Essential oils and infused oils

Essential oils are all the rage these days but for many applications, an infused oil will serve you better.

Essential oils are highly aromatic, volatile plant oils that are commonly used as fragrances, flavorings, and in aromatherapy. These oils tend to evaporate or volatilize fairly easily at moderate temperatures.

Infused oils are made with low (or no) heat and a prolonged extraction designed to draw out the plant’s bioactive compounds. A fixed oil (like olive or grapeseed) dissolves many of the same compounds that dissolve in pure alcohol and the resulting infused oil can represent a more complete extract of the plant.

The bottom line? Essential oils are best when you want to use only the volatile oil components otherwise use infused