Fragrance Oils vs. Essential Oils: What's the Difference in Skincare?

If you’ve ever stood in front of a soap display and wondered, “Wait…what’s the difference between fragrance oils and essential oils?” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions we get at Oloo Farms - and for good reason. Both smell amazing, but they’re not the same thing.

Let’s break it down.

What Are Essential Oils?

• Nature in a bottle. Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts - lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint - that come directly from flowers, leaves, or bark.

• Why people love them: They’re natural, often come with therapeutic benefits (lavender for calm, peppermint for clarity, etc.), and smell fresh and pure.

• Things to note: They can be pricey (rose essential oil can cost more than gold per ounce!) and some are potent, so they need proper blending for safe use.

What Are Fragrance Oils?

• Crafted scents. Fragrance oils are lab-created blends that replicate natural scents or make new ones altogether (like “ocean breeze” or “pumpkin spice latte”).

• Why people love them: They’re affordable, consistent, and open up a world of creative scents that nature doesn’t provide. (Looking at you, raspberry lemonade soap.)

• Things to note: They don’t offer aromatherapy benefits, but they smell amazing and last longer in products.

Which One Is Better?

Trick question! It depends on what you’re looking for:

• Want natural + possible aromatherapy benefits? → Go essential oil.

• Want unique scents + more variety? → Go fragrance oil.

How Oloo Farms Uses Both 🌿

We love essential oils for their calming, refreshing, and skin-friendly qualities. You’ll find them in products like our Lavender Body Butter and Citrus Grove Bath Salt.

But sometimes, we go for fragrance oils to bring you fun, long-lasting scents you can’t get from plants alone - like our Rainbow Bath Bomb or tropical-inspired soaps.

The bottom line? Both have a place in skincare. It’s about balance, variety, and - let’s be honest - whatever makes your bath smell incredible.

Browse our soaps, bath bombs, and body care to see how we use essential oils and fragrance oils to give you the best of both worlds.