Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, extracted from the flowers, fruits, leaves, stems and roots of flowers, shrubs and trees. The therapeutic use of aromatic oils dates back to ancient times and was particularly popular in ancient Egypt and the Far East.
The oils are usually obtained by steam distillation. Other techniques include expression (squeezing the oil from peel), maceration (immersing the plant in hot oil to release the essence) and enfleurage (pressing flowers between oiled glass plates).
Essential oils may be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Inhaled scents stimulate the olfactory centres in the nose and particular parts of the brain. Oils massaged into the skin pass into the bloodstream and can influence nervous system function, mental function and emotions.

Essential oils are highly volatile plant essences, produced by extraction from the plant/root/or leaves. These extraction methods include steam distillation, cold pressing, CO2 extraction and solvent extraction (the last two used for Absolutes). These essences contain the aromatic molecules of the plant which are used in nature for purposes from reproduction to immunity from funguses and diseases. Unlike fixed oils (vegetable oils often used to dilute or as a base) they are highly concentrated and must be diluted in a carrier if they are to be used on the skin or for body care. Oils affect a certain part of the brain (the limbic system) and affect the parasympathetic nervous system, as well as having powerful antibacterial and cleansing effects.

The oils are highly concentrated and should be used sparingly. For inhalation, place one to five drops on a tissue or in a burner or vaporiser. The oils can be used to scent rooms, enhance mood and relieve stress.
If you're using the oils for massage, dilute one to five drops of the oils per teaspoon (5ml) of carrier oil, such as sweet almond or wheatgerm, cream or gel. Warming the oil, or generating heat from massage friction, enhances absorption.
The oils may also be added to bathwater. For best effect, add four to six drops to a teaspoon of carrier oil or milk and mix vigorously in the water so the oil dissolves evenly.
Medical aromatherapists prescribe the oils internally, but this requires specialist knowledge and training.

Absolutes are generally more concentrated and viscous than essential oils. When steam distillation cannot properly extract essential oils from a plant, solvent extraction must be used instead. This solvent is then removed (most of it) before the final process. Although this creates a powerful product, absolutes are used sparingly in aromatherapy as there are trace amounts of solvent left in the finished material.

This method uses CO2 (carbon dioxide) instead of solvent to extract the oil. The CO2 is pressurized until it becomes liquid and is then used as the solvent. After the process, the CO2 is brought back to normal pressure and evaporates in its gaseous state, leaving the oil/absolute solvent free. This is a cleaner and more expensive way of creating absolutes.

Carrier, or base oils (vegetable oils), are used to dilute essential oils, CO2s and absolutes before applying to the skin. They "carry" the essential oil onto the skin. Different carrier oils exhibit different qualities and specific carrier oils may be used based on the therapeutic benefit being sought or based on the users personal preferences.

Base oils are usually cold-pressed vegetable oils processed from the fatty portions of the plant. Unlike essential oils that eventually evaporate and are quite concentrated and aromatic, carrier oils do not evaporate and generally have a weak odor.

Some popular carrier oils are sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, evening primrose, and wheat germ oil. Please make sure you purchase cold pressed base oils as most commercially sold oils have been damaged in some way by the heat used in processing. Keep an eye on your stock of carrier oils as they can turn rancid. Vitamin E acts as an excellent preservative in these oils and is really the only acceptable additive that should be found.

Completely different. Whereas essential oils are natural derivatives of plants and flowers, fragrance oils are compounds of very small amounts of essential oils blended with different chemicals and artificial ingredients and offer no therapeutic effects and are simply to offer a pleasant odor.

We offer only high quality essential oils. We work exclusively with a partner who sources materials worldwide and has agreements with producers/manufacturers in over a dozen countries. Our oils are tested regularly and our supply partner has a full lab on premises with the latest equipment including GC. Oils of different qualities are available for uses such as soap making, candles, and fragrance oils, however all oils listed in our essential oil section are aromatherapy grade oils.

Essential oils may be steam distilled or cold pressed, absolutes are generally solvent extracted, and CO2's are extracted using carbon dioxide, which is considered a premier extraction method. Each product description contains the extraction method for that particular oil.

Most essential oils will last at least one year and keep their therapeutic qualities as long as they are stored properly. This means keeping them stored in a cool, dark place in a glass container. Heat, light, and air (head space) are the enemies of essential oils and will rapidly break them down. Try to transfer unused volumes to a smaller container if possible to extend shelf life.

No, currently we do not offer a printed catalogue or have a traditional "brick and mortar storefront." Our entire catalogue can be found on our web page.

Each increased size ordered is already discounted at a basic "volume discount" rate for each product. Additionally, discounts are available for wholesale purchases. These can involve either a large number of smaller volumes purchased for re-sale or product purchased in bulk (such as pail or drum). There may also be discounts offered sporadically depending on the time of year and individual product situations.

At this time, we accept payment via credit cards only. MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Card are all acceptable. Our site is protected and all transactions are secure so your privacy and security are ensured.

Your card is charged upon confirmation of your order.

Shipping and handling is FREE for all orders. Please note that all orders must be at least $30.00 for order processing.

No, you do not only have that option. You may also call in your order or place it via fax. However, phone and fax orders must be entered manually by one of our employees and may be delayed as your call may not be answered immediately and your fax must be processed as well. Please keep in mind as well that if you are not entering your order online because you do not want to enter your credit card information, calling or faxing will not remedy that situation as we must enter the order exactly as you would online. Keep in mind that our site is secured and your personal information will not be revealed. If possible, we recommend entering your own order online to expedite the process and reduce the chance of an error occurring.

Whether you place the order through our site, or call/fax it in to us, your credit card information will be entered and processed the same way. We have gone through considerable time and expense to work with top notch shopping cart and security software and our site is as secure as possible. We can also assure you that your information is kept private and confidential and would only be used by us for specials, promotions, or to contact you when necessary.

Please contact us if there is a problem processing your order. We also suggest you print out your order conformation as well as any pertinent follow up emails. Our ordering system involves a confirmation of the order acceptance followed up by an email informing you of the shipping information. Please understand that the initial order confirmation is not a shipping confirmation.

There is a box on the online order form for you to enter any additional information you feel is relevant. You may also email us directly at: sales@aromaessentialsltd.com or contact us via phone or fax.

If you've tried to find an item on our site either manually or through our in site search engine and cannot locate it, please don't give up. We try to put items on our site as we receive them in but occasionally it doesn't happen right away. Also, our supplier has access to products that are unique or not considered "popular" enough for us to order regularly. This does not mean we cannot source and purchase this item for you. Please contact us via email or telephone and we will do our best to locate this item for you.

We will do our best to get your order out as soon as possible. UPS has their own schedule for deliveries (www.ups.com) based on how far away you are from our New Jersey location. In certain circumstance, we may be able to get expedited service from UPS (for an additional charge) for you. Please contact us and we'll see what we can do for each circumstance.

Please contact us within 2 business days of receiving your order with any order related issues. We will do our best to resolve any issues as expeditiously as possible. Please contact us as soon as possible as after 2 business days we cannot accept responsibility for errors/breakage in your order.

As earlier stated, all our oils are pure, aromatherapy quality and lab tested frequently for any inconsistencies. Unless we shipped the wrong material or there is a serious problem with the product (contamination, etc. that we will test upon return and determine if there is a refund due) we will not accept returns. In the unusual case that a return is necessary, we will replace the product or credit your card, whichever you would prefer. Please keep in mind that no return/credit will be accepted or issued without prior approval. Please do not simply ship us back an item without prior clearance as it will be discarded and you will not receive a replacement or a credit.

The smaller volumes of essential oils are shipped in cobalt blue glass bottles with tamper proof caps. The cobalt blue bottles have been shown to be more effective in protecting the oil from light, which breaks down and destroys the beneficial elements in the oil. The 8 oz and 1 kilo sizes are shipped in brushed aluminum containers and larger sizes in steel tins. These containers completely keep out light and are more durable than glass for shipping larger, more vulnerable volumes.

Our fragrance oils are dispensed and packed the same way as our essential oils. Although these oils are compounds and much more "durable" than pure essential oils, we find it more practical and consistent to ship these fragrance oils using the same high quality, more expensive blue cobalt bottles and aluminum and steel tins.

We package our essential oils by weight. The weight of each essential oil will always be consistent although the volume of the oil will differ based on an oils viscosity. An oil's viscosity will make two different oils that weigh the same have different volumes, and therefore fill the same size bottle to different levels. Less viscous (thinner, lighter) oils such as Bergamot will take up more space in the same bottle than a more viscous (thicker,heavier) oil such as Sandalwood. We use very precise, oft calibrated scales to weigh the oils as their being dispensed and are quite confident that the weights being dispensed and shipped are correct.

We pride ourselves on our knowledge of raw materials and the sourcing of these items. Although each item lists some simple blending information and aromatherapy uses, this information should be considered basic and general. We will not offer any advice on any blending or creation of products using these raw materials as we do not feel qualified to give this information. There are many reputable sources both online and in print that can assist you in every aspect of essential oil use. As we come across pertinent information, we will try to list them on our site to help provide our customers with as much quality information as possible.

Conversion Table:
600 Drops = 1 oz
300 Drops = 0.5 oz (15 ml)
100 Drops = 1 tsp (5 ml)
20 Drops = 1 ml