Essential Oils vs. Fragrance Oils: What’s the Difference?
I like browsing the shelves of candles and diffusers, sometimes even trying to catch a hint of the scent through the packaging if there isn’t a tester. But at the time, I hadn’t realised there were actually different types of oils behind the labels. Some scents are popular like Rose, Fig, Pumpkin, Lily of the Valley but they don’t all come from the same place.
To keep it simple, here’s how to understand the three main terms you’ll see most often: essential oils, fragrance oils, and scented oils
Essential Oils: Nature in a Bottle
Essential oils are the pure essence of plants. They’re distilled or pressed from flowers, leaves, bark, or roots, so their scent is naturally layered and complex.
For example, Orange is a fruit oil pressed from the peel and Rose is a flower that produces a true essential oil.
Brands you might recognise: Tisserand, Neal’s Yard Remedies and Ilapothecary, known for their plant-based essential oils and blends.
Fragrance Oils: Endless Possibilities
Fragrance oils are created in a lab, usually from a blend of natural and synthetic ingredients. Their strength is versatility: perfumers can design scents that don’t exist in nature.
For example: Pumpkin is a fruit that produce no essential oil, and Lily of the Valley is a flower recreated entirely as a fragrance oil.
Brands you might recognise: Rituals, The White Company, Yankee Candle, John Lewis as well as supermarkets own labels.
What About Scented Oils?
You’ll often see bottles labelled as “scented oils.” This can be confusing, because it’s not really a separate category. In home fragrance, “scented oil” usually means a fragrance oil something you’d use in burners, plug-ins, or diffusers.
When you see ‘scented oil’ on a bottle, think of it as a label brands use rather than a real category. A quick look at the ingredients will tell you whether it’s essential or fragrance-based.
My Final Tip
When shopping, check the label:
“100% pure essential oil” = plant-based
“Fragrance oil” or “fragrance” = lab-made
Bottom line:
Choose essential oils if you want something natural and therapeutic.
Choose fragrance oils if you just want a great scent at a great price.