Essential oils are commonly used in aromatherapy, as a way to help induce a state of calm and relaxation.
Such oils come in many different forms, and produce a variety of pleasant scents from lavender to orange peel.
To make an essential oil the compound is taken from a plant, which has its natural scent. It is then mixed with oil and taken through a quality control process to bring out the best of it, whether that’s steamed or cold pressed.
As for the benefits of using them, the rich aromas of the essential oils can affect the limbic system of the body and help you to unwind.
Here are our top picks…
⭐ Our Top Essential Oil Brand Picks
- Best of the Best: Eden’s Garden
- Best Affordable Essential Oil Brand: NOW Foods
- Best for Aromatherapy: Rocky Mountain Oils
- Best Co-op: Aura Cacia
- Best Organic: Mountain Rose Herbs
- Most Potent: Lagunamoon
- Best for Choice: Plant Therapy
The Best Essential Oil Brands on Amazon
Eden’s Garden (👑 Top Pick)
Eden’s Garden is our pick for the best essential oil brand, and the more you know about the company, we’re sure you’ll agree.
The first reason we believe Eden’s Garden to be the best essential oils brand is the charming backstory. The company was founded in 2009 by current CEO Grace, as a result of her commitment to healthy living, with use of high-quality essential oils. It is now a women-run company that focuses on ethical practises and producing only the very best essential oils.
Since then it has blossomed into a flourishing business, which keeps its principles at its core and provides only the purest oils for its customers. Eden’s Garden has been voted the best non-MLM (Multi-level Marketing) essential oil company for three consecutive years in a nationwide poll. Ethical business practises and excellent quality in their essential oils have transformed this brand into one of the best out there.
In terms of the most important part of any brand, the products, Eden’s Garden offers an extensive range of exceptional essential oils. You know they are so good, since their oils are fit for therapeutic use, making them Grade A quality. As for how many you can choose from, there are 140 different oils available for purchase. This should be enough to cater to most preferences, and give you enough scents to gradually work your way through. Some of their best aromas include lavender magnolia, rose bergamot, and vanilla sandalwood.
The essential oils are pure in every sense of the word. They contain absolutely no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic chemicals. They are also GMO-free and generally free of harmful chemicals. To ensure optimal composition and the highest purity, the brand employs third party testing leaving no room for doubt. It’s also a great relief to know that Eden’s Garden does not test on animals at all, and this is an integral and non-negotiable policy of the brand. All of these factors should ease your mind and alleviate any concerns you might have had as to the quality and ethics of the brand.
On the Eden’s garden website, you can find a free downloadable PDF guide to essential oils. This type of educational material is a very handy resource to have as it will tell you exactly what you need to know to start using essential oils. An extensive guide, in it you’ll find how to use your essential oils for a wide variety of uses. Among which are how to make the most of them for beauty, relaxation, health, and even for children.
Plant Therapy
One of the best essential oil brands in a lot of people’s eyes is Plant Therapy. This brand offers a whole range of aromatherapy products like diffusers for the home and even the car on top of their essential oils. This makes them a good option for starting out with essential oils and aromatherapy.
The standards for Plant Therapy’s essential oils are high, and they are committed to making only the best products. They even collaborate with a widely respected essential oil expert, Robert Tisserand, to ensure testing is rigorous and correctly conducted. On top of this, their products are affordable, and they have a fantastic essential oil starter set which comes with everything you need to start your own aromatherapy sessions.
What’s special about the way Plant Therapy tries to inform people about essential oils is that they employ certified aromatherapists to answer any questions you may have. If you are at all curious about aromatherapy, this is an amazing resource which you should make the most of. It really helps to have an expert talk you through the dangers as well as the benefits of using aromatherapy and essential oils in your daily life. They also have a blog which has posts covering just about everything you could want to know about using essential oils.
Young Living
Young living is an MLM brand that is hugely popular and boasts a huge number of quality essential oils to choose from. So many, in fact, that in 2015 the company was honoured with the Utah Genius award due to how many new products they released that year. There are upwards of 500 essential oils and related products currently available, which is quite staggering, especially when compared to the competition. It’s worth mentioning that only around 200 are essential oils, and it’s a roughly even split between blends and singles. But still, that’s a fantastic variety, and more than enough to keep you going long into the future.
In terms of quality, Young Living has a process they call Seed to Seal. This is their way of committing to quality which has 3 stages: sourcing, science, and standards. At each step of the way they conduct rigorous testing to ensure that the end result is the best that it can be.
The most interesting part of the business is the fact that it’s MLM and requires an active membership to enjoy the essential oils. This has its pros and cons, but if you do decide to invest in a subscription like this one, you’ll get a whole host of member benefits to make the most of. Some benefits include discounts on products, reward points, educational resources, and a community of support.
NOW Foods (💰 Best Affordable Essential Oil Brand)
Among the best essential oil brands, and one of the most affordable, is NOW Foods. This widely recognised brand is one that you’ve yourself likely seen in a supermarket or local health store at some point. The one thing you can rely on with NOW Foods is their quality. You just have to take a look at the many happy customers on Amazon to find out.
NOW Foods has an outstanding reputation because they make quality essential oils that are affordable for all. The caveat here which is worth mentioning though is that other brands like Eden’s Garden charge more for their highly ethical practises and commitment to providing only the highest quality products. As a result, it’s fair to wonder how this brand keeps its prices so low.
That being said, the company uses extraction methods like cold press distillation that are free from filler, making their oils pure. While they are not therapeutic-grade quality, they have a lot of third-party testing done on their products to verify purity. It also has a range of Certified Organic essential oils, which means that if you truly value the purest products, then you have the option to spend a little more for this.
In addition to low cost and quality oils, NOW Foods provide one of the biggest selections of essential oils, which is perfect for anyone who likes to try different scents. You can also buy multipacks of their essential oils which makes it easy to get your hands on a few different scents and get experimenting to find your favorites. You can even take their oils and blend them together if you so desire, this opens up a whole world of possibilities.
As for educational resources, NOW Foods have a series of blog posts on their website under the name NOWledge. These blog posts have the aim of informing essential oil users, and cover everything from how to use them in different seasons, to the concrete benefits of different plant extracts. They also inform about their labs and practises which gives you more insight to how they operate as a business. They also have a section on their website dedicated to recipes you can create with their essential oils such as foot scrubs and bath bombs.
Rocky Mountain Oils (🍃 Best for Aromatherapy)
When it comes to the best essential oil brand for aromatherapy, the main things we focussed on were the purest professional-grade products and quality aromas. Even the name of the brand we chose conjures images of fresh air and relaxation: Rocky Mountain Oils. It’s a brand which is both affordable, and provides excellent quality in its essential oils, so you don’t need to splash out to have a therapeutic bout of aromatherapy at home.
There’s a lot to love about Rocky Mountain Oils, especially if you want to treat yourself or others to a seriously relaxing session of aromatherapy. The first thing that we appreciate about this brand is their transparency. If you have any concerns about the quality of a certain essential oil you buy from them, all you need to do is find the batch code on the bottle and type it in on their website to check the purity of it. The results are provided not only by in-house experts, but by third party testing, so you know you’re seeing a fair assessment with regards to the quality.
If you’re looking to introduce some relaxing aromatherapy into your life, or treat someone special in your life, then Rocky Mountain Oils has a lot of great kits to get started with. One such kit they sell, called the essential oil diffuser kit, has everything you need to start. This includes an aroma diffuser, and 6 different essential oils for a very reasonable price. What’s more, as well as offering traditional single oils like tea tree and orange, the brand makes it easy to buy the product you need with its blends. Say you want to breathe better or strengthen your immunity, they have blends named immune strength and breathe ease which have combined the best ingredients for that purpose.
As far as educational information goes, Rocky Mountain Oils provides everything you could ever possibly need to know about using your essential oils for aromatherapy. For a start, they have their blog called The Blend. This addresses a wide variety of topics including great blends to try as well as highlighting various essential oils and their benefits. Then they have guides for each individual oil in case you want to dive deeper and get really informed about their recommended uses. The essential oils comparison chart is interesting too, since it allows you to find similar blends, just like a music streaming service allows you to find similar music.
Aura Cacia (✔️ Best Co-op)
Aura cacia essential oils can be seen as special because they are the result of a co-op business structure.
What exactly does this mean?
Well, it means that the big decisions aren’t all made by a single person at the top of the company. Instead, there is a lot of emphasis at Aura Cacia placed on member’s opinions, so as you can imagine the production of essential oils becomes a collaborative effort. This means that every essential oil you buy from the brand is feeding into a larger community rather than just lining a single person’s pockets. Plus, the business structure isn’t like many other essential oil brands which relies on employees hiring more people and getting paid minimal sums compared to those higher up the chain.
Apart from knowing that you’re supporting a healthy cooperative business model, though, why would you want to go with Aura Cacia essential oils over those of the competition?
One reason to invest in the company’s oil selection is that each oil is housed in an amber glass bottle, which is an intentional choice to prevent the oil from being spoiled by light. This helps to preserve the quality of the oils so that when it arrives at your home it’s as pristine a product as you could hope to receive. Each oil is also 100% pure, which means there are no additional fillers, additives, or bases.
One thing to bear in mind when investing in Aura Cacia’s essential oils is that the bottles are 7.4ml, while most brands offer 10ml bottles as the standard size. This shouldn’t make a great deal of difference, but the oils won’t last as long if you’re accustomed to using the 10ml bottles. It also makes an impact on the pricing – while affordable, you might not get as much for your money as you would with a brand that offers cheap 10ml bottles. Some of the essential oils are certified organic, which is great, but not all of them. If organic is high up on your list of priorities, you might like to check out Mountain Rose Herbs.
Mountain Rose Herbs (🌱 Best Organic)
With any kind of supplement or health product intended to improve your quality of life, organic ingredients can make a big difference in quality. Many essential oil brands include certified organic ingredients, yet not all of them are as committed to providing organic products as Mountain Rose Herbs.
It’s perfectly acceptable to be an organic product snob, and in fact, when it comes to essential oils we would recommend that you do insist on organic ingredients where possible. While you might not notice a significant difference in the scent of an organic product, or the feel on your skin, you’ll be able to take comfort in the fact that the product is sustainable and adheres to a healthy ethos. In the case of Mountain Rose Herbs, it’s ‘People and Planet before Profit’, which is of course an admirable stance to take in a time in which many favor mindless consumerism at the expense of what really matters: the world we live in.
What else is there to like about Mountain Rose Herbs?
Organic essential oils aren’t only a better choice for the planet, but they should boast a higher quality overall than their non-organic counterparts. The brand has won several awards, such as a non-GMO project certification and for sourcing sustainable ingredients. As such, an investment in a Mountain Rose Herbs oil is an investment in high-quality and an investment in a better world for all. If there’s anything better than the smell of an organic lavender oil, it’s the knowledge that you have contributed to an ethical company with sound and sustainable practises.
Plant Therapy (👍🏼 Best for Choice)
Plant Therapy is one of the top brands for essential oils, and in our view it has one of the best selections on the market. If you want to find a brand that produces high-quality oils that you can return to again and again in the future, then why not go with one that also has a vast number of scents to experiment with?
After all, it can be a lot of fun to mix and match scents, especially if you consider yourself to be somewhat of an essential oil connoisseur. The brand has been around since 2011, and all of its high-quality oils are available at an affordable price, which is another reason to invest in them even if you haven’t got much experience with oils. Plus, the product selection of Plant Therapy isn’t limited to just essential oils. No, with this brand you can buy essential oils, diffusers, carrier oils, accessories, roll-ons, and so much more. As such, you’ll always be spoilt for choice, and it’s an excellent brand for gifts. There are even ranges of kid-friendly and pet-friendly essential oils, so it’s a very inclusive brand to buy from.
Each of Plant Therapy’s essential oils undergoes third-party testing and is 100% pure. You can even find and download the test results on the brand’s website, just in case you want to see with your own eyes. Now that’s transparency!
Lagunamoon (👌🏼 Most Potent)
Lagunamoon may not have the most brand recognition on this list, but it’s still an excellent essential oil company with a range of potent products.
Many customers of Lagunamoon claim that its essential oils are incredibly potent, which means they can be long-lasting. Just a few drops is all you’ll need to pour into your diffuser, and your home will smell like heaven. As a brand that’s focussed on beauty products, Lagunamoon has a wide selection of products that extends beyond just essential oils. Through the brand you’ll be able to get hold of everything from skincare products to nail polish, so it can be your one-stop shop for all of your cosmetic needs.
Each of Lagunamoon’s essential oils is 100% pure, and therapeutic-grade. That means you can expect a high-quality product, although we do have to say that there isn’t a great deal of testing involved so the lack of transparency might put some people off. If you’re looking for choice, that’s another area in which Lagunamoon excels. The beauty brand has extra large 150ml bottles, but also small 10ml and 30ml bottles, so you can either buy for the short term or the long term depending on what you’re looking for. It also means the brand is a good choice for purchasing gifts, if that’s something you’re interested in doing. The bottles have special tools, too, which allow you to dispense the essential oil with precision. This is helpful for making sure you don’t add too much to your diffuser, since this can overwhelm your sense of smell and leave a bad taste in the mouth.
What To Look For In An Essential Oil Brand
Picking the right essential oil brand to buy from can be a real headache if you don’t know the criteria to consider.
Good essential oils are so much more than just pleasant aromas. Here’s a brief overview of factors that might be of interest to you as you look for an essential oil brand.
1. Purity
One of the biggest factors to pay attention to when selecting an essential oil brand is the purity of their products.
Purity is hugely important with regards to essential oils, and sets the high-quality ones apart from the lower grade ones.
There are a few things to bear in mind.
First, there are 3 grades of essential oils. Grades A, B, and C. Grade C is the lowest, and Grade A is the highest, suitable for therapeutic use.
Generally you’ll want to aim for Grade A, since this is the best of the best, and is best for aromatherapy and other purposes.
If you value quality, then you’ll also want to ensure that you’re only buying 100% organic essential oils. These will be free from pesticides, herbicides, and GMO. This means you’re getting only the best of the plant extract, without any filler or even harmful chemicals.
Purity is usually determined by rigorous in-house testing as well as third-party testing. You can typically find all the information about how a brand tested the purity of their essential oils on the FAQ section of their websites.
2. Scents
However pure, organic, or high-quality an essential oil might be, it will be effectively useless if you don’t enjoy the aroma.
Say you’ve read up on the benefits of lavender scent for inducing a state of relaxation, decide to get some, and realise you don’t like the smell. It will likely be a lot harder to find that peaceful state since you are more focussed on what you perceive as an unpleasant smell than on unwinding.
For that reason, whichever essential oil brand you are considering, you should make sure that there are some aromas offered that you like the sound of. Perhaps that makes brands that offer a wider selection of scents a better option in some cases, since you can work your way through them.
Lavender is a single essential oil, but you can also find blended essential oils. Not every brand sells this type of professionally blended product, but a lot do. These blended oils combine complimentary plant extracts for more benefits and a more enjoyable aroma in some cases.
3. Suitability
The suitability factor applies mainly to parents looking to use essential oils around their children, but can also apply to pets.
The general idea is that there should be a certain amount of dilution in the essential oil to be considered safe to use with kids around.
Some plant extracts have properties that are beneficial for the growth and overall well being of infants and children, whereas others aren’t as suitable. Some of the better ones for kids include bergamot, chamomile, and lavender.
Due to the heightened sense of smell of dogs and cats, it’s also worth considering what aroma to use around your pets, if you have them.
Again, chamomile is deemed to be safe to use with pets around the house, but lavender for example isn’t.
4. Educational Resources
While this isn’t of utmost importance, it’s always reassuring to know an essential oil brand has your back, and is willing to provide resources to help you use their products safely and effectively.
This can come in various forms ranging from blog posts to free downloadable guides. A great example of a free downloadable PDF guide can be seen on the website of Eden’s Garden (our top pick). They do a great job of informing the user, as their guide is a comprehensive 11-page PDF detailing every way you can use their products, as well as advising you about how to use them safely.
These types of educational resources can prove invaluable, especially if this is your first time experimenting with essential oils.
5. Price
The last factor that should play a part in your decision process is the price. Not everyone has the funds to sustain an essential oil habit over a long period of time.
That’s why if you want to stick with one particular essential oil brand, then you should first make sure that you can afford to invest in their products on a regular basis.
A 10ml standard bottle, when used regularly, will last anywhere between a few weeks and a month. Though, this is likely to depend on how frequently you use essential oil throughout the day.
Another factor to consider with regards to ensuring you’re making a sound purchase is whether or not the brand offers a money-back guarantee. If they do, then you don’t have to worry about potentially not liking the aroma and will be free to send it back and be fully reimbursed if necessary.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Essential Oils
Which brand of essential oils are the purest?
As you’d perhaps expect of a brand with this name, Eden’s Garden is well-established and boasts high-quality essential oils that are 100% pure.
This brand provides essential oils free from GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and certified GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). This means you know you’re getting the best ingredients, untouched by chemicals and artificial ingredients.
With more than 150 essential oils, and offering both single ingredient oils and blends, Eden’s Garden is a fantastic option if you value quality and purity in your products.
What are the best essential oil brands?
While it’s hard to say definitively what the best essential oil brands are, we can say with confidence which brands are most popular.
At the top of the pile, you will often hear the names ‘Eden’s Garden’ and ‘Rocky Mountain Oils’ due to these brands’ focus on quality and purity.
But there are some lesser well-known brands such as ‘Lagunamoon’ and ‘Aura Cacia’ that are top picks, depending on what you’re looking for.
Where can I buy good essential oils?
There are many stores and online retail outlets which sell essential oils, but if you want a lot of options then your best bet is Amazon.
The huge online retailer stocks all of the brands we mention in this essential oil guide, and many different sizes, blends, and scents. You’ll have no trouble finding exactly what it is you’re looking for.
Are all essential oils the same?
No, not all essential oils are made equal.
One of the biggest defining factors of any essential oil is whether or not it is pure.
Pure essential oils are best because they provide all the benefits, but without any of the artificial ingredients.
Are there different qualities of essential oils?
Yes, there are three different grades of essential oils: grades A, B, and C.
These grades determine the level of quality of the essential oil.
Grade C is the lowest. These oils contain synthetics, and other compounds. They are primarily used for fragrances and nothing else. Grace C essential oils are typically the ones found in cosmetic products like shower gels.
Grade B essential oils are the middle-of-the-road option. These oils can also contain synthetics, and are classed as food grade products.
Lastly, Grade A essential oils are the premium quality option. These essential oils are fit for therapeutic use, and they make the most of organic plants for the highest quality. You’ll see these used for aromatherapy in clinics and spas for example.
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A Final Word on Essential Oil Brands
You can use essential oils for a variety of reasons, and there are a number of high-quality brands which will provide great value for your money.
Each brand has its own interesting backstory, quality-assuring processes, and claims about the purity of their essential oils. The decision can be tough, but take all the factors into account to make the most informed choice.
