Top 10 Questions

1. Could I visit your facility?

Potential and/or current customers and suppliers are welcome to visit our plant, but as we hold confidentiality agreements with our customers, tours of our entire facility are not always permitted. Please contact us to arrange an appointment.

2. What is the difference between an essential oil and a fragrance oil?

An essential oil is pure plant extract. Essential oils are obtained through steam distillation, water distillation and cold-pressed expression. Essential oils are used for Aromatherapy, natural therapies, and fine perfumery.

Our fragrance oils are concentrated blends of essential oils, extracts, fixatives, natural and nature identical products hand made according to traditional methods. They are used to fragrance pot pourri, sachets, candles, soaps, drawer liners, etc. Since fragrance oils often have some synthetic ingredients, they are not generally used for quality ‘mood enhancing’ or therapeutic effects of true Aromatherapy.

3. What are organic essential oils?

Organic Essential Oils:  Organic farming can briefly be described as using methods of crop and natural systems to sustain and build soil fertility, minimise pollution and damage to the environment. Organic plants are grown without the use of agrochemical pesticides, weed killers, synthetic fertiliser etc.

Organic essential oils come from plants grown using this method, but the farms in which they are grown have not achieved “Certified Organic” accreditation.

"Certified Organic" means plants have been grown according to strict uniform standards which are verified by an independent state or private organisation. A farm that produces certified organic plants and essential oils has met the strict standards criteria, and has been issued with certification that all products produced are organic.

4. What is the difference between essential oils and carrier oils?

Essential oils are non-greasy, highly volatile, flammable, and synergistic, working together to enhance the function and effect of one another. Essential oils are soluble in vegetable oil, alcohol and slightly soluble in water.

Carrier oils can be used as a base for mixing essential oils, or may be used as a straight massage oil. Carrier oils are ‘fixed’ oils – this means they do not evaporate, and leave an oily stain on absorbent surface.

abp carrier oils are of the highest quality, using cold-pressing extraction methods.

5. What growing methods are used for the essential oils abp uses?

Australian Botanical Products’ 100% pure essential oils are predominantly grown by four methods. The way in which a plant is grown has an effect on the quality of the end product. It can also have an effect on the actual yield of oil gathered from the crop, which will in turn affect the price in the market.

The four identified growing methods are:

1. Wild

Plants are grown and harvested from natural or wild growing crops.

2. Pure

Natural Authentic Plants grown are true to species. They are 100% pure, natural, authentic botanical species. In the case of ABP, a pure essential oil is one that has not been adulterated. Oils produced in this manner have adhered to strict quality standards and are produced and farmed according to internationally accepted procedures.

3. Organic

Organic farming can briefly be described as using methods of crop and natural systems to sustain and build soil fertility, minimise pollution and damage to the environment. Organic plants are grown without the use of agrochemical pesticides, weed killers, synthetic fertiliser etc.

Organic essential oils come from plants grown using this method, but the farms in which they are grown have not achieved “Certified Organic” accreditation.

4. Certified Organic

Certified means plants have been grown according to strict uniform standards which are verified by an independent state or private organisation. A farm that produces certified organic plants and essential oils has met the strict standards criteria, and has been issued with certification that all products produced are organic.

6. Why do you have so many different types of one oil – what is the difference?

There are a number of ways and combination of reasons for listing different types of essential oil within a plant type.

The most common reason stems from the fact that some plants are grown in different countries. Lavender, for example, is grown in Europe, Australia, France, Bulgaria and Spain. Due to differences in climate conditions and growing techniques, the properties of the essential oil from the same botanical species are often very different.

Another reason for variety is that the oil itself may be derived from different parts of the plant, resulting in variations in the properties and odour of the oil. For example, Petitgrain is derived from the leaves of the plant, Orange Bitter from the fruit, and Neroli from the flowers, but all are from the same botanical species (Citrus aurantium ssp. amara)

A less common but equally valid reason for providing variants in essential oils is difference in botanical species for the same type of oil. For example, Cypress is derived from three botanical species including Cupressus sempervirens, Callitris intratropica, and Callitris glaucophylla. Due to the differences in each botanical species, there will be significant variations in the properties of the essential oil produced.

These reasons or a combination of each mean that there are many different essential oils produced, within the same basic plant type. In order to provide a full range to our customers, abp endeavours to source the very best.

7. What is the difference between Nature and Nature Identical Oil?

Nature identical refers to an oil which has had a component added, either natural or artificial, with a chemical structure identical to that found in nature.

It is possible to identify a natural product compared to a nature-identical one through Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Australian Botanical Products conducts GC/MS trace analysis on every batch of essential oil. The ability to identify true natural oils is critical in meeting our customers' expectations.

The vast majority of essential oils produced worldwide are for the flavour, fragrance, and hygiene industry - an industry that does not need a botanically pure product but rather a consistent and reasonably-priced product.

It is possible to create natural products using natural isolates and essential oils. ABP are able to manufacture these upon request for anyone who has a use for this type of product. These oils are not suitable for aromatherapy or TGA applications but perfectly satisfactory for commercial and industrial applications such as perfumes, cosmetics and toiletries.

Nature-identical oil is often traded commercially. It is still 100% natural; that is, it does not contain any chemical constituents or synthetic fragrances.

Within every essential oil, there are naturally occurring constituents. For example, Rose Oil contains elements of a natural fraction called Citronellol. As Rose oil is very expensive, the price can be lowered by adding the cheaper fraction Citronellol (derived from Citronella), to the Rose essential oil.

Technically, the end product is still Rose Oil, but has been 'diluted' by the addition of a cheaper constituent. All components of the oil are still 100% natural, but are the end product is now considered to be of a commercial grade.

8. Does ABP do a range of Fragrance?

abp can offer a range of fragrances to suit many applications. Whether it's a match for an existing product or something new, modern or just different the combination of our in-house development team and manufacturing facilities can provide what you're looking for. Click here to read more.

Alternatively if your query is urgent you can contact us on T +61 (3) 9709 4800
9. What does "100% Pure and Natural" really mean?

These are aromatherapy-grade essential oils and are 100% pure and natural. The oil is sourced from one named botanical species, and only one geographical location or origin. The oil specifically comes only from the ‘named source’.

For example, Lavender Bulgarian comes from Lavandula angustifolia, sourced from Bulgaria.

There has been no tampering with these oils, and no artificial or natural components have been added. 100% pure and natural oils are genuine and true representatives of the plant from which they are derived.

10. What is a Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS)

A method that combines the features of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to simultaneously separate and identify different chemicals within an essential oil or fragrance