What’s the difference between Essential Oil and Fragrance Oil?

Before coming across FRESH3Y, I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘essential oil’. In the past few years, the popularity of these oils has skyrocketed and my oh my, are people obsessed. But why? Sure, they’re trendy, and diffusers, well they were on many people’s Amazon wish lists in 2020 (hello, 1.73 BILLION 2020 Market Size). But have you ever wondered what the differences are between Essential Oil and Fragrance Oil? 

Well, I’m here to explain. Aren’t you glad we found each other?

In one corner we have Essential Oils. They fight many problems, like Anxiety, Stress, Headaches and Inflammation. They also can boost your mood, improve your memory and even act as an aphrodisiac (don’t quote me on this, try it for yourself). Essential Oils are all-natural and extracted from different plants’ parts such as the roots, leaves, seeds or blossoms. They come in a variety of all-natural scents and often be mixed to create a unique scent profile.

Across the ring, are Fragrance Oils. Found in cosmetics, perfume, lotions, candles, and even, yes, air fresheners. Typically, Fragrance Oils are man-made, which gives the creators of them the flexibility to design fragrances that mimic more obscure fragrances like re-creating the smell of your favourite tropical destination, or maybe a certain fall beverage *cough* Pumpkin Spice Latte *cough*

With so many options on the market, how do you choose? Well, I think it all comes down to preference. We made FRESH3Y, the Tesla Air Freshener, completely customizable to ensure we had the flexibility to reminisce on our vacation to Scottsdale with a scent that reminds us of the W hotel, or allows us to de-stress with an all-natural Lavender Essential Oil when we feel overwhelmed and overworked. I love how we can bring whatever mood we have into our Tesla with us. 

So there you have it. Essential Oils are great as they offer all-natural, symptom-fighting scents. But when you’re hankering for an aroma that doesn’t occur so naturally, like my current favourite, Vanilla Bourbon, it’s sweet to have that option as well.