If you love using scented products, such as candles, diffusers, perfumes, lotions, or soaps, you may wonder what kind of ingredients are behind those aromas. Are they natural or synthetic? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each type? In this blog post, we will compare and contrast essential oils and synthetic fragrances, and help you make an informed choice for your health and wellness.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are concentrated extracts from plants that have various therapeutic properties and benefits for your physical, mental and emotional health. They are usually obtained by steam distillation, cold pressing or solvent extraction. Essential oils have distinctive aromas that can affect your mood, memory, cognition and behaviour. They also have chemical constituents that can interact with your body systems and organs, such as the nervous system, the immune system, the skin, the respiratory system and the digestive system.
What are the pros and cons of essential oils?
Some of the advantages of using essential oils are:
- They are natural and biodegradable, meaning they do not harm the environment or accumulate in your body.
- They have therapeutic effects that can improve your health and wellness, such as reducing stress, boosting immunity, relieving pain, healing wounds, etc.
- They have complex and unique scents that can vary depending on the plant source, the extraction method, the season, the soil, etc.
Some of the disadvantages of using essential oils are:
- They are volatile and evaporate quickly, meaning they do not last long on your skin or in the air.
- They can cause allergic reactions, skin irritations, photosensitivity or toxicity if used incorrectly or excessively.
- They can be expensive and scarce due to the high amount of plant material needed to produce them and the environmental factors that affect their quality and availability.
What are synthetic fragrances?
Synthetic fragrances are artificial compounds that are created in a laboratory from aroma chemicals. They are designed to mimic or enhance natural scents or to create new ones that do not exist in nature. Synthetic fragrances are widely used in the cosmetic, personal care and household industries to add scent to products or to mask unpleasant odours.
What are the pros and cons of synthetic fragrances?
Some of the advantages of using synthetic fragrances are:
- They are cheaper and more accessible than essential oils, meaning they can be produced in large quantities and sold at lower prices.
- They have a longer shelf life and a more consistent scent than essential oils, meaning they do not degrade or change over time or due to external factors.
- They have a wider range of scents than essential oils, meaning they can create novel or exotic aromas that appeal to different preferences and occasions.
Some of the disadvantages of using synthetic fragrances are:
- They are unnatural and non-biodegradable, meaning they can pollute the environment or accumulate in your body.
- They have no therapeutic effects and may even have negative effects on your health and wellness, such as causing headaches, nausea, asthma, hormonal imbalance, etc.
- They have simple and generic scents that can be easily replicated or duplicated by other manufacturers.
How to choose between essential oils and synthetic fragrances?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as it depends on your personal goals, preferences and budget. However, some general guidelines are:
- If you want to use scented products for therapeutic purposes or to enhance your natural beauty, you may want to opt for essential oils that have proven benefits for your specific needs.
- If you want to use scented products for recreational purposes or to express your personality, you may want to opt for synthetic fragrances that have appealing scents for your taste and mood.
- If you want to use scented products safely and responsibly, you may want to opt for products that disclose their ingredients clearly and honestly, that use high-quality sources and methods, that follow proper dosage and dilution guidelines, and that respect ethical and environmental standards.
References
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Essential oils 101: Do they work + how do you use them? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/essential-oils-101-do-they-work-how-do-you-use-them/
Faveable.com. (2019). 15 best essential oils to boost your wellness (2021). https://faveable.com/best-essential-oils
Healthline. (2019). 18 essential oils you can use to boost your energy. https://www.healthline.com/health/essential-oils-for-energy
Spunk & Disorderly. (2020, March 18). Pros and cons of fragrance oils vs essential oils. https://spunkndisorderly.com/blogs/news/pros-and-cons-of-fragrance-oils-vs-essential-oils
Wild Purple Energy. (2019, October 21). Essential oils vs. synthetic fragrance: Which is better? https://wildpurpleenergy.com/2019/10/essential-oils-vs-synthetic-fragrance-which-is-better/
Zielinski, E. (n.d.). Natural vs synthetic essential oils. Maple Holistics. https://blog.mapleholistics.com/blog/natural-vs-synthetic-essential-oils/
Zimmerman, J. (2019, April 15). How perfumers walk the fine line between natural and synthetic. Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/business/consumer-products/perfumers-walk-fine-line-between/97/i16