Essential Oil Questions

What is the difference between an essential oil and a carrier oil?
Essential oils are highly concentrated and powerful oils that are steam distilled from the leaves,
bark, roots and other aromatic portions of a plant. Essential oils have a very strong aroma and
are subject to evaporation due to the volatile nature of the oils. They oxidize when they come
into contact with air over a period of time. Carrier oils and essential oils are not the same
product. Carrier oils are also known as base oils or fixed oils. They are pressed from the fatty
portions (seeds, nuts, kernels) of plants. Carrier oils are utilized to dilute essential oils before they
are applied topically to the skin. The purpose of carrier oils is to "carry" the essential oils into
the skin. Carrier oils do not evaporate. They have a rather stable shelf life, but can become
rancid after a long period of time.

Why are your carrier oils golden in color?
We use only high quality expeller-pressed or cold-pressed oils which have a full-bodied
aroma and array of colors from light golden to deep reddish. We do not use any oils that are
solvent, hexane or alcohol extracted, nor oils that have been processed through heat
intensive hydraulic extraction which ultimately yields the lowest quality oils. In addition, our oils
are not subjected to any of the deodorizing or bleaching processes that are often used to
create a colorless and odorless carrier oil.

Why is cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oil preferred over solvent-extracted
oil?
Solvent-extracted methods produce relatively unhealthy oils that lack the benefits of
traditional extraction methods. This is the cheapest and most common form of extraction for
both skin oils as well as food grade oils, even though not labeled as such. To produce these oils
a petroleum distillate (the most common chemical used is hexane) is added and this solvent is
then "flashed off" by heating to a high temperature. Microscopic portions (up to 25 parts per
million) of hexane can remain in the finished oil.

We have chosen to use only expeller-pressed or cold-pressed oils which is a more expensive
process and utilizes no chemicals. This process yields a higher and purer quality oil, higher in
natural colors and retaining its color, depth, consistency, essential fatty acids and key nutrients.

Why do you use a blend of 5 different oils in your massage oil blend?
We have carefully chosen the oils that are utilized in our massage oil base, our carrier oil base
(for Simple Solution products) and our skin care oil base. The oils have been selected for their
high quality, their viscosity (the degree of thickness) and their individual properties of healing
for the skin. We believe that a combination of oils is more valuable, as it allows the individual
benefits of each oil to merge into a more effective blend. Please review the oil properties of
our carrier oils in specific Tomorrow River products to see the individual benefits and qualities
of each oil.

Why don't use you use coconut or almond oil in your blends?
We have chosen not to use almond oil in any of our blends, as some individuals have nut
sensitivities and may experience a reaction to the oil. We prefer to use apricot kernel oil, which
is an excellent, higher quality substitute. Coconut oil is also not present in our base blends. In
the market today, it is very difficult to obtain high quality coconut oil that has not been highly
processed and refined. When it is possible to obtain a coconut oil that is unrefined or
processed through traditional Polynesian methods, it is very expensive. While we believe this
high quality oil is worth the price, it makes many products unaffordable for the average
consumer.

Are all your ingredients certified organic?
At this time only our essential oils are certified organic. Our base oil blends are not organic due
to cost considerations but we hope to offer an all-organic product in the future.

How do I know your essential oils are high quality?
Our source for all of our essential oils performs Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Purity
Testing (GCMS) to determine the quality of their essential oils. This process measures whether
the basic components of an essential oil occur in a precise percentage and also determines
whether an oil has been synthetically manipulated.

The method of extraction (distillation) also affects an essential oil's purity and the standards for
producing therapeutic quality oils require that the producer preserves as many of the plant's
compounds as possible. Therapeutic quality essential oils must only be distilled in glass,
porcelain or stainless steel cooking chambers at the lowest possible pressure and lowest
possible temperature. Extremely high temperatures, high pressure, or contact with chemically
reactive metals such as copper or aluminum can quickly destroy delicate compounds.

The primary components of most commercial oils in the market are synthetic. They should not
be used for therapeutic applications, and they potentially carry risks. Only pure essential oils
should be used for therapeutic purposes. At best, synthetic oils may not produce desired
therapeutic results--at worst, they could possibly be toxic. All of our essential oils are 100% pure,
natural plant oils. They are free of added water, alcohol, carriers or other dilutents and nothing
is added to the oil after distillation.