WHY I USE FRAGRANCE OILS INSTEAD OF ESSENTIAL OILS
IT’S SAFER TO USE FRAGRANCE OILS INSTEAD OF ESSENTIAL OILS WHEN ANOINTING CANDLES IN RITUAL WITCHCRAFT
Why I Use Fragrance Oils in My Ritual & Moon Oils
Look, I know what you're thinking.
"But aren't essential oils more 'natural' and therefore better for magick?"
Nope. Let me tell you why I choose high-quality fragrance oils for my moon oils, ritual oils, and Wheel of the Year blends instead of essential oils.
ESSENTIAL OILS AREN’T MEANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THESE OILS
Here's the thing that people don’t understand: essential oils are designed for aromatherapy. They're meant to be inhaled, not rubbed all over your skin or burned in candles.
When you're making ritual oils that you'll use to anoint candles, dress your body, or rub on spell components, you need something that's:
Skin safe at the concentrations you're using
Cost effective so you can actually use them regularly
Properly regulated with known safe usage rates
Safe to burn on candles
Essential oils check exactly none of these boxes for ritual work.
THE BURNING ISSUE NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT
Here's something that'll blow you off your broomstick: essential oils are NOT safe to burn.
I know, I know. Every witch on Instagram is showing you their essential oil-anointed candles. But here's the truth—when you burn essential oils with an open flame, they become toxic.
Essential oils are safe to inhale from a diffuser where they're dispersed in cool water vapor. But burning them with fire? That's a completely different chemical reaction. And it's dangerous.
Burning essential oils with flame breaks them down and creates toxic byproducts—totally different from the safe vapor you get from a diffuser.
There's only a tiny handful of essential oils that are considered safe for candle use, and almost all of them aren't safe to burn around pets.
So if you're anointing candles for ritual work—which let's be honest, most of us are—essential oils are a hard no.
Fragrance oils are designed for candle use. They're specifically formulated and tested to be safe when burned. They're made for this exact purpose.
THE SAFETY ISSUES
Want to know what's wild? There are no standardized safe usage rates for essential oils in cosmetic applications. None.
You know why? Because they're not intended for that use.
Fragrance oils, on the other hand, are regulated by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA).
Every single fragrance oil manufacturer is required to provide documentation about safe usage rates. That means I know exactly how much I can use in a body or ritual oil without causing skin irritation, sensitization, or worse.
I'm not about to create a Full Moon ritual oil that gives you a rash or releases toxic fumes when you burn it on a candle. That's bad magick and bad business.
COST
Essential oils are expensive. And for good reason—it takes upwards of 5,000 to 10,000 rose petals to make just one pound of rose essential oil!
If I used essential oils in all of my ritual blends, they'd cost so much that I couldn’t afford to make them, ket alone try and sell them.
High-quality, phthalate-free fragrance oils let me create potent, beautifully scented ritual oils that actually smell amazing and won't break yours or my bank account.
FRAGRANCE OILS SMELL BETTER ANYWAY!
I'm just gonna say it: most essential oils smell... medicinal. Or just plain weird. But that’s me.
Rose essential oil? Smells like my grandma. Lavender essential oil? It's fine, but it's one-note and boring. And don't even get me started on patchouli.
Fragrance oils are blended to smell incredible. They capture the essence of what you want your ritual to evoke. A Dark Moon oil should smell mysterious and deep. A Beltane oil should smell like fresh flowers and green growth. A Samhain oil should smell like autumn leaves and woodsmoke.
You can't get that complexity and depth from essential oils alone without spending hundreds of dollars per batch.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MAGICK?
Here's where I know some of you are going to push back. "Don't essential oils have more magickal properties because they're from plants?"
Listen. You can make anything magickal. The magick is in you. The magick is in your intention, your willpower, and the ritual act itself.
Guess what? Not only do I charge my oils and water with the moon phases, I charge my fragrance oils. I charge my herbs. I charge just about every damn thing I own with magick! And you can too.
The oil is a tool. A beautiful, aromatic tool that helps you focus your intentions and create the right atmosphere for your work. Whether that scent comes from essential oils or high-quality fragrance oils doesn't matter to the spell or the oil. Especially once you’ve powered it up with some serious moon magick.
What matters is:
Does it smell right for the working?
Is it safe for how you're using it?
Is it safe to burn if you're anointing candles?
Does it help you get into the right headspace?
If the answer is yes, then it's doing its job.
I STLL USE ESSENTIAL OILS
Don't get me wrong—I'm not anti-essential oil. I use them all the time in my diffuser. I do create my What the Smudge! room sprays with essential oils. (Cause you don’t burn those…)
But I use them for their intended purpose: aromatherapy through inhalation.
For ritual oils that get applied to skin, burned on candles, or used in spellwork, I'm going with fragrance oils every single time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I use fragrance oils in my moon, ritual, and wheel of the year oils because:
They're safer with documented usage rates
They're safe to burn on candles unlike essential oils
They're more affordable and accessible
They smell phenomenal
They let me create complex, evocative scents
They're made for the exact purpose I'm using them for
Your ritual oils should enhance your practice, not drain your wallet, irritate your skin, or release toxic fumes into your sacred space. And honestly? They should smell so good that you want to use them.
Find Your Magick
~Rachael
The information provided is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment. Always consult your doctor or physician before taking any herbs or supplements. Herbs may have side effects, cause individual sensitivities or allergies, or interact with medications, and it is important to discuss these risks with your healthcare provider. Exercise caution if you are pregnant or nursing before taking any herbs or supplements.
This website and information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Occult properties of herbs are provided for historical interest only. All magick and magickal items, recipes, and formulations are intended for curio only. No magickal effects are guaranteed.
