Use of Language

Sorry not to have been in touch recently. I think that the candlemakers must be reading my blog because I have actually been set the task of creating new essential oil pefume blends by them following my rant about them having no nose for it etc.etc. and have been tied up since then in product development.

Anyhow I thought I would start by researching what the opposition is doing for fragrancing their candles, "easy!" I hear you say -not so I respond.  It appears that what you think you get is not actually all you get, the use of the English language is very subtle but a complete minefield for all but the very cautious.

On a Wick have always made a distinction between their fragrance oil products and their essential oil products, using only essential oils in their natural ranges. It appears others have not!!!!

Consider these statements that I have found.
"contains essential oils"  
"made with essential oils"
"made with pure essential oils"
fragrances drawn from essential oils - fragrances drawn from nature
"fragranced with absolute essential oils"

What none of these statements say is "fragranced solely with essential oils" as all of the above statement's products can and almost certainly do contain synthesised fragrance. The cost of some essential oils is rocketing with poor weather and small harvests. Best quality Jasmine oil is now  £2800 per kilo, Rose "Otto" even higher and you might need Securicor for a kilo of Honeysuckle.  Now I have nothing against fragrance oils and many "fragrance oils" will actually contain "essential oils" as it is cheaper to use the natural oil , some fragrances are just not replicable in the laboratory so the natural oil is used, but on reading labels ask yourself is the fragrance I am getting what it purports to be.

Ask yourself  if the candle advertising says "Scented with pure essential oil" why would anyone scent one with IMPURE essential oil.  If you want to have pure essential oil candles make sure that the label actually tells you that it is only or solely fragranced with essential oils. Whilst virtually all of Onawick's standard candle scents contain an element of essential oils we wouldnt dream of claiming "made with essential oils" unless we fragranced it with "100% essential oils".  DID YOU SEE THAT, I am falling into the dodgy advertising trap, who would use 98%  essential oils. What I meant to say was "fragranced only with essential oils"

Enough of the rant, there has been a day of cupcake experiment set aside this weekend, new flavours etc and I intend to get my share. Will post photos of the little beauties when they arrive. I can now use my smart phone so hopefully more shots of me and the family and where I live to come.