Fragrance Oil vs. Essential Oils: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to deciding how to scent a product, whether it’s homemade soap, bath bombs, candles or perfume, there are two primary options you can choose from: fragrance oils and essential oils.
Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils are often confused as the same thing, but they couldn't be far from different.
What is Fragrance Oil?
Fragrance oils are created in a laboratory. One of the main benefits is that they are non-volatile and generally last longer than essential oils. There are two broad types of fragrance oils:
1. Synthetic Fragrance Oils
Synthetic fragrance oils are artificially created from chemical compounds that do not exist in nature (Examples: Scent of Bubble gum, sea breeze, rainforest and etc...) Many times, they are composed of petroleum by-products, making them much cheaper but versatile. Many of the cheaper commercial scented products are created with synthetic fragrances because they are able to retain their aroma for longer periods of time. On a cosmetics label, synthetic fragrance oils could be labeled as perfume, fragrance, fragrance oil or parfum. These are the types of fragrances to avoid when reading a label, especially if you have skin sensitivities.
2. Natural Fragrance Oils
Natural Fragrance oils are also made in a lab but are created by isolating natural aromatic components from a complex scent. There is still debate as to whether natural fragrance oils can be considered truly natural. While they are derived from a natural source, they are still created by human science.This includes limonene derived from lemons, vanillin derived from vanilla beans and geraniol from roses.
Fragrance Oil Uses
There are many uses for fragrance oils, many of which you may use in everyday life without knowing. Fragrance oils are best used in crafts or at-home scents. Here are ten popular places you can find fragrance oils:
- Scented candles
- Scented soaps and creams
- Scented massage oils
- Deodorizing room spray
- Scented lotion
- Rollerball fragrances
- Car air fresheners
- Scented laundry detergent
- Scented bubble baths
- Perfume and colognes
Common Fragrance Oil Scents
Fragrance oils are a common ingredient in many of your favorite, everyday items. For those wondering just how many fragrance oils are out there, here are ten examples of fragrance oils that you likely come across often:
- Apple cinnamon
- Birthday cake
- Sweet Roses
- Candy cane
- French vanilla
- New car smell
- Peppermint patty
- Pine forest
- Sea breeze
- Spiced orange
- Strawberries and cream
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are made of 100% all natural substances. Essential oils are potent oils extracted from aromatic plant parts, including root, herb or flower to capture their beneficial properties, scents and flavors. Essential oils are 100% oil and are “neat,” meaning they have not been diluted, mixed or processed, and do not have any additives. These oils are well-known for their aromatic properties, and been around for centuries back in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. These oils have become popular for their usage in aromatherapy and meditation.
Essential oils have been identified to have medicinal properties, including having the same effects as antidepressants, helping provide natural assistance during pregnancy and assisting with headaches and other smaller issues. If you have any questions about the ability of essential oils to help you, check with your doctor.
How Essential Oils are Steam Distilled?
What impacts the quality of essential oils?
Essential oils have recently become more popular due to the "all natural" trend. this has led to the rise of various essential oil producers. It's important to know that the quality of essential oils can vary widely. The quality of a batch of essential oils can be impacted by:
- How the plants are grown: The use of pesticides and other chemicals, the variability in altitude, soil conditions and rainfall, and the difficulty of differentiating plant species and varieties can all have a negative impact on the ultimate quality of the oil
- Processing: Not all oils on the market are suitable for clinical use. Today, you can buy essential oils everywhere- from marketplace platforms ( Examples: Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, and etc...), to discount stores, to grocery stores, and more. If the price of a bottle of essential oil is "too good to be true", it could be a sign of the oils being diluted or adulterated.
- Packaging and handling: Chemical degradation can occur with exposure to heat, light, or oxygen. Take for example, essential oils from citrus fruits, which are especially prone to oxidation. Oxygen exposure can quickly alter the chemistry of those essential oils.
- Storage: Essential oils should be stored in tightly closed, darkened glass containers in a cool place to ensure lasting quality.
Fragrance oils and essential oils really couldn’t be more different, despite sounding similar. From the ingredients they’re made of, their scents, and the ways they’re used, there so much different.
Now that you’re well-versed in the differences of fragrance oil vs. essential oils, which oil will you be reaching for your next daily routine product purchase?