Why are essential oils better than fragrance oils?

Essential oils (EOs) are natural oils that come from plants, roots, bark, leaves, stems and flowers of living plants. This means they have a range of healing qualities that a manufactured fragrance oil will never have. No matter how hard manufacturer’s try, they will never be able to make a fragrance oil that equals the properties of an essential oil.

Another reason EOs are better has to do with the source of fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are synthetic. That means they’re made in a lab. The result is a product that can cause skin irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin. It can also irritate the sinus passages, which brings on headaches from sinus inflammation.

People have used essential oils for centuries for their aromatherapy benefits and also because of their antibacterial properties. Consequently, although essential oils are usually more expensive than fragrance oils, they’re usually gentler on your skin. Used at the proper concentration, most EOs won’t irritate it or cause a negative reaction. Those that do cause problems are usually related to a known allergy to the plant the oil comes from.

Fragrance oils smell great. However, they aren’t as strong or long-lasting as essential oils. Often, they are diluted with a solvent like ethanol. This makes them safer for us to use. However, ethanol evaporates quickly. It’s also drying to the skin.

Consider this as well. Even if the scent of the EO and fragrance oil are identical, the health promoting properties of the EO will not be there. This is the primary reason essential oils are better than fragrance oils.