Why Are Unique Essential Oils Cost Differently?

You have most likely had this experience when you were shopping for essential oils online or at the store and saw this:
'Why is this one ₹250 and that one ₹2,500? They look the same!'

It is almost like being in a grocery aisle, looking at two bottles of water, both clear, both packed in beautiful packages, both supposed to serve the same purpose but costing as differently as miles. However, unlike water, there are stories about essential oils. And those tales make the cost a lot more than a good many folks are aware of.Knowing why prices are different not only makes you choose what to buy better, but also to realize how much effort every oil makes before getting into your hands. This also helps you understand essential oil quality and price, factors that affect essential oil prices, and why unique essential oils cost more.

Let's break it down.

Some Plants are Difficult to Grow

Plants do not grow equally readily. Others need a certain climate, certain soils or restricted geography.Examples include a plant that only grows in high altitude areas, which will have a small growing zone compared to one that grows in the backyards of people across the world.

When it is more difficult to grow:

• It needs more care.

• It needs more time.

• It needs more land.

• It is, at times, too weather-dependent.

And anything that is not easily scalable is typically more expensive. This is one of the core factors that affect essential oil prices.

The Quantity of Vegetative Matter Required is Wildly Different

This is among the largest causes of price variations.Some plants do not resist being them. It does not take a lot to get a bottle of oil. But others? It may require them to have a few kilos of vegetation to get a small portion.When the quantity of raw material required by a company is huge, the price automatically goes up. It is as though it is turning oranges into juice and raspberries into juice. The one fills readily the glass, the other the bucket.This also explains why essential oils are expensive.

Some Plants Require a Long Time to Harvest

Some plants mature fast and can be harvested several times in a year. Others cannot be harvested even once within a span of years.

Longer growth cycles mean:

• More waiting

• More resources

• More land occupancy

• Increased risks (such as bad weather over multiple seasons or pests)

All these affect the end price and influence essential oil quality and price.

The Location of the Grown Plant Counts

Location plays a major role.When the plant is located in a geographic area that is distant to processing plants, then the cost of transport is high. In case it is planted in a place where the weather is difficult to predict, the harvests might not be regular.

There are plants that are grown in small communities or in remote areas. In such cases:

• The cost of transporting the raw material is high.

• Competent employees can be scarce.

• Oil wells are not always located close to mining plants.

This will naturally have an effect on pricing and helps explain why unique essential oils cost more.

The Extraction Methods Vary the Cost

Extraction is not equally expensive. Some methods require:

• Long hours

• Specialized equipment

• Highly trained workers

• Careful handling

An easy extraction will be cheaper. An intricate extraction, particularly one that has to be very sensitive in its approach to sensitive portions of plants, will be more expensive.There are those plants that are two and multi-step processes. Some require very specific temperatures. Others are only able to be distilled in small batches.Any additional step adds to the overall price and contributes to therapeutic-grade essential oils cost.

Seasonal Availability is Important

Others are seasonal, and they can be harvested not all year long.

This means:

• They have a predetermined period which they have to be collected.

• Prices vary according to availability.

• The supply can be affected all year round by any weather-related problem.

The short harvest seasons normally would result in increased prices and affect essential oil quality and price.

Each Plant Has Different Labour Requirements

Machines are not able to harvest all the plants. Others need to be picked manually to retain the quality of the extracted oil. Hand-harvesting is tedious and needs qualified individuals. This adds labour costs, which is transferred to the end price.Certain plants like Lavender oil , Tea tree oil , Lemongrass . are in steep locations to which machines cannot access. Others should be handled by care, lest the useful parts of the plants are destroyed.All of this adds to costs and helps explain why essential oils are expensive.

Storage and Handling Will Have an Influence on the Pricing

Certain essential oils are delicate. They need:

• Special storage containers

• Controlled temperatures

• Great care during transport

There are others that are more durable and can be stored in large quantities like coconut, castor, lavender.When an oil needs special attention at each stage, the price of such oil will be greater, as the cost of storage, delivery, and packing increases.This also lowers the chances of essential oil adulteration, which is a concern for many consumers.

Demand and Supply Dynamics

In other instances, the price variation is only due to the demand in the market. When there are large numbers of individuals in demand of a certain oil, demand will increase.In case of low supply due to weather, supply capping by agriculture or lengthy harvesting, prices are high. Even costs can be affected by the economic conditions in the expanding areas.High demand also influences what many consider the best essential oil or top essential oil, as availability shifts.

There is a Limited Production of Rare Oils Around the Globe

The oils of some of these plants are deemed to be rare like frankincense, pine needle and more since the plants can only be found in specific regions across the globe or in very little supply.

These oils may require:

• Exemption of harvest

• Limited cultivation zones

• Extremely regulated environments

The rarer the plant, of course, the more the oil is, although the extracting process may be a trifle. This explains why unique essential oils cost more and why some organic essential oils cost significantly more.

There is an Additional Layer of Transport and Logistics

The transportation of plant material in the fields to the distillation units or the distillation facilities to other parts of the world entails a series of actions.

Expenses may rise due to:

• Fuel prices

• Distance

• Customs processes

• Shipping conditions

• Packaging requirements

Some oils pass through various countries before they land at the shelf. Every step is a contribution to the overall expense and shapes essential oil quality and price.

Each Oil Has Its Own Journey

The biggest takeaway is this: There is no story that is similar to every essential oil.Behind an innocent-looking bottle, there is a growing, harvesting, transportation, and processing that took months (or even years).Rather than considering essential oils as commodities that are sold at a certain price, it is better to consider each one as a unique crop, one that has its problems, geography, and hard work.

Understanding the Value Behind Each Bottle

The next time you see two essential oils priced differently, know that you’re not just paying for the bottle - you’re paying for the journey it took to get there.

Every oil has its own cost structure shaped by:

• Plant availability

• Growth conditions

• Harvesting effort

• Extraction method

• Supply and demand

This doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It simply means they came from different worlds, and the pricing reflects that difference.At SVA Organics, this diversity is celebrated through a wide collection of essential and carrier oils sourced from various regions. Each oil in the collection comes with its own background, its own characteristics, and its own story from plant to bottle. Exploring these oils is a great way to understand the incredible variety nature offers and the thoughtful work that goes into bringing them to people worldwide, including those exploring why essential oils are expensive or what makes a top essential oil.