The Science Behind Fragrance Oils

There is a lot that goes on when it comes to fragrance oils. They are comprised of many different compounds. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) manages the safe usage of fragrances and essential oils for people and the planet.  There are standards that every manufacturer has to comply with and those standards are dependent upon what the fragrance is being used for. In the case for candles, fragrances can basically be either synthetic or natural.

Synthetic

Synthetic is comprised of chemical compounds that are not found in nature.  They can be sometimes not necessarily good for us.  You can usually find these  sometimes comprised of chemicals like phthalates and parabens or are of a petroleum-base.  Some people tend to be more sensitive than others, and it is also believed that these components can even make people sick with certain diseases or cancers.  Some manufacturers use synthetic materials because it is much easier (and much cheaper) to make the scents we all know and love.  If you see a scent that doesn't sound like it came from a natural source you can be certain that it's comprised of synthetic fragrance oils.

Natural

 There are two types of natural oils and one can tow the line between being synthetic and natural in some people's eyes.  Nature-Identical is where people in a lab take the three basic elements-hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and use them to create natural aromatic properties-natural isolates.  Because they are made in a lab, some tend to think these should be in the synthetic category.  The difference between nature-identical and synthetic is that you cannot find synthetic in nature.  Nature-identical is derived from a natural source. They have the same chemical structure as of essential oils, just not their therapeutic qualities.

The other type of natural oil is essential oil.  These oils are extracted from different parts of the plant and of many different types of plant material. They have a much more complex composition as opposed to their nature-identical counterpart which is what makes them have their super-power healing abilities.  It can be very hard to make essential oils usable in candles because heat can destroy their special properties. Because of that they tend to have little to no scent circulating the room making candles, well, not so smelly (in a good way!). This can also make certain essential oils smell weird when they are heated. Essential oils are extremely expensive to make as just to create one pound of lavender oil you need 250 pounds of lavender flowers. This is why many natural fragrance oils are a blend when it comes to using essential oils in candles.

The great thing about being here in the present, is that with so many people wanting more purely natural items manufactures are finding ways to make using only essential oils in candles a thing! While it can be double the price to buy 100% essential oils for candle making, it is something that can finally be done and luckily I have been able to find a company which sells some.  I will be making candles with this 100% essential oil line in the very near future, so if that is something you are looking for in a candle, then sign up for the newsletter so you can be the first to know when it's launched!