5 Reasons: Organic Essential Oils

5 REASONS FOR ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS

Choosing the best essential oil to meet your needs requires knowledge about the differences between organic and non-organic essential oils. This is a major issue that can determine if a remedy will be effective.  Any certified organic essential oil will be suitable for therapeutic uses as well as less irritating, safer with children and pregnancy, and better for the Earth. There are many explanations for these statements and I will lay them out here as simply as possible.

Organic farming does not use chemical insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and post-production preservatives. Organic certifications like Ecocert and USDA Organic are highly regulated and it can take farms 4-10 years to get the facilities and soil up to standard. With these regulations, the product is tracked from seed to consumer to assure the consumer that the product is free of non-organic materials. The flip side is non-organic or conventional farming uses chemicals to achieve the desired result. Some farms are conventional, but grow organically, however, when standing in the store the organic seal is the only way to be certain.

Choosing organic or non-organic essential oil is even more important than with other types of plant products for 5 REASONS: 

1. Essential Oils Are Concentrated

 Every drop of essential oil are extracted from hundreds of pounds of plant material.

2. Absolutely Clean, No Harmful Chemicals

Essential oils are extracted through steam distillation which uses pressurized steam to separate the essential oil. This process will also concentrate any compound on or in the plant that is under a certain molecular weight. Many fertilizers and industrial chemicals are below this weight and will be concentrated in the final product along with the essential oils. Many of these chemicals are irritating to the human body and are known carcinogens. The presence of these chemicals limits the therapeutic effectiveness and reduces the safety of the essential oil.

3. Know What You’re Getting

Some non-organic essential oils show signs of adulteration, synthetic compounds, and additives. In the worse cases the “essential oil” may not contain any plant material at all. Cutting edge agro-technology is researching GMO (genetically modified) essential oils like “super-lavender” and “super-peppermint”. Organic standards assure the consumer that what they are buying is natural, chemical free and derived from plants.

4. Better Quality & More Effective

Essential oils are the immune system of the plant and naturally repel bugs, pests, and infections. They also help to resist competing plants, boost fertility, and preserve the plant after harvest. The chemicals used in conventional agriculture do these things for the plant using insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and preservatives. These conventionally treated plants do not need to produce a robust essential oil because the chemicals do it for them. Therefore, organically grown plants produce stronger and more effective essential oils because they are growing in natural conditions that encourage essential oil production.

5. Save the Earth

Organics are better for the environment. It requires a whole field of plants to produce a few liters of most essential oils. Therefore, a bottle of essential oil represents a large amount of land mass and may contain thousands of plants. When buying organic you know that the soil and seed used to create the essential oil are free of chemicals or genetic manipulation. Essential oils are the best way to put money toward organic farming because each bottle of essential oil purchased represents a significant amount of organic land mass. Organic farming produces less pollution, regenerates the soil, and is better for the health of the farmers, water, and animals in the region relative to conventional methods.    

In conclusion, certified organic essential oils are superior for many reasons most importantly they are safer and more effective for therapeutic use. Non-organics are cheaper (in many cases), however, the cost reduction comes with a price to human and planetary health.

article by | NATHAN ROSE

I am in love with my work sharing the joys of plants and herbs. Assisting others to help themselves with simple, safe, and effective remedies is my passion. Ultimately, I intend to help humanity expand their consciousness and to do my part to heal the Earth. I am a specialist in holistic health, a writer, and an artist. I have extensive training and have practiced as a holistic health practitioner for 10 years as a certified advanced level aromatherapist, licensed massage therapist, certified yoga instructor, and herbalist.