Commonly & Not So Commonly
Asked Questions
Yes. Understand that the Vitruvian essential oils that are sold through ‘There’s an Oil for That’ are NOT pre-diluted. They are considered ‘Neat’ and therefore have no added carrier oil. Especially if you have sensitive skin or are using a “hot” essential oil, you will need to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil. Always conduct a patch test before using any essential oil.
What is a Carrier Oil?
A carrier oil is considered a base oil or vegetable oil. They are used to “dilute” or “extend” pure/neat Essential Oils, when applied to large or sensitive areas of the body. They get their name because they “carry” the essential oil onto the skin. Carrier oils are considered fatty oils, and are derived from nuts and seeds. These fats give the carrier oil its grease-like quality, unlike essential oils. Carrier oils do not evaporate like essential oils, which are more volatile. We recommend Fractionated Coconut Oil as a carrier oil.
Why don’t you ship Internationally or to Alaska and Hawaii?
Essential oils have a high flash point and are considered flammable. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) prohibits air shipment by Air or Vessel of items that are flammable or combustible unless they are properly processed as hazardous materials. We do not offer hazardous material processing services, therefore we can not ship essential oils by Air deliveries, and do not ship at all outside of the United States, or to Alaska and Hawaii. If you end up getting through the cart process with an order, we will promptly refund your money.
How is Essential Oil Measured?
Most essential oil “recipes” will often be measured out by “drops”, unless the recipe is for a larger batch, and then they are measured in milliliters. One drop is considered one SINGLE drop out of a dropper or a SINGLE drop from the bottle itself. Essential Oils are always measured one drop at a time, which is partly why they are not packaged in a bottle with a dropper that can be filled up. If you have purchased an essential oil with a dropper, you have most likely received an essential oil that has been extremely diluted or have purchased a tincture, because a pure essential oil will begin to break down the rubber bulb from a dropper.
Most essential oils are sold in bottles that have an “orifice reducer.” An orifice reducer is a small, usually clear or white insert, inside the bottle opening that acts as a dropper. It will catch the “dribble” of oil as the bottle slowly tips. You simply tip the bottle, and with a little rocking motion, you can dispense the oil drop by drop. Although be careful, as some oils are thinner than others and will run out quickly.
Are Essential Oils and Absolutes the same thing?
No. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in their Vocabulary of Natural Materials (ISO/D1S9235.2) defines an essential oil as a product made by distillation with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the water phase.
Extracted products are not called essential oils in the industry because of the method they are produced. An extraction process is when the oil is pulled out from the plant material by chemical solvents. When solvents are used, there are always solvent residues left in the product after production. These Extracted products are called Absolutes, Florasols, CO2’s, Concretes, etc.
No, but try to avoid putting an essential oil in the freezer because some of them have components that will crystallize. Under freezing conditions, one or more of the essential oil constituents may crystallize, but this does not affect the quality or ruin the essential oil as long as it is thoroughly re-mixed when warmed. The crystallized constituents may cause the thawed essential oil to result in a “cloudy” appearance. Simply placing the essential oil bottle in warm water or a warm location will eliminate the cloudiness, but the key components may have settled to the bottom and the oil will need to be shaken well.
So its not really the freezing of the oil itself that is the biggest concern but the resulting changes in the relative percentages of key components that result if a person uses a partially frozen oil before it’s all brought back to room temperature and thoroughly re-mixed.
No. Boswellic acid is a water-soluble compound, which means it remains in the flora water after the distillation process and cannot be separated as an essential oil. You must take an extract or tincture form of Frankincense to get these acids, preferably in an alcohol base, as the alcohol will dissolve the resins. By using both Frankincense Essential Oil, externally, and Frankincense Extract, internally you can receive all concentrated constituents from the Frankincense resin.
What is the difference between Ravensara or Ravintsara?
We only sell Ravintsara because it offers more therapeutic properties. Please CLICK HERE for detailed information on the difference between the two oils.
No. Essential oils are volatile organic liquids and can not hold vitamins. However, essential oils can help the body absorb and utilize the vitamins in our bodies. Essential oils also do not contain hormones or minerals.
Why is Eucalyptus not good for someone with Epilepsy?
The constituent, Cineole is considered an epileptogenic, in high doses. Most epileptic problems occur with Eucalyptus Globulus, which has over 91% Cineole. Although, we offer Eucalyptus radiata, with only 78% Cineole, we still suggest somebody who has epilepsy to be cautious.
While Eucalyptus is known to help the body relax, in most cases, precaution is necessary if you have epileptic tendencies. Vitruvian’s Respiratory Blend has both Eucalyptus radiata AND Eucalyptus globulus.
Is Black Cumin an Essential oil or Carrier oil?
Both! Black Cumin is technically classified as both a carrier oil and essential oil. You will hear it is one or the other, depending on which expert you speak to. Because Black Cumin has Fatty Acid Triglycerides, it is considered a Carrier oil, but because it also has measurable Constituents, such as Esters and Nigellone, and can have a Chemical Analysis run on it, Black Cumin is also considered an Essential Oil. Therefore, Black Cumin can be extracted through either method of Steam Distillation or Cold Pressing.
Does an Essential Oil need to be re-distilled in order to ingest the oil?
No. It is not true that an essential oil must be re-distilled before ingesting it. The flavor industry frequently uses pure single distillation oils in flavor application ultimately to be ingested. Soft drinks, candy, snack chips, and flavored liquors all use Essential Oils. One of the top single applications of essential oils is the flavor Industry. Although it is not wise for a lay person to ingest essential oils. The flavor companies spend a lot of money perfecting safe formulations and safety is the key. For that reason, and that reason only, we don’t recommend ingesting essential oils. It is no way a reflection on our purity and quality. It is simply a safety concern. Always consult an aromatherapist before ingesting an essential oil.
How are Essential Oils used/applied for Emotions?
To use essential oils for emotions, such as creating a calm, relaxing feeling, you must be sure to inhale them. How you apply them is up to you, as long as you are smelling them. Diffusing them is a great way to continually smell them. You can apply them through soap or lotion. You can add them to a bath, by following the instructions, here. You can add them to a “perfume”, by following the instructions here. For men, placing them on the chest hair or a mustache will keep them from being absorbed so quickly.
Are there Essential Oils that are Aphrodisiacs?
No. There is no essential oil that will arouse someone who does not want to become aroused. Although if you, personally, find an essential oil sensually stimulating or stress relieving, it can work as an aphrodisiac for you. Essential oils are there to “help” alleviate emotional or physical ailments that may interfere with sexual desire or arousal. Click here to get Romantic Recipes!
The most commonly known “Aphrodisiac” and “Arousing” Essential Oils or Absolutes are:
- Jasmine
- Neroli
- Rose
- Ylang Ylang
- Sandalwood
- Vanilla
- Clary Sage
- Clove
- Patchouli
- Vetiver
That depends. Essential oils and Herbs go hand in hand. Essential oils are considered “Symptomatic”, and can help alleviate symptoms on a short term basis, where as whole Herbs are used long term. Of course, a study of both will help you understand which to use and for what ailment.
Are there “multiple-distillations” of the same plant material when extracting essential oils, sometimes called 1st, 2nd, or complete distillations?
No. The production of essential oil is completely distilled from the plant material the first run. The amount of energy required to get massive amounts of water boiling and enough steam generating to liberate the oil from large vats of biomass is quite astonishing and costly. Only Ylang Ylang essential oil is considered to have different grades of extra, I, II, III and complete, but is achieved through collecting the oil from beginning of the run, throughout, and at the end.
What is the difference between Vanilla Oleoresin and Absolute?
Vanilla oleoresin is a concentrate made by removing the solvent from vanilla isopropanol extract. With our Vanilla-10 fold, hexane solvent is used for the extraction and is extracted 10 times for a high concentration of aroma. Some aroma is lost during removal of the solvent, but the essential oils remain. Vanilla oleoresin is not like the vanilla extract from the grocer, and is mainly used in non-food products, like perfume for its rich vanilla scent. It’s considerably less expensive than Vanilla Absolute.
Vanilla absolute is the most concentrated form of vanilla and has a thick consistency. Most essential oils can typically be produced through steam distillation, but because of the sticky resin of the vanilla bean, it is distilled via solvent extraction, which is called an absolute. Because it’s so expensive, most candles, soaps, and other scented specialty merchandise, are made from synthetic vanillin. If you are making perfumes, soaps or candles and you don’t want the cloying aroma of imitation vanilla, it’s worth investing in vanilla absolute.
Yes. The books we recommend have unbiased information in them and will help guide you towards using essential oils and herbs. We can’t stress how important it is to educate yourself before the use of essential oils and herbs. You can click into the link for each book to learn more about them:
- “Essential Oils for Healing” by Vannoy Gentles Fite
- “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy & Herbalism” by Julia Lawless
- “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy” by Valerie Ann Worwood
- “Prescription for Herbal Healing” by Phyllis A. Balch
- “School of Natural Healing- Herbal Reference Guide” by Dr. John R. Christopher
- “Natural Healing Wisdom & Know-How” by Amy Rost
- “Essential Living” by Andrea Butje
- “Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy.” by Kurt Schnaubelt Ph.D.
What is the shelf life on Essential Oils?
There are many variables that effect the shelf life of essential oils, but Thermal Heat and Oxidation are the biggest causes of degradation for any essential oil. If an essential oil begins to appear cloudy or smell foul, it has likely begun to oxidize and degrade. The general rule of thumb is “if the oil smells good, it is good”. Storing essential oils in a cool place (below 75 degrees), with minimal air space and a tight lid on the bottle, will help extend the shelf life of the essential oil.
Citrus oils are especially prone to degradation due to the high levels of limonene, which oxidizes relatively easy. In addition, wax formation in citrus, due to monoterpene polymerization, can also happen over time. This wax formation doesn’t necessarily mean the oil is bad, because there is wax in the oil from being pressed from the peel. The biggest enemy is the limonene oxidizing, which gives it a sour note. For this reason, it’s best to go through citrus oils within 1-2 years, if possible.
Blue oils, like Blue Tansy and German Chamomile start to become ‘green’ when the chamazulene, which is the hydrocarbon responsible for the blue color, starts to oxidize. Keeping Blue oils refrigerated should minimize the “greening” effect and will greatly increase the shelf life, but should be used within 5-6 years.
Heavier oils that are high in sesquiterpene alcohols, like Myrrh, Sandalwood, Patchouli, and Vetiver, can actually get better with age. Although, eventually they will “resinify” and become solid.
Most of the time it makes little difference if the essential oils are in a clear, brown, blue, green, purple or whatever color glass bottle. Most essential oils are photochemically inactive in the visible region, but do have some reactivity in the ultra-violet (UV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Most photochemical reactions occur in the UV range, and pretty much all glass, regardless of color, absorbs these frequencies of light; so they will not get through to the essential oils. If the essential oil is intensely colored, then that’s telling you that there is significant activity in the visible region and normal light can effect that oil.We use brown bottles for all of our essential oils, since their visible colors are in the clear to brown color spectrum; with the exception of Blue Tansy and German Chamomile, where we try to use blue bottles for their blue color spectrum, and because chamazulene has a strong absorption in the visible region of this spectrum.
Overall, photochemical degradation is not really the biggest threat to essential oils. The biggest concern is thermal degradation and its reaction to oxygen. Please read about Essential Oil Shelf life to learn more.
Should Essential Oils be Diffused continuously?
No. While diffusing essential oils is therapeutically beneficial on both a physical and emotional level; continuous, exposure to the small particles of essential oil being breathed in, constantly, can actually cause a negative effect. It only takes about 20-30 minutes for the nose to get used to an aroma, therefore it is easy to forget that essential oil is being dispersed in the air. Using a timer for any diffuser will help this problem. Remember, less is better, when using concentrated essential oils in any way.
*Please follow this link to learn about what kind of Diffuser to look for and use.
Yes! We provide pure, undiluted Cayenne Essential Oil. Our essential oil is NOT diluted with a carrier oil, nor is this an alcohol extract/tincture. Our Cayenne essential oil is steam distilled, where the steam passes through the capsaicin seeds.
The essential oil is highly concentrated and should be used with caution. Its thick and viscous consistency makes the essential oil harder to work with, but its desired potency makes it worthwhile. One drop of the essential oil
of Cayenne is considered equal to about 1-3 Teaspoons of Cayenne powder. For most individual “servings”, only a
“trace” of Cayenne essential oil is needed. (Get a trace of oil by dipping the tip of a toothpick into the Cayenne
essential oil) Cayenne should always be diluted before using. It can even be prepared as a poultice by mixing a few
drops into flour, then adding water until it forms a paste, which you can spread on muslin.
*Please click here to learn more about Cayenne EO and to get great recipes!
No. While a lab may be able to reproduce a SINGLE molecule, from a plant or the essential oil of the plant, it can NOT reproduce the whole collection of the hundreds of molecules (minor and trace components) of a complete plant or essential oil that nature produces. In nature, the plant components are infinitely complex, involving asymmetrical (chirality) molecules, that are impossible for a lab to synthetically reproduce. Because of this complex construction of molecules, that nature grows in plants, we have better aroma and a higher therapeutic value, than what a lab can even come close to producing.
When you proceed to Checkout, there are both a Shipping and Handling charge and a Sales Tax charge. The “Sales Tax” is set at 4% for all states, and is not used as a “tax”, but as a “Convenience Fee” to help offset the Credit Card/Paypal Processing Fees. Unfortunately, Paypal does not offer another charging option to name it differently. We wanted to provide a secure payment option and ended up using Paypal. Unfortunately their business platform is limited. You should see an explanation of charges on your receipt. If you have further questions or concerns about any charges, please Contact Us.
What is “There’s an Oil for That” Shipping / Return Policy?
After you have made you purchase, your order will ship US Priority Mail. This is a 1-3 day shipping, unless there are delays outside of our control from the Postal office. You will receive a Tracking number via email, so that you can follow your package’s arrival. We ask that you promptly inspect the contents of your package, once it arrives. You will have one week to contact us if there are items broken, missing, or not to your satisfaction. If you have received a product that you would like to return, you will be charged a 20% return fee. We will do everything on our end to work with you, if you have a problem. This policy is in place to avoid fraud. Thanks for understanding.