Why are Essential Oils so Expensive?

 
To answer that question, let's first discuss what essential oils are. Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants such as herbs and flowers.
 
It takes a lot more roses to get an ounce of rose oil than clove oil from cloves. You can squeeze the rind of an orange and see some of the oils come out. That's why some of the citrus oils tend to be more affordable. You can easily extract more of it from less of the plant. 
 
Essential oils are the essence of a plant.
 
Here at Sha-Faun Enterprises, some of our favorite oils are on the more expensive side. Frankincense, for example, is one of the most expensive essential oils. Frankincense comes from a tree that is impossible to grow in most of the world. Frankincense only grows in the Arabian Peninsula. It can also only be harvested at certain times of the year. These factors lead to an increased cost for the production, timing, and shipment of this genuinely amazing oil. 
 
Factors that increase the cost of essential oils: 
 
Now that we've painted that picture for you about Frankincense, you can imagine why particular oils are more expensive than others. Here are a few factors that might increase the cost and availability of an essential oil. 
 
Type of plant:
 
Have you ever played the "love me knot" game with rose petals? Do you remember how thin and delicate those pedals felt in your hands? It takes a lot of flowers to extract floral oils. It takes about 8,000 roses to make one bottle of rose essential oil. That's 30 rose petals in each drop! 
 
Extraction process:
 
Not all oils are extracted using the same method. Some extraction methods are best suited for certain types of plants. Some extraction processes require more plant products or simply take longer. 
 
Common extraction processes:

• Solvent extraction
• Maceration
• Cold-pressed
• Steam distillation 
• CO2 Extractions

 
Harvest and timing of harvest: 
 
Certain plants are very delicate and maybe even a bit fussy making harvesting more challenging. Many flowers only bloom at certain times of the day. If not caught at just the right moment, they close, leaving harvesters to wait until the next day to try again. 
 
Shipping: 
 
Many plants we get essential oils from only grow in certain parts of the world. These delicate oils ship globally in light and temperature-sensitive packaging, increasing their costs. 
 
Why some oils are cheap: 
 
You should carefully read the labels when you see exceptionally inexpensive essential oils. Often these oils are either not pure or are diluted with other oils. If you see the word fragrance on the label, that's not a pure essential oil. 
 
While essential oils are not the least expensive product you can buy, the good news is they last a very long time. You only use them drops at a time. We love and trust Young Living Essential oils as high-quality oils because of their purity standards. Luckily for those of us on a budget, Young Living has a variety of essential oils you can buy for under $30! Some of our favorite, more affordable oils include lavender, sweet orange, peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemon!
 
There's a lot to learn about essential oils, but Sha-Faun has your back every step of the way. We can help you get started on your Young Living essential oil journey today!