Are all essential oils cruelty free?

[Linda105]

Does anyone know if all essential oils are cruelty free? Since pure essential oils are supposed to be natural, there should be no animal cruelty involved, right? I have been labeling my products cruelty free with this assumption but then I read on this site: Aromachology, that not all oils are cruelty free.
Can someone please help clear this doubt?

 

[KiwiMoose]

How can essential oils ever be cruel? I couldn't see anything on that website you linked about cruelty being involved.

 

[artemis]

If cruelty free is such an important part of your brand, I think you would have to look into each brand you are using to be sure.

 

[DeeAnna]

I think looking only at animal cruelty in the essential oil (EO) industry is a legitimate concern, but it's an overly narrow focus. Study up on the ethical concerns of about the essential oil industry to see a broader picture and get a more balanced view.

It's temptingly easy to label fragrance oils as "bad" and EOs as "good", but I think the essential oil industry as a whole isn't nearly as "pure and natural" as most consumers would like to think. There may be individual EO producers who are doing a good job ethically, but you'd have to research each producer to know those that are and those that are not.

 

[TheGecko]

Does anyone know if all essential oils are cruelty free? Since pure essential oils are supposed to be natural, there should be no animal cruelty involved, right? I have been labeling my products cruelty free with this assumption but then I read on this site: Aromachology, that not all oils are cruelty free.
Can someone please help clear this doubt?

White Snakeroot is "natural". So is Nerium, Water Hemlock, Jimson Weed, Rosary Pea, Stinging Nettle, Marsh Marigold, Adenium Obesum and Common Oleander just to name a few. All "natural" and...all poisons. I only point this out because it is naïve to think that Essentials Oils aren't dangerous, that they are harmless because they are "natural". There is a reason why there are 'safe usage rates' and I see no difference between testing something on humans because they are desperate (for money or a 'cure') and testing on animals. And I find the whole "cruelty free" to be as much as an advertising gimmick as other buzz words like "vegan", "organic" and "glutton free".

But to answer your questions...no and no.

 

[Linda105]

How can essential oils ever be cruel? I couldn't see anything on that website you linked about cruelty being involved.

They have mentioned it in the second last paragraph. I am not sure if it is true or just a marketing technique.

I think looking only at animal cruelty in the essential oil (EO) industry is a legitimate concern, but it's an overly narrow focus. Study up on the ethical concerns of about the essential oil industry to see a broader picture and get a more balanced view.

It's temptingly easy to label fragrance oils as "bad" and EOs as "good", but I think the essential oil industry as a whole isn't nearly as "pure and natural" as most consumers would like to think. There may be individual EO producers who are doing a good job ethically, but you'd have to research each producer to know those that are and those that are not.

Thank you so much for this information. With so much information and so many claims out there, it's difficult to identify whom to trust.

 

[KiwiMoose]

They have mentioned it in the second last paragraph. I am not sure if it is true or just a marketing technique.

Yes - it's like 'paraben free'. It's just jargon now (in NZ anyway) because it's very rare to find parabens in anything these days. We could equally say 'formaldehyde free'.


Haha - @TheGecko - there's nobody 'glutton-free' in my household!

 

[cmzaha]

White Snakeroot is "natural". So is Nerium, Water Hemlock, Jimson Weed, Rosary Pea, Stinging Nettle, Marsh Marigold, Adenium Obesum and Common Oleander just to name a few. All "natural" and...all poisons. I only point this out because it is naïve to think that Essentials Oils aren't dangerous, that they are harmless because they are "natural". There is a reason why there are 'safe usage rates' and I see no difference between testing something on humans because they are desperate (for money or a 'cure') and testing on animals. And I find the whole "cruelty free" to be as much as an advertising gimmick as other buzz words like "vegan", "organic" and "glutton free".

But to answer your questions...no and no.

And this is why I have always hated "Buzz" words in advertising and ignore them. Some Nightshades are also poisonous such as Woody nightshade. Belladonna can also be deadly. So yep we have a lot of harmful natural plants.

 

[paradisi]

Aromachology look to be more about selling their product by slyly defaming other sellers, a tactic I despise, than about animal welfare.

Essential oils, being from plants, aren't in the same ballpark as animal extracts or meat and fur.

And if aromachology are trying to claim their oils are not tested on animals... well, I've never heard of any other eo producer or seller doing so.

They may as well say "made without black holes and plutonium". It's true, but ridiculous. Of course it is made without them.

 

[melinda48]

How can essential oils ever be cruel? I couldn't see anything on that website you linked about cruelty being involved.Here is the paragraph from their site. Odd.

Crafting Cruelty-Free Products​

For those looking for cruelty-free essential oils in bulk wholesale, there is a growing movement to produce and provide these products. While a lot of companies claim to do so, only a few practice it and can provide a certificate for the same.

This kind of cruelty-free production is an important step in ensuring that producers keep animals safe from harm and the development of non-animal testing methods is encouraged.

When purchasing cruelty-free essential oils you ensure that these brands will continue to develop more natural ingredients and production processes. This ensures that in our quest to take help from nature, we don't end up harming it.

It is great to see that people are now more conscious about it and customers want to invest in products that are cruelty-free.

Crafting Cruelty-Free Products​

For those looking for cruelty-free essential oils in bulk wholesale, there is a growing movement to produce and provide these products. While a lot of companies claim to do so, only a few practice it and can provide a certificate for the same.

This kind of cruelty-free production is an important step in ensuring that producers keep animals safe from harm and the development of non-animal testing methods is encouraged.

When purchasing cruelty-free essential oils you ensure that these brands will continue to develop more natural ingredients and production processes. This ensures that in our quest to take help from nature, we don't end up harming it.

It is great to see that people are now more conscious about it and customers want to invest in products that are cruelty-free.

 

[Linda105]

Yes - it's like 'paraben free'. It's just jargon now (in NZ anyway) because it's very rare to find parabens in anything these days. We could equally say 'formaldehyde free'.


Haha - @TheGecko - there's nobody 'glutton-free' in my household!

Wait, aren't pure EOs supposed to be naturally paraben-free?

 

[TheGecko]

Wait, aren't pure EOs supposed to be naturally paraben-free?

Cornstarch doesn't have any gluten in it since it's made from corn...same with corn tortillas, but I've seen them both advertised as "gluten free". And folks buy into it because they are completely ignorant about the fact that again...corn doesn't contain gluten. Neither does brown rice or oats or quinoa, but it doesn't stuff the people selling it from labeling it as "glutton free". And it's not 'false advertising' because it doesn't contain gluten.

Since someone decided that parabens are "bad" (even though the research has not been completed)...folks are jumping on the 'paraben free' bandwagon, and just like with cornstarch and corn tortillas...doesn't matter if the product doesn't contain any parabens to start with to label it as 'paraben free'.

 

[Jorah]

Cornstarch doesn't have any gluten in it since it's made from corn...same with corn tortillas, but I've seen them both advertised as "gluten free". And folks buy into it because they are completely ignorant about the fact that again...corn doesn't contain gluten. Neither does brown rice or oats or quinoa, but it doesn't stuff the people selling it from labeling it as "glutton free". And it's not 'false advertising' because it doesn't contain gluten.

Since someone decided that parabens are "bad" (even though the research has not been completed)...folks are jumping on the 'paraben free' bandwagon, and just like with cornstarch and corn tortillas...doesn't matter if the product doesn't contain any parabens to start with to label it as 'paraben free'.

I always laugh when I see candies made with sugar, water, food coloring, and a few stabilizers crowing that they're 'FAT FREE!' Well, yeah, but you're eating something close to pure sugar; it's not exactly virtuous. I love a whole bunch of things that have fat in 'em and they're likely better for me than the sugar...

 

[KiwiMoose]

Wait, aren't pure EOs supposed to be naturally paraben-free?

Yes indeedy - what I meant was that people use these catch phrases or marketing ploys to suck people into thinking they are buying a more ethical, or healthy, product. When, as most of us have agreed on here, the product would never contain that particular ingredient anyway.