Yes, we are proud to offer the highest quality essential oils available. We really cannot overstate our love for purity and quality.

At APTIVA, our oils and salts are rigorously tested and meet the highest standards possible. Our trusted suppliers strictly follow all EU (European), USDA (USA) food/product safety guidelines from their respective countries.

All of our oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade. No pesticides, synthetic chemicals, herbicides, GMOs or harmful chemicals are ever used during any stage of the growing or distillation process.

As part of our promise, we never add any bases, carriers or additives to our essential oils. 

We only import from suppliers that perform the GC/MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) tests on each of our essential oils. These reports give us the breakdown of the naturally occurring components found in any given oil, ensuring it is of the highest quality before supplying to our customers.

Most essential oils do not need to be redistilled. The only time this happens is if you are trying to remove some of the minor constituents found in the essential oil. Most often this is done for the food flavoring industry. This is also done for toxic substances such as hydrocyanic acid (cyanide) in bitter almond oil. Because cyanide is so toxic, this oil is legally required to be redistilled. In these cases, the plant would be distilled and then the essential oil would be fractionally distilled, or redistilled, to remove these minor constituents. The only oil that we carry that has been fractionally distilled is our Bergamot. Bergamot is a highly phototoxic essential oil. Plant Therapy’s Bergamot is known as bergapten free. This means that the chemical constituent that makes Bergamot so phototoxic, bergapten, has been removed from our Bergamot making it safe to use in the sun.

Most of APTIVA’s essential oils are extracted using steam distillation. Our citrus oils are extracted using cold pressed extraction. We also carry a few CO2 extracted oils and also a few solvent extracted absolutes. Here is some more information about the different methods of extraction.

Steam Distillation: The most common process of extracting an essential oil is by distillation, a process that isolates the aromatic, volatile element of the plant with steam.

Hydro-Distillation: Hydro-distillation is very similar to steam-distillation with one major difference. With traditional steam-distillation, steam passes through the plant material, carrying the essential oils in the vapor to be separated later. During hydro-distillation, the plant material is placed directly in the water that is then heated to boiling. The essential oils are carried through the vapor, condensed, and decanted to separate the essential oils from the water.

Cold Pressed: Expression, or cold pressing, is used primarily for citrus fruits like orange and lemon, where the essential oil is obtained in tiny pockets in the peel or rind. Oils extracted by cold pressing are the most volatile of essential oils and can evaporate quickly when exposed to air.

CO2 Extraction: The CO2 extraction method yields a greater number of aromatic compounds than any other distillation process, making this extraction method one of our personal favorites! In certain conditions at a low temperature Carbon Dioxide or CO2 can be pressurized to become a liquid. This liquid then acts as a solvent and is used to extract the oil from plants. After extraction is completed, the extraction vessel is brought back to normal temperature and the CO2 rapidly converts to gas, leaving behind a high quality oil that is free of solvents.

Solvent Extraction (only used for absolutes): Flowers too delicate to be processed with heat are soaked in a solvent, usually hexane that extracts the volatile elements. The solvent is then evaporated leaving only the most fragrant constituents behind. This process produces what is called an "absolute". Here is a more in depth step by step process: 1) Plant material is macerated in a solvent. Usually hexane. 2) After several days the solvent is removed, leaving the viscous, fragrant concrete. 3) The concrete is dissolved with high proof alcohol. 4) The mixture is chilled, and separates into plant waxes and fragrant tincture. 5) The fragrant tincture is vacuum distilled to evaporate off the alcohol, leaving an absolute. All absolutes are extracted using solvent extraction.

We do not recommend the general internal use of essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated and have the capacity to cause serious damage if used internally without the necessary expertise required in administering them. We do have customers who choose to use our oils internally. However, we recommend it only be done with great respect for the power of essential oils, under the direction of someone who is qualified in the internal use of essential oils and someone who truly understands the chemical makeup of each individual oil, and NOT on a daily basis.

GC/MS stands for Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry. In simple terms, a GC/MS separates an essential oil into individual components. The oil is vaporized upon entry into the device, and the oil passes through a column assisted by a carrier gas (usually helium or hydrogen). The column itself sits within an oven; here change in heat over time is managed. Different chemical compounds react at different speeds within the column, and this information is captured on the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry.

At APTIVA, we often get asked if we are a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company. MLM businesses occupy many of industries from cookware, makeup and jewelry to nutritional supplements and essential oils. From the beginning, we have chosen to sell directly to customers through online sales and avoid the MLM structure.
In fact, the reasons our prices are so affordable is due in large part because we are not an MLM company. And although we are proud of our solid relationships with other essential oil companies, we prefer to cut out the middleman. We hope to develop strong connections with each and every one of our customers by communicating and selling directly. From our garden to yours, we thank you for helping us remain transparent and giving us even more reasons to love essential oils.

At APTIVA, we value honesty and transparency. Some companies use the term “Certified Pure therapeutic grade” to make consumers think they are getting a superior product when in fact they are getting the same thing (and often paying more). 

Because some plants are native only to specific countries, certain oils can only be sourced and purchased from one place. This means that every reputable company selling that particular essential oil botanical is purchasing it from the same country and is undergoing the same testing. 

The huge price difference is where it really gets enlightening. Each company selling therapeutic grade essential oil is generally purchasing it from the same country. Based on their company’s overhead and profit margin, they then determine a price point. Most MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) have huge margins and overhead costs. They inflate prices high enough to make sure they can afford their office buildings, take top dealers on cruises or vacations and offer lavish prizes to top sellers. 

When purchasing a bottle of essential oil from APTIVA, you are paying for the oil and a very modest profit. We are a direct company, selling entirely online and consign at offline shops that are also devoted to bringing quality at affordable prices to consumers.

In other words, we have zero middle men. We only sell directly to the consumer and have chosen to not sell on a wholesale level. This makes it so we can pass on the savings directly to our customers. Our desire is to offer oils of the highest quality that are available and affordable for everyone.

There are many reasons why some essential oils are not recommended to be used on or around children. Some of these reasons are toxicity concerns, adverse skin reactions and breathing problems. Children are more at risk because they are smaller and therefore more susceptible to toxic substances, their metabolism is less effective than an adults, their skin is thinner and not as mature as an adults, and they are more susceptible to respiratory issues.

Certain essentials oils are considered too powerful for use during pregnancy as they may stimulate the production of certain hormones and can encourage bleeding. Please consult your physician before using essential oils while pregnant.

Short answer, yes. Essential oils are volatile meaning that they evaporate very quickly. When you dilute essential oils, the evaporation process is much slower because they are diluted in non-volatile substances. The carrier oil then carries the essential oil into the skin which means that you can use less essential oil. Additionally, the therapeutic benefits of a carrier oil often increases the therapeutic benefits of the essential oil!

In general, our packaging with state a manufacturer to expiration of 3 years and encourage to use within 1 year after opening the bottle - as inline with HKSAR Gov't regulations for consumer products.

However, many essential oils do not have expiration dates. Essential oils like Patchouli and Sandalwood actually get better with age.  However, there are always exceptions to every rule. For example, cold-pressed citrus oils such as Grapefruit, Sweet Orange, Lemon and some pine oils have a much shorter shelf life and generally run their course in about 6 months to one year.

We encourage our customers to store essential oils in consistent temperatures of under 25°C with little light to ensure the longest life possible.

At this time we do not offer samples. We offer a 100% customers satisfaction along with free shipping and free return shipping. With our great prices, we recommend that you try out some of our oils that you are interested in trying. We are sure you will be satisfied with the quality of our essential oils.

Our TOP 15 Experiential Set is a great way for you to try our oils.

Only use APTIVA's 100% pure essential oils and synergy blends. Synthetic or carrier oils may clog the diffuser.

Some single oils, like Rose and Vetiver, have thicker consistencies and may clog the diffuser causing it to malfunction. For thicker oils, use sparingly or select a thinner oil or blend.

At APTIVA, we love giving deals. Our hearts flutter at the sight of discounted prices and that’s why we deliver the lowest prices possible, every day. We don’t want our loyal customers to be subjected to gimmicks or tricks so we consistently offer low rates by cutting out the middleman. We want your experience with APTIVA to be delightful and consistent.

We try to offer 1-2 sales throughout the year. For those looking to stock up on essential oil favorites, we offer free shipping on all orders $350 and above within HKSAR.

To keep up to date as to when these sales are happening, please like us on Facebook and Instagram or sign up for our monthly newsletter.