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Essential Oils And Fragrant Oils – Why you need to know the difference

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Fragrant oil (FO) and Essential oil (EO) are two types of oils that can be used to add scents to candles, body products, and other items. However, there are some key differences between the two.

Essential oils are extracted from plants through various methods such as steam distillation or cold pressing. They are highly concentrated, pure, and contain the natural aroma of the plant from which they were extracted. Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy and are believed to have therapeutic properties. Examples of essential oils include lavender, peppermint, and tea tree.

Fragrant oils, on the other hand, are synthetic or natural fragrance compounds that are specifically formulated for use in candles, soaps, and other products. They are often less expensive than essential oils and come in a wider variety of scents. Fragrant oils are not derived from plants and are created through a chemical process. They may contain synthetic ingredients and are not considered to have any therapeutic properties. Examples of fragrant oils include apple, cinnamon, and vanilla.

In summary, essential oils are natural, highly concentrated, and have therapeutic properties, while fragrant oils are synthetic or natural compounds designed for fragrance and are not considered to have therapeutic benefits. When choosing which oil to use in your candlemaking or body products, it is important to consider the quality, intended use, and properties of the oil.

Otherwise referred to as FO and EO?

This guide teaches you the basic differences so you can make informed decisions about which oils you want to use in candlemaking or on your body.

Essential Oils and Fragrant Oils, know the difference.

 

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Book Review: Off to the Nursery

One of the best things about the return of warmer weather is getting to plant new flowers and starting the vegetable garden if you have one. Off to the Nursery by Alice Oehr is subtitled “a celebration of gardening, plants and seasons,” and it’s also a celebration of diversity (because gardening is for everyone) and caring for the earth.

The book starts with the work of getting the garden ready for spring, pulling out the old plants and spreading compost made from kitchen scraps. They grab tomatoes and peppers, learn about zucchini and eggplant and explore the tasty world of herbs.

They also look through the seeds, succulents, berries and fruit trees, flowers and aquatic plants, talking about the benefits of different plants and how fun they are to grow. Maybe you can relate to the family buying what seems like way too many plants?

The book was originally published in Australia, so some of the flowers mentioned might not be familiar to your or your kids, but that’s kind of fun, too. You can also use this as an opportunity to talk about which plants in the book can grow where you live and that just like animals, plants have preferred habitats, too.

Illustrations are colorful and the book combines a standard font and a hand written font to make it feel more like a journal about the garden. The illustrations include fun facts and growing tips such as always planting mint in a pot or germinating seeds on a wet paper towel before planting.

If you want to introduce kids to gardening or just talk about what kind of plants can be grown at home where you live (yes to tomatoes, probably no to the kumquat tree), this cute book is a great addition to your spring reading list.

About the book: 30 pages, hardcover. Published 2025 by Scribble US. Suggested retail price $18.95.