FAQ_2

FAQ #2

Do you use essential oils or synthetics?

We use both! Despite popular belief, essential oils are not necessarily less irritating or allergenic than synthetic fragrances, and many of the health claims made for aromatherapy are completely unsubstantiated. Also, just because something is natural doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safer. For example, though essential oil of eucalyptus is extremely toxic if ingested, many aromatherapists prescribe it to be taken internally! You can even find it in lozenges at the health food store! Also, some essential oils contain alcohols, ketones, phenols, linalool, borneol, terpenes, camphor, pinene, acids, ethers, aldehydes, and sulfur, which all have extremely irritating and sensitizing effects on the skin.

Depending on your skin type, the reality is that irritations and allergies can occur in response to many different components of either essential oils or synthetics. The only way to be 100% sure about your skin’s response is with a test patch, but the vast majority of people use both essential oils and synthetics topically on a day-to-day basis without any trouble at all.

Sometimes synthetics offer unique fragrances that are not found in plants (the smell of the ocean, for example), or they can take the place of endangered plant species, or they can be used to replace very expensive essential oils that would normally make a product too costly for the average person to buy. That said, cheap synthetics can be a nasty, nauseating thing, not necessarily for your health, but for your nose; think of those horrid pine car ‘fresheners’. Whereas you are not guaranteed a lovely smell with cheap synthetics, you usually are with essential oils. This is why we take the best of both worlds - essential oils and high quality synthetics - to create wonderful smelling products. Every ingredient we use is listed on our labels in INCI format (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient) so it’s easy to look them up on our resource page.