NOW Foods Essential Oils, Organic Lavender Oil, Soothing Aromatherapy Scent, Steam Distilled, 100% Pure, Vegan, Child Resistant Cap, 1-OunceUSDA Organic

I use lavender oil mostly for application to the skin after cuts, minor burns, or insect bites. It definitely eases itching from insect bites (or a cat scratch) and it also speeds up healing of cuts or grazes or small burns. It also has calming properties and can be used to aid sleep. I think it’s important to choose an organic option when buying a plant essential oil, both for the environmental impact and the quality of the oil itself (pesticides or herbicides may end up in the oil when extracted from conventionally grown plants, depending on the extraction method used).This Now Foods oil is extracted by steam distillation (the preferred method for most oils), followed by analysis by gas chromatography (the best way to determine the composition of essential oils). There is no absolute standard for the composition of plant essential oils – the oil from a particular plant species such as lavender will vary in composition (i.e. the relative proportions of the terpene components) depending on many factors (cultivar of the plant, growing conditions, location, age, etc.). Which brings me to the labeling of oils as “therapeutic grade” etc. by certain manufacturers (Eden, doTerra, Young Living). This is purely marketing – the phrases don’t carry any weight. The best approach is to judge by the results rather than the wording on the bottle.There’s no doubt that Now Foods are a big high-tech operation (you can do a video tour of their facilities on their website) and that may not be so appealing to some people. However, their modern equipment for both oil extraction and quality control is not necessarily a bad thing when it ensures a good product that can be cleanly made. Now’s plant in Nevada is LEED Silver certified (LEED is a green buildings certification program) but I feel like they could do more (and achieve LEED gold status). For example, they use solar panels, but these only provide 2% of the facility’s electricity needs. Overall I think their grade on sustainability is better than average (Now Foods was rated as a “Corporate Hero” in The Better World Shopping Guide).I looked at the competition to find alternatives to Now Foods that may be more sustainable and Mountain Rose Herbs looks like the best bet. They are carbon-neutral and have an impressive zero waste and recycled packaging policies. 1 oz of organic lavender direct from Mountain Herbs costs about the same as this Now Foods oil. However, I have not tried their oils so I can’t comment on the quality.So, overall I’ll give the Now Foods Organic lavender 5/5 gold stars for quality of the product and 4/5 “green” stars based on the social-ethical-environmental aspects of producing it. They lose 1 green star because Now Foods could make more effort to conserve energy or use green energy (compared to a company like Mountain Rose).

So I was trying to figure out if it's really worth the price to buy the organic lavender oil, versus the regular lavender oil. In the past, I've always used the regular and it seemed fine. But I know that products and foods with fat and oils are the most important to buy organic, because fat and oil is where the toxins tend to accumulate most. For example, you consume more toxins in one cube of non-organic butter, than in a year's worth of non-organic fruits and vegetables. (probably not a very exacting measurement, but you get the idea) So I always buy organic milk, eggs and butter, without exception. But I don't always buy organic produce - I do when possible, but I don't worry about it too much if I can't or don't.I couldn't decide about the organic essential oils, as I've always used the non-organic regular and it seemed fine. But after trying the organic version - I'm never going back to non-organic oil. It's hard for me to describe the difference in smell, but it's just better. I don't know if it's my imagination, but it smells more like real lavender, and less chemical-like. Especially the after-smell (after you've applied it, and the smell dissipates) it just smells fresher. It even feels better, which is probably my imagination - but I just get such a strong feeling that the organic oil is better for me, and that makes sense as we absorb the essential oils directly through the skin, bypassing the liver completely, so it's even more important that there aren't any toxins in the product.Anyway, I'm very happy with this, it's definitely worth the extra money to buy the organic version (in my opinion) and from now on, this is what I'll buy. I like this brand very much too - it's a great value because I think it's an excellent quality oil compared to the more expensive oils, and at a fraction of the price.

I absolutely love this oil. It smells so fresh and amazing. A few drops goes such a long way that even this tiny bottle is sure to last a really long time. At first, I figured that it's so delicious that more is obviously better, however my assumption was incorrect. Don't be like this me and use too much. Be sensible and you will smell delicious after a bath, not like a scary soap factory.I also use this oil in my baby's homemade butt cleaning solution and it keeps her diaper region smelling very fresh. It's quite possible that the soothing and calming properties of this oil are what keeps my baby so laid back and relaxed at almost all times. It's also quite possible that it is, in fact, not this oil that keeps her so laid back and relaxed. I am not, however, willing to chance going without to find out. As a result, her tushie cleaning solution will forever include this awesome oil.My recipe for homemade baby wipe solution:2 cups water1 tablespoon Aloe Farms Organic Aloe Vera Gel1 1/2 tablespoons Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap4-5 drops NOW Organic Lavender Essential OilMix ingredients in a spray bottle and set aside until needed (certainly your wait will be short). Once needed, spray liberally onto a precut flannel square and wipe away.