How To Use Essential Oils Without Breaking The Bank

Essential oils have become a huge topic in the last few years. People from all over give testimonies of how they have improved their health in some way using essential oils. I really enjoy using them as well, and have done so for about 10 years. Have you ever heard someone say that essential oils are too expensive for them to invest in? I have. After seeing some pretty hefty price tags on some essential oils, I can understand why many people feel that way. You’ve also probably heard some say that only certain brands are pure and work as effectively as they are supposed to. These oils may be top-quality, but the price tags can leave one feeling discouraged. This can cause a person to decide essential oils aren’t within their budget.  If you live on a tight budget like I do, let me tell you that essential oils don’t have to be expensive. I’m going to share some secrets with you that you may not know about buying top quality essential oils without breaking the bank!

How To Use Essential Oils Without Breaking The Bank First, let’s discuss what makes an essential oil an effective essential oil. It’s important to choose companies that manufacture an oil that is 100% pure.  Despite what some essential oil companies claim, there are not only 1 or 2 companies out there with pure, effective oils. Also, you do not have to spend a lot of money in order to have oils that work effectively. Let me pause right here and say that I realize there are many people out there that are very loyal to one essential oil company, and that’s great! I have favorite companies too! I have no problem with others recommending a company as their favorite and even what they feel to be the best quality oils. We all have our favorites.  The only problem I have is when a person degrades someone else for not feeling like their favorite essential oil brand is the best. If you are not aware that this happens, let me tell you that it does. And it’s sad. There are friends who won’t talk to their friends because they use a different essential oil company than them. This truly happens, dear readers. In my opinion, this is taking things waaaaay too far. I may have my favorite companies that I buy oils from, but I am not by any means going to drop a friendship because a person likes a different essential oil company than I do. It appears that some may have such a strong opinion that their oils of choice are the only good oils on the planet and it angers them to think that someone else would disagree with this. I hope this is not any of you. We need to show grace and kindness towards others with different likes and dislikes. Isn’t that just a basic principle of life that we need to respect? We should love each other and focus on what really matters in life. By writing this post, I am also not trying to bash popular essential oil companies that are more expensive, nor am I trying to say that you shouldn’t buy from them. I personally have several oils from one of the bigger named brands, and I absolutely love them! (They were also given to me.) 🙂 You may see me advertise or promote a well-known brand essential oil company from time to time. This is because the oils are truly top-notch and many people prefer them over other companies and can afford them. Some people prefer the way certain oils smell (companies often use different plant species which results in a different smell but not quality), and are willing to pay more for the oils that have a smell more to their liking. Please hear my heart on this matter. As a mom that lives on a tight budget and cannot afford the more expensive oils, I know the frustration of wanting to provide the best natural remedies for my family, but knowing my budget will only allow so much. This post is written for those of you in the same boat as me. I have done my research and have found essential oil companies that I can afford, without having to compromise on the quality. So what makes an oil a goodern’? (I may not be a southerner by birth, but I did live in Alabama for over 2 years, which qualifies me to speak like one on occasion.) 😉

The Purity Of Essential Oils Let’s talk about what makes an essential oil a truly pure essential oil. Here are some questions to ask about an essential oil company before you buy from them. You can find the answer to these questions by looking at the company’s website, or by calling and talking to the company. Lea Harris, who is an aromatherapist, raised enough money to do some 3rd party testing on essential oils. You can read the results here and you will find that the less expensive oils tested just as pure as the more expensive ones.

How are the oils derived?

The essential oils should be steam distilled at no greater than 212 degrees, which is the point that water turns into steam. If plants are steam distilled at higher temperatures, the medicinal quality will be damaged. Some essential oils have to be cold pressed (such as citrus oils), but the other oils should be steam distilled using low heat in order to be the most effective.

What is the plant source?

It’s important to use oils that come from organic plants, or plants that are not sprayed with pesticides.

Does the company test their oils for purity?

In order for essential oils to be 100% pure, they must be undiluted and uncontaminated. The only way to guarantee this is if the company tests their oils by gas chromatography and/or infrared spectroscopy.

What about oils being therapeutic grade?

Some essential oil companies claim that their oils are therapeutic grade, but this is simply a marketing term. There is not a committee system set up to declare that oils are or are not therapeutic grade. There is obviously a system in place in the certified organic industry for foods and herbs, but there are no agencies like this for essential oils. The companies that use this term for their oils are simply using a marketing term, but it does not necessarily mean their oils are better than others.

What about oils being safe enough for internal use?

In order for companies to be able to say their oils are safe for internal use, they have to pay a lot of money for insurance. Some companies prefer not to do this so they can keep their oils at a cheaper price, therefore you may read “for aromatherapy use” on the labels and assume that they are not as pure as those that can claim that their oils are safe for internal use. The only difference in the oils is that one company pays a lot of insurance to be able to make that claim (and normally has a higher price tag on the oils), and the other company chooses not to pay the insurance (and can sell their oils for less).  Whether or not oils are safe for internal use is up for debate among aromatherapists. If you decide that you want to occasionally use an oil internally (very well diluted of course), then the thing you want to look for is a company that is trustworthy and tests their oils for purity, and not necessarily only the ones that can claim that their oils are safe for internal use. Let me just pause here and say again (just to be sure I am being clear) that I am not trying to bash the larger well-known oil companies, and I sincerely hope I am not coming across that way. The larger oil companies that I know of are top quality, excellent oils. I am simply trying to clear up some misconceptions about oils in general. I have many people ask me what brands of essential oils I use because they cannot afford to buy expensive ones. I want all moms everywhere to realize that they can use healthy remedies from home that they can afford!

So how can some top-quality essential oil companies offer their oils for so much less?

There are a few reasons that some companies can sell oils at much less of the price as other companies. 

1. Insurance – as I’ve already mentioned, some companies purchase insurance to be able to make claims about their oils being safe for internal use. This is completely fine that they wish to promote their oils in this way, but they do have to up the price of their products to cover the cost.
2. Organic or not organic – some oil companies only purchase from organic farmers and can label their own resulting oil as organic. Buying from organic sources is great, but it does obviously cost more to buy from organic farmers rather than from farmers that practice organic farming but have not paid all that money to be able to claim the organic label.
3. Business model – some companies sell through a multi-level marketing business model. This means that distributors have to be paid, which is more expensive than just buying directly from the company.

Purchasing quality oils that are affordable

Because I live on a tight budget, I have a few companies that I purchase from that I am confident are top quality but are within my price range.

• Beeyoutiful – when I need to purchase an essential oil, Beeyoutiful is normally the first company I check with to see if they produce it. This is a small, Christian, home-schooling, family-owned company. They keep their staff and expenses to a minimum in order to offer all of their products at such low prices. They test their essential oils before, during, and after bottling to ensure that they are pure and not contaminated. Most of their bottles come in 1 oz. sizes, which lasts much longer and therefore I don’t have to order as often. Beeyoutiful has the best prices on top-quality essential oils that I have personally found. View their website here.
• Mountain Rose Herbs – Mountain Rose Herbs is another company I sometimes purchase from. They have just about every essential oil under the sun, so if I need an oil that Beeyoutiful does not carry, I normally purchase from them. Find their oils here.

While this list is not exhaustive, here are a few other companies that I have never purchased from but believe to be top-quality:

• Essential Vitality
• Plant Therapy

• Aura Cacia

Do you use essential oils? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

References:  http://www.beeyoutiful.com/beeyoutiful-oil-quality