As aromatherapists, I believe we have a duty to use the best essential oils we can find. They are the tools of our trade. I know the quality of the vegetable oils we use as carriers is important, and that herbal oils, hydrolats and other aromatic products should form part of our repertoire. However, essential oils are what we use as the main catalysts for healing.

When I graduated in Aromatherapy, I didn't give much thought as to how the essential oils came to be in the little bottles I ordered. I probably thought there was a whole industry out there supplying us aromatherapists with therapeutic essential oils and that they were, of course, pure and unadulterated, just as the label said.

When I started working on the commercial side of essential oil supply, I began to learn (from sourcing essential oils in bulk) that our needs were being met in effect as a bi-product of a much bigger business � the flavour & fragrancing industries. The wholesalers I spoke to were happy to take our orders but their 慴read and butter' is earned supplying vast quantities of commercial grade essential oils to the producers of big brand names of everything from washing powder and cleaning products to toothpaste. These huge customers are not necessarily looking for the same qualities in their essential oils as we are as therapists. Aromatherapy has grown in popularity enormously in the past ten years. Essential oils are now widely available all over the high street. So, how are these two very different markets were being fulfilled?