If you are expecting essential oils to be oily, you are in for a big surprise.

They are distilled liquids (frequently by steam or water) from various parts of plants (stems, flowers, bark, leaves and sometimes roots, to name a few). The extracted oils are highly concentrated and very little does very much! Most have a clear color, while some are yellow. Their psychological and physical therapeutic benefits have been documented in folk medicine since ancient times.

Essential oils should not be confused with perfume oils, which are artificial fragrances that offer a pleasant smell but have no therapeutic benefits like Essential oils.

Essential oils are used by diluting them with “carrier oil”. Carrier oils are vegetable oils obtained from fatty nuts, kernels and seeds of plants. Most carrier oils are odorless, and if their aroma is bitter and strong it indicates they’ve gone rancid. They are said to “carry” the essential oils onto the skin which could otherwise (in some individuals) be irritating upon application of the essential oil alone. The Carrier oils are selected based on the therapeutic benefits one looks for.

Many natural moisturizing creams, body oils and lip balms contain carrier oils.

Infused oils can be used instead of carrier oils. They are your good old carrier oils, but they’ve been infused with herbs. The benefit of infused oils is that you’ll end up with the therapeutic effects of both the carrier oil and the herbs infused into it. Like carrier oils, infused oils can go rancid.

Essential oils are usually sold in very small bottles of 5ml, 10ml and 15ml. The price and quality vary according to the rarity of the plant, the optimum growth conditions in its country of origin, the distiller standards and the total quantity produced from the plant. Some essential oils are sold as mixtures, which you can buy to save the effort and money that goes into individual purchase.

Tips for buying essential oils

• Try to buy organic essential oils whenever possible.
• Purchase them in amber or cobalt blue bottles only.
• Test it on paper; essential oils are not oily and they evaporate quickly, if it leaves an oily mark on the piece of paper, it’s probably fake fragrance oil.

Also look at our simple Essential Oils Safety and Storage Guide article.

We recommend Home and Beyond in Zamalek which has a large and beautiful collection of essential oils and its accessories.