In an ever-growing world of clean skin care products, trendy ingredients have been appearing everywhere, such as essential oils and extracts. First, is this something you even need in a product? Second, how do you know if lavender oil or lavender extract is right for you? It mostly comes down to understanding their differences. Let's take a slightly deeper dive into the benefits that each one offers.
Essential Oils vs Extracts
One of the main differences between essential oils and extracts is that oils are highly concentrated, while extracts are more diluted. Why? Because these plant-based products are created in two very different ways.
Essential oils are made from the aromatic parts of a plant, which are simply the parts that contain volatile oils. In order to collect these oils, the plant generally undergoes a complex steam distillation process.
While this process is no easy task, it does release the plant’s oils in their purest form. As a result, the oil maintains more of the plant’s antibacterial and antiviral properties - which is a huge plus! This is also the reason that essential oils tend to have a much stronger aroma than extracts.
Extracts produce a more watered-down version of a plant's elements, and they’re also much easier to create. Think of the process as similar to soaking your tea in hot water.
Plants can be turned into extracts by soaking them in anything from water or glycerine to alcohol, allowing them to release their properties into the surrounding liquid. This creates a sort of infusion that isn’t quite as strong as what you’d get from a pure essential oil.
So which should you choose? Well, there are pros of each:
The Pros of Oils
As mentioned, oils tend to be very concentrated and contain important natural properties of a plant in their purest form. That's why you'll find antioxidant-rich oils such as grapeseed, cranberry seed, and thyme oils in products like facial serums. Another benefit of oils, when it comes to skin care, is that a little goes a long way. Often, just a few drops are more than enough to cover your whole face.
The Pros of Extracts
While extracts may not be quite as strong as oils, by being less potent they tend to be a great choice for sensitive skin while still providing plenty of benefits. Our Facial Cleanser, for example, uses extracts like sugar cane, white willow bark, and citrus peel to exfoliate your skin without causing irritation.
If you’re the type of person who wants the best of both worlds or you have trouble deciding, just take a look at our Facial Moisturizer. Its expertly blended with both essential oils, like pomegranate seed oil, as well as extracts, such as olive oil extract. This combination allows you to experience both types (oils and extracts) while still getting a slew of skin-loving benefits.
If you found this interesting, check out these related stories:
Why You Need Facial Oil In Your Skin Care Routine
Aromatherapy For Glowing Skin