Sunday, April 22, 2012

Fragrance? Essence? Scent!

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  Sometimes good, and sometimes bad.  I have made some acquaintances in my life, and I am certain that some of them have come into my life for specific reasons.  One of my good friends came into my life in a really random sort of way, such a random way that I know she's supposed to be here. 

A couple years ago I had the honor of meeting a lady with a ton of drive, and a giant smile.  She is actually the one who encouraged me to start my own business, making products that I love.  Her name is Shanna and she's the talented owner of Simple Soaps for Simple Folks.  My mom was given a bar of Shanna's amazing goat milk soap, and from that bar of soap, we set up a class to make soap, and within a year of that class I had moved from Minnesota, to North Carolina, and back to Minnesota.  When the dust settled, I ended up living about 10 minutes away from Shanna, and I was given the opportunity to work with her, selling and making soap! 

I had never really been interested in making soap, but the more I helped Shanna, the more I enjoyed it.  She encouraged me to start making bath bombs, which led to other fun bath products, which led to The Lemon Dahlia!

One of the first things I learned from Shanna, that is actually something I didn't know, was the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils.  You may already know this, but in case you don't, I will tell you!

Essential oils are the real deal.  They are straight from the plant, oil that has amazing qualities, and bright fragrance.  Fragrance oils are synthetic.  They are man made scents that are used in perfumes. 

So, which is better?  That depends... essential oils are fantastic for people who have skin sensitivities.  Because they are so natural, they are great for your skin, and they have a ton of other health benefits.  I am still learning a lot of these, but I am amazed every time I find another one and all of it's medicinal qualities.  Did you know that peppermint is helpful with headaches?  Or that different citrus essential oils such as lemon grass or lime are great for perking you up.  Frankincense (yes, the one that the 3 wise men brought to Jesus when he was born) helps with depression, and tea tree has amazing antibacterial and anti fungal qualities.  Honestly, it keeps going with the different oils and their benefits.  Essential oils are amazing, and their smells are very potent in some cases.  This can be good or bad, as sometimes it can be sort of extreme.  

Now, fragrance oils, what's their deal?  As I mentioned, they are not genuine plant derived, but there is nothing wrong with them.  You see them every day in perfumes and lotions.  There are some fragrances that I absolutely love, and I know just doesn't exist in the essential oil world.  The scent also can last quite a bit longer than essential oils.

I use both of these in my products.  If you ever look at the descriptions of bath products, you now know!  Beware though- there are many products out there that claim to use only essential oils, but many commercially made products use a tiny drop of essential oils, and the majority of their oils are fragrance.  Be sure to check the labels, and do your own research!

1 comment:

  1. Really enjoyed this post! Very good information...

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