Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I like these little box sets. I think they are great for some one just getting starting with using essential oils or some one who just likes to stock up. Like me. Some of these you may be familiar with, some you may not but will learn to enjoy. I won't go into what each oil is good for because Radha Beauty includes a nice little sheet with lots of information on each. What I do want to talk about is the quality of each. The only true way of testing an essential oil is in a lab. But there are some things you can do at home to get an idea of the quality. Since these tests aren't fool proof or 100% accurate, I always take the results with a grain of salt. The first thing I always do is the “paper test.” If you're not familiar with the paper test; you want to put a drop of the essential oil on a white index card. It's said “pure, undiluted, therapeutic” essential oils will completely evaporate over night, leaving no oil ring behind. But again, there are exceptions. Since the paper test only tells part of the story, you want to check some other things as well. For example, if you put a drop of the essential oil between your fingers, it shouldn't “feel” greasy. It should feel the opposite of what a carrier oil, like Jojoba oil for example, feels like. You also want to get familiar with the smell. A good essential oil shouldn't smell “rancid” or have a strong smell of alcohol. Keep in mind though, everyone has a different interpretation of what smells good and what doesn't. Just because you don't like a smell doesn't mean the product is bad. When smelling essential oils you shouldn't be overwhelmed and it shouldn't make you feel sick or fell like you are getting a headache. * Peppermint – As you can see from the picture, this passed the paper test without any problems. It also passed the feel test for me. And the smell test passed too. It had the signature minty and camphor smell you'd expect from peppermint. I'm confident this is a good quality Peppermint essential oil. * Lemongrass – For the most part, it did pass the paper test. There is a faint circle left behind if you look closely. But like I mentioned, the paper test doesnt work for all essential oils. If there is a color associated with the essential oil, it will leave that residue. For example; lemongrass has an amber tone. Lemongrass can also take longer to evaporate because it contains high levels of esters and aldehydes. This bottle passed both the feel and smell test for me. It has a nice sweet lemon smell. It reminds me of the lemon candies they used to make. It's more sweet than sour. * Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus clearly passed the paper test without issue. It had no problem when it came to the feel and smell test either. It has it's signature very strong camphor aroma. * Lavender – One of the most commonly used essential oils. It passed all tests for me. I love lavender. It has the calming scent and if you inhale deeply you can almost smell a hint of lemon. * Tea Tree – Passed all test. Tea Tree can take some getting used to. It has a strong smell at first. Some describe it as medicinal. It can also have a piney cool smell. * Orange – If you look closely you'll see a faint residue left behind. This is normal for a citrus oil. They tend to fail the paper test because of the way they are extracted. Feel and smell test passed easily. The orange has a sweet citrus-y smell with a splash of tang. So overall this starter kit contains good quality oils. Perfect for a beginner and great to have on hand for anyone looking to reap the benefits of essential oils. I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Always be cautious of “free or deeply discounted” product reviews, but DON'T discount every reviewer. Click on the reviewer's name and check their other reviews. Honest reviewers won't give every product a 5 star review and will typically write more than a few sentences.