious health problems.
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