- Fragrance Oils Vs. Essential
Oils:
- A Never Ending Debate
- By Lisa Chambers
 Fragrance verses essentials oils....
Natural verses synthetic... Differences in opinions on these
subjects often lead to debates ranging from intriguing to downright
brutal. So in the end, which is really the best for soapmaking
and other bath and body products? Here are some common points
and considerations you may not of thought of.
Fragrance Oils
In general, fragrance oils tend
to be more affordable than essential oils.
There are famous and much beloved
scents that can only be found in a fragrance oil. Some fragrances
simply cannot be mimicked through essential oils.
Fragrance oils fall into the
FDA's jurisdiction and their "trade secret" law. This
means that the manufacturer of the fragrance oil does not have
to disclose the ingredients used in making their fragrances.
Basically you may never know what in the world is really in a
fragrance oil, but they do have guidelines in place to ensure
the general safety of the product. (Though one could argue that
this guideline may be questionable due to the fact there are
many items that are approved by the FDA that create debates in
the issue of it's safety- from the arguments over Sodium Laurel
Sulfate all the way down to artificial sweeteners!) The ingredients
used may range from debates as far as safety is concerned to
an outright environmental hazard.
For soapmakers, especially one
that may not have a lot of experience, sometimes fragrance oils
can be a bit more aggravating than an essential oil during the
soapmaking process. Certain fragrances can cause what soapmakers
know as "seizing". Most soapmakers know this term,
and we all know this problem can lead to a potential bad day
for us! The good news is many experienced soapmakers know tricks
of the trade to save our soap batches when this happens, or sometimes
prevent it entirely. (Remember that a fragrance from one supplier
may behave better than another- it all depends on the source
and what they used to create the scent.)
There are people that are particularly
sensitive to fragrance oils and even sometimes just plain allergic
to them. However, in fairness, you have to keep in mind that
over a hundred different ingredients could be used to create
just one fragrance! The truth is that if a product is carefully
made and the fragrance oils are carefully measured and added
in the recommended amounts, the amount of fragrance actually
used is generally unlikely to cause a reaction. I'm not sure
it would be fair be to ban all fragrances if you have bad luck
with one particular scent or product. Now that does not mean
there aren't people out there that are genuinely that sensitive-
it does happen. I'm just saying that it actually happens very
rarely..
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Essential Oils
In general, essential oils tend
to put a dent in your wallet compared to fragrance oils. There
are in fact different grades of essential oils, and as with all
the things, the better ones tend to be more expensive. If you
find one that is significantly cheaper, chance are it may not
be as pure as you think and may be any better than a fragrance
oil. Now I am once again speaking in general and am not stating
this is always the case. The reasoning is that there are many
manufacturers that sell essential oils that do in fact contain
a small percentage of synthetic materials as well. |
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Even if an essential oil is natural,
it doesn't not mean that the means from which it was extracted
was. There are several methods for extracting essentials oils,
and some choose using chemical solvents in the process for certain
essential oils. Many people may not be aware of this, yet they
should be. Many oils made in this fashion are still labeled "natural
or "pure", but I suppose it all comes down to what
you personally define "pure" as.
As far as being environmentally
friendly, many don't realize that majority of the essentials
oils sold in the U.S., or the materials to make them, come from
overseas. In a heated debate I once witnessed, one intuitive
person brought up a new point that is absolutely worth considering.
The fuel used either by flight or by sea alone could very well
make up for any advantage that essentials oil have over fragrance
oils in terms of being environmentally friendly. Now bear in
mind that wherever we buy our essential oils from, more than
likely bought it from a larger supplier or wholesale distributor.
The product may in fact change hands many times so it's not always
possible to know the source.
Another blow to the theory that
going natural is more environmentally friendly, is that hundreds
of pounds of plant matter could be used to make a single ounce
of essential oil! Certain plants used to create essential oils
such as certain types of sandalwood, cedarwood, and rosewood
oil are now endangered from the over-harvesting. Such heavy usage
of natural resources can create an imbalance in the environment
for types of essential oils that are extracted from "non-renewable"
resources.
Essential oils undeniably have
been found to carry positive properties from the plant materials
they were extracted from. Wisely chosen quality essential oils
can greatly increase the desired effects in a topical application
such as creams or lotions. However, many debate on this when
it comes to the topic of soapmaking. Unless a soap is "rebatched"
or "milled", including through "met and pour"
methods, or cooked through a "hot process" method,
some believe that the high alkali needed during the soapmaking
process actually kills at least a vast majority of any of the
positive properties that may have come have from the plant matter
the essential oil was extracted from. Then again, the heat from
the methods could tear down beneficial antioxidants, vitamins,
or essential fatty acids that the base oils in the soapmaking
process has brought to the table. Some don't believe either of
these to be true and can intelligently argue both of these points
to death.
There are those that are particularly
sensitive to fragrance oils, yet there are people that are sensitive
to essential oils as well- often time people that are sensitive
to one may be sensitive to another. This does not make either
one "bad". You can't place blame any more than you
could place blame due to any other allergy. If you're allergic
to cats, you can't blame the cat and certainly you can blame
yourself. It just happens. "Leave-on" products that
aren't rinsed away, such as lotions and creams, need to be treated
especially carefully in terms of essential oils. Too much of
a particular oil can have far more irritating results than benefits.
For an example, if you make a lotion with large amounts of grapefruit,
orange, or any other citrus in the summertime, these citrus oils
may enhance your chances of getting scorched by the sun or possibly
an even worse reaction from sun exposure. Large amounts of rosemary
essential oil or extract in a "leave on" product could
cause massive irritation. Some essential oils are even toxic
if ingested! You have to get to know your oils- which means lots
of homework before welcoming a new ingredient.
Conclusion
There are even many more valid
points to each side than I have listed here- there are new ones
all the time and the cycle of this debate doesn't look like it's
going to end any time soon. It's important to openly review both
ends of the spectrum and establish you own opinion by the weight
of the importance each point of view carries and not just the
simple number of listed pros and cons of each.
Some people simply refuse to
use anything with fragrance oils, and some people find products
with essential oils to be an overpriced ploy for profit gain.
Some recognize the benefits of essential oils and commonly use
them in topical leave-on applications, but find them to be a
waste when it comes to soapmaking. Then there are some that feel
strongly enough that they avoid either one, sometimes simply
leaving their products entirely unscented.
As for me , personally, I think
everyone is right. I see both ends to this debate as valid, and
in a sense I believe the difference in opinions is a great thing.
My theory is this - there are obvious faults to both fragrance
and essential oils. If only fragrance oils were used, I think
pollution to the environment and our bodies would skyrocket to
an all time high and it would be a total shame to cast out the
magical scents with countless benefits given to us by mother
earth, herself. Yet, at the same time, if only essential oils
were used there could be devastating results to the planet from
over-harvesting. I also think this would bring a sense of boredom
to the bath and body industry as a whole. Even if it is sometimes
overlooked because of it's common over-use, certain scents and
fragrances really touch people. I think they would miss many
of their favorite scents that simply cannot be imitated with
all natural essentials oils. Whether it's to enhance a certain
mood, is a treat to indulge in and brings a sense of pampering
in our hectic lives, or someone just plain likes it, I truly
think people actually connect with certain scents. I believe
aromatherapy goes far beyond just premium grade natural essential
oils. As a soapmaker, I embrace both at this point, and make
my soaps as my passion drives me- without prejudice. |
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