To differentiate between Essential Oil and Fragrance Oil you need to know the definition of the two oils.
What Is Essential Oil
Essential oil is the concentrated extract of a plant which is processed by distillation, expression or solvent extraction. Essential oil is obtained from different parts of a plant like the root, the stem, bark, flowers, needles, berries and leaves.
One particular plant can give you two to three types of essential oils such as orange oil is extracted from the fruit, Neorli from the flowers and Petite grain oil from the leaves of an orange tree. All these oils are used for different purposes.
What Is Fragrance Oil
Fragrance oil is a composition of synthetic and natural scents or oils. This is basically used to make perfumes by blending different fragrances. Essential oil is sometimes added to a Fragrance oil to increase the value and strength of a perfume. Fragrance oils are generally diluted with diluents like alcohol to set the strength.
How To Differentiate Between Essential Oil And Fragrance Oil
Essential oils are used for curative and medicinal purpose. It can be inhaled, diffused or applied to cure various ailments.
Fragrance oils are used only for cosmetic purpose. It is worn as a perfume or as a deodoriser. Perfumes do not always contain essential oils and is mostly a synthetic composition.
Essential oil is the extract of a plant in its purest form and is not formulated by combining different scents. In certain cases more than one essential oil may be combined together for medicinal use.
Fragrance oil is made of various compounds each having their own scent that are combined to make a perfume. It may have the fragrance of nature like woods, flowers or lavender and pine or it is based on a concept like musk, rain, spring and senses etc.
Essential oils are used in aromatherapy, medicines and massage oils for treating various ailments like joint pains, migraine, tension, nervous disorder, digestive disorder, respiratory diseases, etc.
They are used in body lotions, soaps, nourishing creams and hair oils for enhancing the beauty and to cure several types of skin related problems like acne, pigmentation, dark circles, wrinkles and to make the skin soft and supple. Essential oils are used in hair oils to treat dandruff, to control hair fall and improve growth of hair. Essential hair oils also help to prevent premature greying of hair.
Fragrance oils are used only for cosmetic purpose that is as a perfume or cologne to smell good. Fragrance oil of the same scent is sometimes added to perfume, body spray, talcum powder, soap, body lotion, hair spray and cream to create a total effect.
Essential oils are more expensive than fragrance oils due to their purity and high production cost.
Essential oils are used as flavouring agent in food products in form of essences. For example vanilla essence, kewra essence, almond essence and rose essence etc.
Fragrance oils being synthetically made may cause skin allergy or headache and nausea if harmful and cheap chemicals have been used in them.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.