difference between "roman chamomile" and "cha
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enjoys freebies · Wed May 04, 2005 1:53 am Quote

I notice that there are two types of chamomile essential oils (I believe the 'roman chamomile' is more expensive).

What is the difference between these two?
What is better for skin applications?

Also- is it necessary to purchase "better quality" essential oils? An employee at Whole Foods Market mentioned one time to me that there are grade differences (not obvious to the consumer but he somehow knew). For instance, if I remember correctly, he said that Simpler's is better than Aura Cacia. Any validity to this?

Thanks!!
am

enjoys freebies · Wed May 04, 2005 6:26 am Quote

I'm not certain of the difference between Roman and regular Chamomile, but I wanted to comment upon the different grades of essential oils.

Some people use EOs to make potpouri or scented candles or similar 'home decorating' types of things, so those oils don't need to be as pure or high-grade. Others use EOs to simply make massage/body oils and while those oils should be high quality, I don't think they necessarily have to be as high grade as the EOs that you intend to use for homeopathic or skincare purposes. I think you just need to make sure that you're buying 100% pure essential oils that are of "cosmetic grade." Now, having said that, I've noticed that there are vast price differences for the exact same grade/purity so it pays to shop around and make sure you're getting the best price. Whole Foods is a specific example -- they sell several different brands of EOs, all of them the same grade/purity, and there's as much as a $10-$15USD difference between them! Shock

Personally, I just bought a dozen different EOs from www.Aroma-Pure.com and couldn't be happier with both the quality and price I paid....

enjoys freebies · Wed May 04, 2005 8:18 am Quote

There are two main kinds - German and Roman. Roman Chamomile oil is pale blue in colour when fresh and has a scent like apples, whilst the other is ink blue in colour when fresh and smells more like a herb.

enjoys freebies · Wed May 04, 2005 11:09 am Quote

check out www.naturesgift.com

there is a pretty good comparative decription provided between the 2 chamomiles

imo, the best essential oils are one that are either organic, wildcrafted or ethically harvested - even better if they are biodynamic. the reason being, if you are going to the effort + cost of incorporating essential oils over synthetic fragrances+oils in your life, then you don't really want to have oils that are contaminated w. the pesticides that were on the plants that the oils came from.

also, make sure you purchase from a distributor that you trust and has good + trustworthy suppliers. nature's gift is a really good source of info + supplies, and if you are in toronto, try visting acqua vita, they have a great selection of both essential oils + hydrosols and everyone who works there is very informative.

enjoys freebies · Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:37 pm Quote

between nature's gift and acqua vita, which would you recommend for essential oils and hydrosols (for therapeutic value)?

enjoys freebies · Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:51 pm Quote

Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile share some chemical constituents however they are also different and can be used for various treatments. German chamomile for example, has more anti inflammatory properties than Roman chamomile. German chamomile EO is a thick dark blue while Roman is a fine pale greyish/yellow. When combined together they have even greater therapeutic properties than when used separately. Here are 2 links with desriptions of each oil:
Roman http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoilspz/romanchamomile.asp
German http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoilsgo/germanchamomile.asp
I would suggest referring to other resources as well to learn more about how each one can be used.

As a professional aromatherapist I have been buying from Acqua Vita for quite some time. She doesn't have the largest selection of oils but what she carries is of excellent quality; either certified organic, biodynamic or wildcrafted. She does have the best line of hydrosols in my opinion though, and is the most knowledgeable in this area. So much so she has written a great book titled Hydrosols. My other favourite EO supplier is Primavera www.primaveralife.com which can be purchased in NA from www.saffronrouge.com

I believe, if using EOs for beauty and health, it is imperative to buy organic/wildcrafted oils of superior quality as many essential oil companies are now stretching or spiking their oils or using lower grades. Many factors must be considered when evaluating the quality of an EO such as, geography, harvesting methods, distillation methods,farming practices etc. The better the quality of an oil, the more therapeutic value it will have. Unfortunately good quality oils are difficult to find in health food stores or local retailers so it's best to purchase them from a well known distributor. Hope this info helps.

enjoys freebies · Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:18 pm Quote

thanks - just out of curiosity though, what makes acqua vita's hydrosols so good (I'm comparing them to hydrosols on naturesgift.com which also seem to be organic/wild-crafted and geographically specific)?

enjoys freebies · Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:26 pm Quote

sark wrote:

thanks - just out of curiosity though, what makes acqua vita's hydrosols so good (I'm comparing them to hydrosols on naturesgift.com which also seem to be organic/wild-crafted and geographically specific)?

I've never used natures gift, in fact I've never even heard of them so I can't comment on their quality. I like Acqua Vita because they work personally with distillers and farmers to get their oils and hydrosols. They ensure they are of excellent quality and buy in small batches so the products are always fresh and pure. (Oils and hydrosols can go rancid quickly). I've also met Suzanne and her team personally as she is a fellow Toronto native and I have been purchasing from her directly for about 5 years and have always been happy with her help. She has spent a lot of time researching hydrosols as well so she is extremely knowledgeable, which in turn provides you with confidence when selecting something suitable for your needs.

enjoys freebies · Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:15 pm Quote

thanks - i've been using acqua vita's witch hazel hydrosol which i quite like. just out of curiosity though, i was thinking of trying primavera's next (through saffron rouge, since they offer free samples). which do you think is better for skin care to help with impure/blemish prone skin, primavera or a-v, or does it really not matter? thanks Smile

enjoys freebies · Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:42 pm Quote

I can speak for Nature's gift of their quality. I also really like www.mountainroseherbs.com.

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