# EO's - Lavender Oil - Therapeuic Grade



## tbeck3579 (Apr 28, 2015)

Below is a quick excerpt from the company I buy EO's from (more info on their page).  I'm not "loyal" to any retailer, and am not advocating you buy from them.  However, they do give some additional information that most retailers don't.  Information like where it came from and how they processed it.  I also like purchasing from companies that aren't afraid to post costumer reviews, and lavender has many reviews.  The choices for Lavender EO are very extensive.  Below is a bit of their info about their selections of various lavender EO, or their sales hype depending on how you look at   I have participated in studies re: reduction of anxiety (thus hyperactivity) and lavender will reduce anxiety -- Laugh if you will (I noted some derogatory comments on the forum  ), but the sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses in memory recall -- Don't underestimate the ability of your nose to influence your thoughts -- and the mind controls -- well, never mind, long and boring for those who don't give a hoot :yawn:.  You either like lavender or you don't.  Here is the info:


*Lavender 40/42* – This essential oil is the most common choice for applications in glycerin soap,  candles, perfume, and cosmetics. The “40/42” refers to the balance of  Linalool and Linalyl acetate esters, which is what gives it such a  consistent floral scent. It also has a balsamic woody undertone with a  floral, herbaceous fresh scent.
*Lavender Bulgarian* – This is the choice if you’re  looking for a rich lavender floral scent that is a little fruitier and  mellower that the 40/42, and with less of a camphoraceous smell. This  one smells more like fresh lavender.
*Lavender French* – A simple, sweet, floral note that has been a very popular choice.
*Lavender Population Oil* – This sweet, green scent offers a lot of therapeutic benefits.
*Lavender South African* – For a fresh, sweet, floral-herbaceous odor, this is a good choice. It also has a touch of the African veldt.
*Lavender Spanish* – This essential oil has a fresh, floral herbaceous odor.
 *Using Lavender Oil*

 The largest producer of lavender oil is currently Bulgaria, but there  are many other sources around the world and each region produces a  product with slightly different characteristics and aromas. This is why  we offer so many different types of lavender on our site and how we have  become one of the largest importers of lavender oil in the USA
 Lavender is most well known for its use in aromatherapy, but it is  also used in personal care precuts, as an antiseptics, and for the  treatment of sunburn and muscle joint pain. It has also been known to  aid in relaxation, reduce anxiety, and relieve stress and tension  headaches.
 Disclaimer:
 Lavender oils should not be used directly in women who are pregnant or currently breastfeeding.


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## HappyHomeSoapCo (Apr 28, 2015)

I love buying my eo's from bulk apothecary!


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## shunt2011 (Apr 28, 2015)

There really is no such thing as therapeutic grade EO's.  There is no body that rates them as such.  EO's have been used for therapeutic purposes forever though.   Several of the better EO suppliers will give the information on their EO's as well as have reviews. I have purchased most my EO's from NDA.


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## maya (Apr 28, 2015)

Yeah, the theraputic grade. I get why people say that. It's a thing that is used now. But it doesn't really mean anything.


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## not_ally (Apr 28, 2015)

Teresa, agree that there are health benefits to EO fragrances.  I burn them in my diffuser, and find lavendar + citrus calming.  Not sure if this is all in my mind, but I kind of don't care.

Also agree w/Shunt that as long as an EO is pure (ie; from a well-reputed company that tests), I don't really buy into a separate "therapeutic" category.  

I did like the descriptions of the different kind of lavenders!


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## cmzaha (Apr 28, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> There really is no such thing as therapeutic grade EO's.  There is no body that rates them as such.  EO's have been used for therapeutic purposes forever though.   Several of the better EO suppliers will give the information on their EO's as well as have reviews. I have purchased most my EO's from NDA.


This is in the US that there is no rating system for EO. I am not sure about Europe. I do not not buy much from BA but purchase most from NDA


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## Seawolfe (Apr 28, 2015)

I now declare my rum "therapeutic grade"


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## tbeck3579 (Apr 28, 2015)

I hope you understand this is the company's grading/marketing/terminology, and not mine -- it seems many of the comments would be best addressed to them.  I agree there isn't a reliable method of measurement for the term  "therapeutic".  Please review the manufactures website if you want to understand their use of the term.  

The term "therapy" has been  misused for many years, and in some very serious mental health scenarios  -- thankfully most states have addressed the mental health medical  licensing needs in regard to therapy and therapists.  I am accustomed to  reading the term "therapeutic" in reference to just about everything,  from music, driving, sleeping, to eating.  I don't overreact when I see the term or give it any special consideration.  I  understand the term can be disturbing to many people here because of  their involvement in marketing and selling their products.  I will try to be more sensitive to your needs and state that the manufacturer has a grade that is called therapeutic because they claim to use quality ingredients (carrier oils, etc.).  That won't fit in the title of post though -- hahaha.

Interesting that no one here is commenting on the lavender oil, its  properties, carrier oils, fragrance, etc....  Made me giggle when I saw the number of comments and nothing more than "THERAPEUTIC!!!".  Actually, I'm still giggling a little.  IMO, and most others who use EO's, there are some EO's that are MUCH  better than others, and many companies produce and sell some very  questionable products, while others produce a very nice, quality product; even if they do use marketing terms like therapeutic or natural. 

Ah  yes, booze can be very therapeutic, hahaha.  No one has a  problem with calling booze therapeutic, do they?   Bathtub varieties  can cause blindness and even death.  Would you buy a bottle that wasn't  made by a reputable manufacturer?  How do you determine if one bottle of  booze is better than another?  By the number of years it has been  aged?  By the proof?  BTW, 151 may be the "gold" standard, hahaha.  By  the processing and bottling?  By the manufacturer reputation for using  quality ingredients?  By the quality of ingredients that the  manufacturer is legally required to be honest about because they are labeling the product with them (truth in  labeling)?  Do you have high standards based on a set of variables, or  does the cheapest available that resembles a fragrance determine your decision? 

What is your set of standards, your measurement, for buying and using EO in your soap, bath, or body products?  Assuming prices are all equal, of course.


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## tbeck3579 (Apr 28, 2015)

cmzaha said:


> This is in the US that there is no rating system for EO. I am not sure about Europe. I do not not much from BA but purchase most from NDA



NDA?  Hold on, let me do a quick search.  This is the site I found.  I will need to read their page -- I'm always looking for a good source.  Do you use them in soap, bath, body, home?  Thanks for sharing this source!


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## Dahila (Apr 28, 2015)

Bulgaria, Romania, even Poland are famous for polution,  I would never buy the one made in Bulgaria(
Why we do not have BA in Canada


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## tbeck3579 (Apr 28, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Teresa, agree that there are health benefits to EO fragrances.  I burn them in my diffuser, and find lavendar + citrus calming.  Not sure if this is all in my mind, but I kind of don't care.



When I consider control groups and the placebo effect I can clearly understand why our mind and thought process influence many involuntary physical reactions.  Some interesting studies by reputable scientists and doctors within excellent universities are validating the therapeutic benefits of aroma -- empirical evidence for those of you who need it.  Fortunately, we are seeing more reputable studies -- there isn't big money backing it so it is taking time.  Below is a very impressive list of references.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/aromatherapy
ReferencesAtsumi T, Tonosaki K. Smelling lavender and  rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases  cortisol level in saliva. _Psychiatry Res_. 2007;150(1):89-96.
Bagetta G, Morrone LA, Rombola L, et al. Neuropharmacology of the essential oil of bergamot. _Fitoterapia._ 2010;81(6):453-61.
Ballard  CG, Gauthier S, Cummings JL, Brodaty H, Grossberg GT, Robert P,  Lyketsos CG. Management of agitation and aggression associated with  Alzheimer disease. _Nat Rev Neurol_. 2009 May;5(5):245-55. Review.
Bastard J, Tiran D. Aromatherapy and massage for antenatal anxiety: its effect on the fetus._Complement Ther Clin Pract_. 2006;12(1):48-54.
Burns E, Zobbi V, Panzeri D, Oskrochi R, Regalia A. Aromatherapy in childbirth: a pilot randomised controlled trial. _BJOG_. 2007;114(7):838-44.
Dunning T. Applying a quality use of medicines framework to using essential oils in nursing practice. _Complement Ther Clin Pract_. 2005;11(3):172-81.
Edris AE. Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review. _Phytother Res_. 2007;21(4):308-23.
Fellowes D, Barnes K, Wilkinson S. Aromatherapy and massage for symptom relief in patients with cancer. _Cochrane Database Syst Rev_. 2004;(2):CD002287.
Fowler NA. Aromatherapy, used as an integrative tool for crisis management by adolescents in a residential treatment center. _J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs_. 2006;19(2):69-76.
Goel N, Kim H, Lao RP. An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. _Chronobiol Int_. 2005;22(5):889-904.
Hadfield N. The role of aromatherapy massage in reducing anxiety in patients with malignant brain tumours. _Int J Palliat Nurs_. 2001;7(6):279-85.
Herz RS. Aromatherapy facts and fictions: a scientific analysis of olfactory effects on mood, physiology and behavior. _Int J Neurosci_. 2009;119(2):263-90. Review.
Hongratanaworakit T, Buchbauer G. Relaxing effect of ylang ylang oil on humans after transdermal absorption. _Phytother Res_. 2006;20(9):758-63.
Hu  PH, Peng YC, Lin YT, Chang CS, Ou MC. Aromatherapy for reducing  colonoscopy related procedural anxiety and physiological paramters: a  randomized controlled study. _Hepatogastroenterology._ 2010;57(102-102):1082-6.
Hur  MH, Oh H, Lee MS, Kim C, Choi AN, Shin GR. Effects of aromatherapy  massage on blood pressure and lipid profile in korean climacteric women.  _Int J Neurosci_. 2007;117(9):1281-7.
Kim JT, Wajda M,  Cuff G, et al., Evaluation of aromatherapy in treating postoperative  pain: pilot study. Pain Pract. 2006;6(4):273-7.
Krebs M. Promote wellness with aromatherapy. _Adv Nurse Pract_. 2006;14(5):41-4.
Kuriyama H, Watanabe S, Nakaya T, et al., Immunological and Psychological Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage. _Evid Based Complement Alternat Med_. 2005;2(2):179-184.
Kyle  G. Evaluating the effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing levels of  anxiety in palliative care patients: results of a pilot study. _Complement Ther Clin Pract_. 2006;12(2):148-55.
Lee CO. Clinical aromatherapy. Part II: Safe guidelines for integration into clinical practice. _Clin J Oncol Nurs_. 2003;7(5):597-8.
Lee IS, Lee GJ. [Effects of lavender aromatherapy on insomnia and depression in women college students]. _Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi_. 2006;36(1):136-43.
Lewith  GT, Godfrey AD, Prescott P. A single-blinded, randomized pilot study  evaluating the aroma of Lavandula augustifolia as a treatment for mild  insomnia. _J Altern Complement Med_. 2005;11(4):631-7.
Lin PW, Chan WC, Ng BF, Lam LC. Efficacy of aromatherapy (_Lavandula angustifolia_ ) as an intervention for agitated behaviours in Chinese older persons with dementia: a cross-over randomized trial. _Int J Geriatr Psychiatry_. 2007;22(5):405-10.
Maddocks-Jennings W, Wilkinson JM. Aromatherapy practice in nursing: literature review. _J Adv Nurs._ 2004;48(1):93-103.
McCaffrey  R, Thomas DJ, Kinzelman AO. The effects of lavender and rosemary  essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students. _Holist Nurs Pract_. 2009 Mar-Apr;23(2):88-93.
Mercier D, Knevitt A. Using topical aromatherapy for the management of fungating wounds in a palliative care unit. _J Wound Care_. 2005;14(10):497-8, 500-1.
Patricia M. Complementary therapies for children: aromatherapy. _Paediatr Nurs_. 2004;16(7):28-30.
Perry N, Perry E. Aromatherapy in the management of psychiatric disorders: clinical and neuropharmacological perspectives. _CNS Drugs_. 2006;20(4):257-80.
Rho  KH, Han SH, Kim KS, Lee MS. Effects of aromatherapy massage on anxiety  and self-esteem in korean elderly women: a pilot study. _Int J Neurosci_. 2006;116(12):1447-55.
Setzer WN. Essential oils and anxiolytic aromatherapy. _Nat Prod Commun._ 2009;4(9):1305-16.
Tillett J, Ames D. The uses of aromatherapy in women's health. _J Perinat Neonatal Nurs._ 2010;24(3):238-45.
Thorgrimsen L, Spector A, Wiles A, Orrell M. Aroma therapy for dementia. _Cochrane Database Syst Rev_. 2003;(3):CD003150.
Williams TI. Evaluating effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep in children with autism: a pilot study. _Evid Based Complement Alternat Med_. 2006;3(3):373-7


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## tbeck3579 (Apr 28, 2015)

Dahila said:


> Bulgaria, Romania, even Poland are famous for polution,  I would never buy the one made in Bulgaria(
> Why we do not have BA in Canada



Pollution is a problem in the states too, but I know what you mean about the quality of the soil and water as a result of the air pollution.  Where I live the air quality is very good, comparitively speaking, but the chemicals in the soil, runoff, and water quality from years of questionable agricultural practices are a concern.  It's hard to get away from the problems man has caused, regardless of where you live.


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## shunt2011 (Apr 28, 2015)

Nobody was questioning the use for therapeutic purposes. 

 I hear people stating they use only therapeutic grade EO's where there is technically no such thing.   Any good quality EO can be used for that purpose but is not therapeutic grade.  You can list all the studies you like but it doesn't make it therapeutic grade.  

I use lavender to relax at night. Eucalyptus/camphor when I have a cold etc.  

Maybe because of all those MLM companies YL and Doterra who have  mislead people to think they have to spend a small mortgage payment for something they could get as good a quality for a so much cheaper then they are being hoodwinked into purchasing.   I consider it mis-advertising and misleading.    Just my personal feelings when I see that.  

I purchase from NDA for the same reason  you like the company you posted.  I only purchase from companies that give more than just a name for an EO or FO.  I wantto offer the best possible products I can.  So researching companies you deal with are very important.


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## Dahila (Apr 28, 2015)

tbeck3579 said:


> Pollution is a problem in the states too, but I know what you mean about the quality of the soil and water as a result of the air pollution.  Where I live the air quality is very good, comparitively speaking, but the chemicals in the soil, runoff, and water quality from years of questionable agricultural practices are a concern.  It's hard to get away from the problems man has caused, regardless of where you live.



When I came to Canada my asthma stopped bothering me, due the clean air.   Who never lived in Europe have no idea how much pollution is there


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## tbeck3579 (Apr 29, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> Nobody was questioning the use for therapeutic purposes.
> 
> I hear people stating they use only therapeutic grade EO's where there is technically no such thing.   Any good quality EO can be used for that purpose but is not therapeutic grade.



I understand, and I also understand how frustrating it is to be mislead by someone who doesn't represent their product accurately (so many products are running through my mind that I couldn't list all of them).  I liked NDA's web page, they seem to be a good company with competitive pricing.  I did notice they also use the term "therapeutic".  I didn't pay attention to who was using it before -- I am a shopper who reads labels to make buying decisions.  I'm guessing many people do Google searches using that term (I didn't) when they are looking for EO's???  Just a guess.  If you are selling a quality EO and know the consumers who are looking for quality EO's "assume" a certain term will produce the results they want, the company must use the term if they want to compete in the market place.  If I were selling EO's I would use the term, but I would also explain that the term has little significance when buying EO's.  The term and accurate information is there when the public does an internet search.  Most marketing companies would probably advise against my approach, which is why I'm not in sales


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## HappyHomeSoapCo (Apr 29, 2015)

Well said tbeck. I agree, it's just marketing.


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