Question with regards to E.O. marketing file 3

[Guest guest]

Posted on the date you can see.

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Info on aromatherapy suppliers Posted to ATFE & Oils-herbs 2-10-06

 

For the benefit of new people on this group, here are a few things you need to

know about.

 

There has been a massive proliferation of people setting up web sites to sell

essential oils. Often people who know nothing about what they are selling.

Please bear in mind that aromatherapy suppliers are frequently cottage industry

based operations. There is nothing wrong with that provided people have

educated themselves properly, but regretfully many just read a few aromatherapy

novels and then start selling oils.

 

In Britain it is illegal to make " medicinal claims " on the website of someone

who also sells the oils. This has been the case since 1968 and later laws have

tightened this up even more. Most of our older well established aromatherapy

suppliers have been aware of and complied with this legislation for years.

Therefore, if you come across a UK based web site making medicinal claims, it

may be evidence of several things:

1. Someone who has not bothered to check the law over what they sell.

2. Someone who does not care that they are breaking the law.

3. Someone who has not undertaken a sound training course.

4. Someone who has been conned by one of the larger essential oil traders.

5. Someone new to the trade who knows little about its history.

 

In the USA, making certain medicinal claims is illegal, but the legislation is

rarely enforced. Therefore you have thousands of web sites making outrageous

claims, claims that frequently have no basis in reality. Quite a number of

suppliers there sell oils with labels that do not meet your basic legal

requirements, particularly Wintergreen oil.

 

Don't be fooled by those who claim they get ALL their oils direct from growers,

that is hogwash. The essential oils trade is International and conducted mostly

via big traders who then resupply the aromatherapy trade. Certainly some

suppliers do get oils direct from growers, but they cannot get ALL of their oils

from such sources.

 

The same comments apply to organically grown oils. Yes some are produced that

way, but only a tiny proportion compared to what aromatherapy traders sell. In

addition, many OG certificates are forged or the association issuing them does

not undertake adequate on-the-ground inspections, particularly in under

developed countries.

 

Most aromatherapy traders sell oils from trees that are on the endangered

species list, they then invent all kinds of stories to cover their backs such

as " we get our oils from legal sources only " . In reality they simply accept

what they are told by their suppliers most of which is hogwash.

 

Many suppliers in the USA and Canada sell essential oils with known dangers, but

without any warnings. Often these suppliers are ignorant of well acknowledged

safety data, or they don't care about your health as long as they get a sale.

 

Certificates of analysis:

There are analysts turned suppliers, who knowingly sell adulterated oils to

aromatherapy outlets. There are others who claim to do analysis but have had no

training in the fragrance trades or experience working for big oil distributors.

Only a tiny number of aromatherapy suppliers can afford to have their oils

analysed by experts. There are those who pay for the cheapest analysis, simply

so they can claim their oils are genuine - cheap analysis will not detect good

adulteration. In reality, this trade is awash with oils that are not all they

are claimed to be.

 

" I trust my supplier " . That is the biggest load of nonsense I have heard. There

are some who do their utmost to only sell quality products, but there are a

hundred fold more who just do not care as long as the cash is flowing. There are

only a tiny number of aromatherapy suppliers that I would trust and some of

those are on my web site. There are others who have been trading for years;

you will come across some of them on this group and most of them have learnt

their trade via long experience. So beware of those who are new traders as many

of those come under the categories above.

 

So beware of believing a fraction of the hype on suppliers web sites. Bear in

mind there is no system in place for verifying the claims made on internet

sites. Anyone can say anything they like and will usually get away with it.

 

See my web site articles for more on essential oil sales.

 

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com