Essential Oils vs Fragrance Oils: What's the difference?

Not sure how to tell these two popular oil types apart? We've got you covered.

Untangling the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils can be confusing.

The two are very close cousins and share many of the same uses – both are key ingredients in soap, candles, perfume, bath bombs, and other scented luxuries and crafts.

It’s understandable that many people would have trouble telling the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils, but they do have very key differences that are important to be aware of. Let’s unpack the common misconceptions about these oils.

What are fragrance oils?

Are essential oils the same as fragrance oils?

In short, no. While both can leave your home smelling wonderful and refreshed, essential oils and fragrance oils are not interchangeable and should not be considered as such.

There are many factors that determine whether or not a person has a preference - such as allergies to botanicals or aversions to synthetics - but the key thing to keep in mind is purpose.

For those simply wanting a pleasant scent, either could be considered suitable. If you're looking for a natural pain remedy or a mixed bag of mental health benefits, however, only essential oils would be of use.

Can you use fragrance oils in diffusers?

Absolutely! Like essential oils, fragrance oils can be added to a diffuser or oil burner and used to help your make space smell delightful.

Many people like to diffuse both synthetic fragrances and natural fragrances (essential oils) as a replacement for scented candles.

It's important to remember, however, that diffusing fragrance oils won’t give you any of the aromatherapeutic benefits that essential oils can provide, therefore the only real takeaway will be the pleasantness of the smell.

Fragrance oils and essential oils aren't the only things you can use in diffusers. You can also add carrier oils to reed diffusers.

Which oils should I use for aromatherapy?

Which oils should I use for home crafting?

When it comes to using either essential oils or fragrance oils for soap making, candle making, and other scented items at home, this is really a matter of personal preference.

If you want your products to have specific benefits – such as the ability to deeply relax the mind or energise your body – then you’ll probably want to spend some time looking for the perfect essential oil combinations.

However, if what you’re looking for is a fun and creative scent, fragrance oils might be the way to go. The advantage of creating candles or crafting soaps with fragrance oils is that there’s really no limit to the scents you can use – you’d be surprised how many imaginative and wildly specific fragrances you’re able to find.

One thing that is important to note is that most fragrance oils will diffuse with a stronger scent than most essential oils. This is because essential oils are typically lighter and may not disperse as efficiently.

What's the difference of fragrance oils vs essential oils in candles?

Essential oils

• Candle making can be a tricky process, with a lot of trial and error involved in the oil amounts, temperatures, and wax choices.
• Though essential oils carry a lot of natural benefits, it is generally harder to find candles that will only contain essential oils in their scent profiles.
• This is largely due to the slightly more difficult production process. Essential oils, unlike fragrance oils, do not always produce consistent, predictable outcomes due to their variation from batch to batch.
• The smell of an essential oil can vary depending on the origin of the plant, the season and altitude of the picking, the soil, and the distillation method. This can make it very difficult for candle makers to constantly get their desired scent out of one particular oil.
• Essential oils also have generally low flashpoints and may not always react well in the heat that is involved in candle making.

Fragrance oils

• Fragrance oils, on the other hand, tend to be more reliable when creating candles, particularly if you are a small business or like to make candles as gifts.
• This is due to their ability to create a more consistent, reliable scent that can carry well in indoor spaces. Fragrance oils are specifically formulated to create impactful aromas and therefore can do this with more ease than most essential oils.
• Fragrance oils are also generally more long-lasting than essential oils, containing a better shelf life as well as a scent that won’t be altered over time.
• Why not find out more about how to make candles using fragrance oils.

Which is better?

There really isn’t a definitive answer here, as it very much depends on your purpose. Essential oils and fragrance oils both have their own advantages – it’s up to you to make up your own mind about which you prefer.

Some sites will tell you that you should only ever use natural products because synthetic fragrance oils can be ‘dangerous’, but this isn’t necessarily true.

Both natural and synthetic products can be harmful if handled in an unsafe manner or used incorrectly. As long as you read any safety information that comes with your oil and refrain from ingesting anything that isn’t food grade, you’ll likely be okay.

Here at Nikura, we make our safety information available for every one of our oils (including CLP information for candle making), to make sure you are making an informed decision on which oil is best for you.

In summary:

• Essential oils are natural products with no synthetic ingredients.
• Fragrance oils are not natural products and do contain synthetic ingredients.
• Only essential oils can be used for aromatherapeutic purposes.
• Both can be used in home crafting projects, and both are safe to use when handled correctly.