Are bpal blends all-natural?

[Impish One]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if the BPAL fragrances are pure essential oils, or are they diluted in a base oil?

 

Thank You

Impish

[Pauline]

They are indeed pure essential oils, no base/carrier oils added. But they do carry the base oils for you to purchase.

[ebonykawai]

I was just reading up on carrier oils and came across this post. Can someone correct me if I am wrong? BPAL oil blends are NOT just pure essential oils but are blended with some sort of carrier oil. I've come to this conclusion because essential oils never go bad and have an infinite shelf life. It's the carrier oil that doesn't last forever.

 

I'd like to know what carrier oil BPAL uses. I know jojoba is really a wax and never goes bad. There is also something called fractionated coconut oil that also never goes bad. What would be the best thing for me to purchase to extend my oils that would blend perfectly (no separation)?

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Morrighana]

I don't think BPAL uses a carrier. I think the one year approximation for shelflife is taking into account things like blend stability...

[ebonykawai]

Well, I think they almost have to use one, don't they? I wouldn't think that putting pure essential oils on the skin would be a good thing to do. Some of them are very potent and major irritators and need to be diluted. Yikes, I HOPE I'm not slathering pure essential oils on my skin!!

 

Beth? Anyone??

 

 

[Morrighana]

I still think they are pure...that's one of the reasons Beth sells carriers on the site, so that if you are sensitive to a particular oil/all oils, you can dilute.

[shadow]

Eau fraiche: 3% or less perfume oil.

Eau de cologne: 2 - 5% perfume oil.

Eau de toilette: 4 - 10% perfume oil.

Eau de parfum: 8 - 15% perfume oil.

Perfume: 15 - 25% perfume oil.

Perfume oil: 15 - 30% perfume oil.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Perfume oil: 85 - 100% perfume oil.

 

 

That's off the FAQ, so I always assumed that meant these were pure essential oils. And I didn't see it, but I could swear there used to be a caution about using some of the oils straight on the skin as they could be very irritating, especially to sensitive people.

[ipb]

oils and blends are talked about a little here , too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mod note - broken link - the thread it linked was merged into this one.

Edited January 18, 2011 by ivyandpeony
note re: broken link

[zombiebunny]

In my understanding, perfume oils and essential oils aren't always the same thing ...

[Sara]

In my understanding, perfume oils and essential oils aren't always the same thing ...

Same here. In the online stores I come across, fragrance oils and essential oils are listed separately.

[VelvetSky]

Perfume oils and essential oils are definitely not usually the same thing.

[ebonykawai]

Ahhhhhh!!! Thanks everyone!! That makes a lot of sense to me now. Must investigate this "perfume oil" thingie...

[Witch's Dagger]

From the Lab:

 

"The oils that we use are all steam distilled or cold-pressed directly from their organic origin. Some fragrances cannot be obtained purely through natural extraction processes, therefore some of the scents that we use are 'bouquets' - essentially a combination of natural scents created to imitate a fragrance that is irreproducible by other means. We never skimp on quality, and it shows through in the excellence of our creations. "

 

Natural extraction = essential oil.

 

Basically, an essential oil is the watery stuff that comes directly from the plant (and it's not always 'oily').

 

As mentioned above, some scents cannot be obtained this way, and there are two ways to deal with this problem: either use a synthetic scent or make a blend. Thus, many ritual/perfumel oil makers divide their products into three categories: essential oils (single notes derived entirely from the plant mentioned), blends (what Beth is calling a 'bouquet' above) and fragrance/perfume oils (which contain synthetics).

 

On this site, however, it's clear from her description of how she gets the oil that 'perfume oil' does mean 'essential oil', even though it may mean something different somewhere else.

[joseybird]

I hope I've posted this in the right place ;;

 

I'm pretty new to BPAL, and I was surprised to be told that BPAL oils are 100% undiluted essential oils. My surprise was not because of anything to do with the oils I've tried, but because if you go to any site that sells essential oils, or look at the label of any EO bottle, it'll say that EOs must be diluted before they are safe to use on the skin.

 

I'm not asking for any secret formulas or anything but if BPALs are 100% EOs (was I misinformed??), than how can they be safe to put on skin?

 

If someone could please clear this up I'd be eternally grateful!! It's just that I'm very confused

[purely_cosmetic]

no man, they are 85-100% PERFUME oils, which Im assuming is different to essential oils, xx

[joseybird]

no man, they are 85-100% PERFUME oils, which Im assuming is different to essential oils, xx

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, perfume oils can be EOs, fragrance oils, or a mixture of the two. But even fragrance oils must be diluted before they're safe to use on skin (if you go to a site that sells fragrance oils you'll see that they tell you to dilute so that the oil is at a concentration of only 10%!! I'm sure you could have a higher concentration than *that*, but they must be diluted to a reasonable degree).

 

Again, I'd love clarification ;;

[VelvetSky]

Beth is the best source of information about what BPAL blends consist of, but....

 

It is my understanding that Beth uses the finest oils that she can obtain. Most of them are natural oils that come directly from the plant, fruit, stem, tree, or other original source. (For example, patchouli, frankincense, rose, cedar, citrus, etc.).

 

Some of the ingredients are synthetic, because they simply cannot be obtained from the plant itself.

 

According to the great book by the perfumer Mandy Aftel, 'Essence and Alchemy', ...."lilies, along with a number of other florals, resist any form of scent harvesting. In fact, it is a telltale sign that a perfume is made from synthetics if it contains any of the following flowers, because they cannot be rendered naturally: freesia, honeysuckle, violet, tulip, lily, gardenia, heliotrope, orchid, lilac and lily of the valley."

 

So my guess is no, the blends are not all 100% essential oils, although some may be. And I do believe they are blended in high quality carrier oils. Fortunately for all of us, Beth is a master alchemist and perfumer who uses the best quality ingredients for all of us.

 

 

Edited for spelling.

Edited February 20, 2005 by VelvetSky

[joseybird]

I *LOVE* Essence and Alchemy!! =3 I need need need to buy it (I've only borrowed it from the library).

 

What you're saying makes a great deal of sense, VelvetSky. I was in no way trying to imply that BPAL oils are anything less than top quality =) From what I've read, dilution and use of synthetics is almost always a necessity and not a method of cheapening a blend (I've heard that some synthetics are even more expensive than their natural counterparts!)

 

I've emailed the lab with the same question, because I'd love to hear an answer straight from the horse's mouth because I feel uncomfortable speculating and assuming too much . But I'd guess that what VelvetSky is proposing is true.

 

Yay! I love things finally making sense hehe

 

Beth is the best source of information about what BPAL blends consist of, but....

 

It is my understanding that Beth uses the finest oils that she can obtain.  Most of them are natural oils that come directly from the plant, fruit, stem, tree, or other original source.  (For example, patchouli, frankincense, rose, cedar, citrus, etc.).

 

Some of the ingredients are synthetic, because they simply cannot be obtained from the plant itself.

 

According to the great book by the perfumer Mandy Aftel, 'Essence and Alchemy', ...."lilies, along with a number of other florals, resist any form of scent harvesting.  In fact, it is a telltale sign that a perfume is made from synthetics if it contains any of the following flowers, because they cannot be rendered natually:  freesia, honeysuckle, violet, tulip, lily, gardenia, heliotrope, orchid, lilac and lily of the valley."

 

So my guess is no, the blends are not 100% essential oils.  And I do believe they are blended in high quality carrier oils.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[riddel]

It was I who told joseybird that BPAL blends contain no synthetics. I was under that impression because of what it says on the site itself:

 

"The oils that we use are all steam distilled or cold-pressed directly from their organic origin. Some fragrances cannot be obtained purely through natural extraction processes, therefore some of the scents that we use are 'bouquets' - essentially a combination of natural scents created to imitate a fragrance that is irreproducible by other means. We never skimp on quality, and it shows through in the excellence of our creations."

 

As in, all of the oils used are extracted from their "organic origin," and that notes that cannot be obtained purely through natural extraction processes (honeysuckle, for example?) are a bouquet combination of "natural" scents.

 

As for being undiluted, I'm not sure anymore. I was under the impression that they weren't diluted at all, but the FAQ section of the site does say that BPAL blends are "85 - 100% perfume oil," so I guess some are diluted a bit?

 

I'm interested in hearing if you get a response, Josey.

Edited March 3, 2008 by riddel

[joseybird]

It was I who told her that BPAL blends contain no synthetics. As for being undiluted, I'm not sure anymore. I was under the impression that they aren't, but I see now in the FAQ section of the site that BPAL blends are "85 - 100% perfume oil," so I guess some are diluted a bit?

 

But yes, I came to the conclusion that they, the Lab, didn't use synthetics because of what it says on the site itself:

 

"The oils that we use are all steam distilled or cold-pressed directly from their organic origin. Some fragrances cannot be obtained purely through natural extraction processes, therefore some of the scents that we use are 'bouquets' - essentially a combination of natural scents created to imitate a fragrance that is irreproducible by other means. We never skimp on quality, and it shows through in the excellence of our creations."

 

As in, it says that all of the oils used are extracted from their "organic origin," and that those scents that can't be obtained through the extraction process (honeysuckle, for example?) are a bouquet combination of "natural" scents.

 

I'm interested in hearing if you get a response, Josey.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm sure I'll get a response soon The BPAL CS people have been really great about answering my questions =) (like asking if they'll bring back Rose Red, what the Trading Post was about, etc).

 

I think only their response could clear up the confusion, as from everything I hear it's unsafe to apply 100% essential oils directly to the skin. BPAL doesn't divulge ingrediants and seems pretty vague about them (like most other perfumers--secret recipies I guess...) so I can only go by EO info already out there.

 

But I do want to reiterate that synthetic does not = shoddy or cheap =) Synthetics can be even more expensive than their natural counterparts, and the choice to use synthetics is often (certainly not always, or most of the time, but often) made because the natural essence would react badly in a specific blend.

 

My confusion and curiosity are just that--confusion and curiosity. I'm not trying to imply that the lab is lying to use or not producing the best product it possibly can. I just like things to jive in my my head

[VelvetSky]

I'm interested in the Lab's response too. I don't think it's possible to obtain some scents from their actual source...or at least in an unadulterated state that would be usable in perfumery.

 

But I stand corrected! If the Lab says they use only natural oils, that's the answer. I can definitely see that Beth could blend other natural notes to get a good approximation of a scent (like honeysuckle, etc.). In fact, that's pretty cool.

Edited February 21, 2005 by VelvetSky

[Cats]

I hope this is resolved soon. I have liver and detox system damage, and man-made fragrance chemicals are something I have to avoid if I don't want to get seriously ill. The reason I've been buying BPAL was my impression (from quote riddel posted from the BPAL site) that none of them had man-made fragrance chemicals in them.

 

Most of Beth's blends, even if I don't care for the smell, haven't made me ill, although a couple have caused serious nausea and headache. I had assumed that it was just a plant I was sensitive too, but now I'm pretty anxious about the possibility of man-made chemicals being the cause. ...

[Morrighana]

Beth does not use synthetics, period. No worries.

[amrita]

According to the great book by the perfumer Mandy Aftel, 'Essence and Alchemy', ...."lilies, along with a number of other florals, resist any form of scent harvesting.  In fact, it is a telltale sign that a perfume is made from synthetics if it contains any of the following flowers, because they cannot be rendered naturally:  freesia, honeysuckle, violet, tulip, lily, gardenia, heliotrope, orchid, lilac and lily of the valley."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think it's really odd that the author states these flowers resist any form of scent harvesting. While it may be impossible to extract essential oils from them through distillation, it's certainly not impossible to extract their scents through other methods. For example, enfleurage is a technique where you layer purified fat and blossoms between glass plates, and the fat absorbs the flower scent (which can then be washed with a solvent, etc, to get the scent out). I've read you can use high proof alcohol and blossoms to make a tincture (of lilacs, for example). You can also extract scents into oil by gently heating them. So, I have no idea why Aftel said that... I guess she was talking only about essential oils?

 

If Beth is using stuff from her garden occasionally, I would almost guarantee she's using one of the above methods or something similar at least part of the time, since she'd have to have quite a plot of land to grow enough botanicals to extract essential oils through distillation. The ratio by weight of plant matter to essential oil extracted is usually something like 50-2000:1.

[Cats]

Beth does not use synthetics, period.  No worries.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you so much for the reassurance!