Mountain Rose Herbs Essential Oils Review
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If Mountain Rose Herbs (MRH) is known for one thing, it is their commitment to organic, sustainable business practices. They carry certified organic products, use sustainable packaging, purchase from fair-trade suppliers, and take part in watershed conservation. On paper, that’s all pretty appealing! But not everyone finds these kinds of labels convincing. Over time, we’ve learned that some labels are often more about marketing than they are about business practices. You can find food on the shelves labelled as organic but was raised with pesticides. You can purchase coffee that’s labelled fair trade, but was grown in deplorable working conditions for unlivable wages. Even with essential oils, you’ll find “therapeutic grade” products claiming to be better than the competition, when in reality the label is virtually meaningless.
Labels and certifications give a product a sense of legitimacy. As consumers, we have to ask ourselves “what does this mean? Is this actually better?” This is a question we strive to answer for every brand featured in our guide to the best essential oil manufacturers (which you can read here). With Mountain Rose Herbs, we're going to take a deep dive to find out if they're up to snuff.
MRH has one thing going for them: their size. The reality is that it is very difficult for large companies to adhere to truly ethical, sustainable, organic practices and still make a profit. With all this distrust around large corporations, consumers increasingly value transparency in a company. So with all the hype around MRH and their seemingly endless list of positive business practices and ideals, are these genuine claims or just a corporate loophole? Are their oils as good as they say? We decided to find out for ourselves. Please continue to read further into the article for a deep-dive into our Mountain Rose Herbs review.
Our Favourite Essential Oils from Mountain Rose Herbs
For many people, it's difficult to know which essential oils are best. This is why we have chosen to compile a list of our favourites from MRH to help you understand what we think the best essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs are.
1. Rosemary Essential Oil
Mountain Rose Herbs produces many oils that we find much better quality, more potent, more pleasant than their competitors. The one that seems so stand out for us though, is their Rosemary Oil. It's one of the strongest, most potent rosemary oils we've come across, which is great for diffusing and blending since a little goes a long way. They use steam distillation to extract the oil from the tops of the flower to get the most premium product possible. We often blend it with cedarwood, pine, and tea tree for a nice earthy, foresty aroma. Rosemary oil can help aid respiratory problems due to its antibacterial properties. If you are having issues with a sore throat, throat congestion, allergies, or even cold and flu symptoms, rosemary oil may be helpful for you.
2. Tea Tree Oil, 1/2 oz
Speaking of Tea Tree oil, this is another oil from Mountain Rose we swear by and takes second place for our favourite oil by MRH. This oil is produced by steam distillation, harvested directly from the leaves of the melaleuca tree Mountain Rose sources from Kenya. Tea Tree has a reputation for being extremely therapeutic, great for skin, anti-ageing, and anti-fungal. Tea Tree, like rosemary, has antibacterial properties therefore making it a great oil to use in small amounts to spot-treat acne breakouts. The bright, camphorous aroma is spicy and warm and while it's great in small amounts in blends, we often use it on its own too.
3. Lavender
As you read on in this article, you'll learn that Mountain Rose produces USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Fair Trade products, and with all these certifications comes an extremely high-quality oil. That's why their Lavender oil is our go-to choice. The oil is processed via steam distillation from the flowering tops. Lavender is known for its relaxing and calming properties. The evening is the perfect time to drop Lavender into your diffuser as you begin to wind down for bed. The aroma is warm, floral, sweet and herbaceous, and much more potent than other brands. This is another oil we often just use on its own, though it lends itself nicely to blends too.
Purity
There are numerous factors that contribute to the purity of an essential oil, including the botanicals used and the extraction methods employed. Generally speaking, high quality, organic botanicals combined with the correct extraction methods will produce a pure oil. Solvents and additives can be used to extract a greater quantity of oil from the plant, but this tends to leave impurities in the oil. Depending on the type of oil you buy, it’s not always possible to get a 100% pure version. Additionally, some oils are downright expensive to produce at a high level of purity, so you’ll often see them diluted with carrier oils or blended with less expensive ingredients. Fortunately, we found that the vast majority of MRH’s oils are the highest possible purity. All products are clearly labelled so you know exactly what you’re getting. In fact, they boast one of the largest inventories of 100% pure aromatic distillates. It is extremely important when buying essential oils to know how pure they are. If you take anything from this review, the purity of MRH oils should be highly noted.
Extraction Methods
Mountain Rose Herbs (MRH) is committed to high-quality extraction methods, which directly impacts the quality of their essential oils. Generally speaking, steam distilled and cold-pressed oils are the purest and aromatic. Not only does MRH primarily use these methods for almost all of their oils, but they also clearly indicate the extraction method of every single oil on their website. MRH has, by a large margin, become one of the most informationally translucent websites we’ve seen, which is great as a consumer. You can click on any essential oil and see everything from its extraction method to the part of the botanical used to obtain the oils.
The problems with steam distillation and cold press as extraction methods are that they can be impractical for certain products, such as jasmine, rose and vanilla. Certain plants are too fragile to withstand other extraction methods. Or, the plant is rare and therefore expensive and wasteful to produce essential oils with steam distillation or cold press. In these cases, solvent extraction is typically used. Solvents, in general, can be regarded as an inferior method. But this isn’t the case with every oil, and while MRH does practice solvent extraction on some of their oils each is labelled clearly as such so that the customer is aware of which extraction method was used.
How extracts are made at Mountain Rose Herbs.
Labelling
If you visit their website, it’s no surprise that MRH scores an A+ on their labelling. This is a company that clearly values transparency, and they fit a lot of useful information onto their labels, including your general warnings and ingredients. But we have to give an extra thumbs up to their website, which is a wealth of knowledge for any information you might be seeking. They even provide useful tips on how to label your own products, demonstrating a clear value on details such as alcohol percentage, ratios, and the plant parts used. This kind of information is important to conscious consumers who want to know exactly what they’re getting. It is especially important if you are buying essential oils for topical use or if you plan on making your own blends. MRH even provides information on which oils blend well together.
Testing/Quality Assurance
The testing done at MRH is extensive, to say the least. They were one of the first herbal product companies to have full microbial and analytical labs on-site, which they themselves run. In the labs, they identify and analyze their botanicals for contaminants, and rejected those that don’t meet specifications. This is key when working with organic, natural products. There will always be some variances between samples of botanicals, and it can be really challenging to produce a final product with a high level of consistency. Fortunately, Mountain Rose Herbs has the lab equipment that enables them to do so.
It is clear in the organization of their website that MRH prioritizes transparency and quality. They ensure that the exact species of each herb and spice is confirmed, using methods such as High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and good old fashioned visual/smell tests. They also measure moisture count to make sure the botanicals are not prone to bacterial/fungal outbreaks. They also do macroscopic testing for extraneous material, which can affect the purity of an extract.
MRH also test all their materials for pesticides, herbicides, sulfites, and heavy metals to ensure their oils are uncontaminated and safe. They also test their purchased material for sulfites - a common contaminant used by unscrupulous suppliers. Their quality assurance program is one of the most in-depth we’ve seen, and you can learn about it on their website if you want to know more.
Grading & Certifications
MRH clearly prides themselves on the quality of their products, which is reflected in their long list of certifications. Beyond the extensive testing and quality control done on-site, MRH also has a truly extensive lists of third party certifications. Their mantra, “people before planet,” is clearly reflected in their efforts as a company, and extends to each and every one of their products. What really stands out about MRH is their commitment to ethical, sustainable, green business practices. If these things are a priority of yours, you’ll be hard pressed to find a company more decorated with credentials and programs than MRH. Below is a list of only a handful of admirable certifications obtained by MRH.
UTCO and USDA Organic Program
MRH has one of the largest collections of certified organic essential oils on the market. If you browse their website’s essential oil collection, you can easily see for yourself what we mean. They use organically sourced materials from trusted sources and maintain their certifications through vigorous and persistent in-house practices. There are a lot of organic certifications out there, some with a higher standard than others -- but USDA is the one you can trust.
Non-GMO Project Verified
GMO's or Genetically Modified Organisms occur when the natural biology or chemistry of a plant, animal, or microorganism has been modified in a laboratory. The Non-GMO Projects works to increase the number of companies committed to limiting the use of GMO products sold to consumers. This means that MRH’s sources are entirely vegan and GMO-free, making them all the more appealing to the conscious consumer.
Zero-Waste Certified
Waste has become an extremely important issue globally. Many families, individuals, and small businesses are striving to minimize their household waste. People are doing this in many ways, but mostly recycling and upcycling clothing or reusables, and grocery shopping with canvas bags. MRH became the first Zero-Waste Certified business in Oregon in 2016. This is incredibly impressive as this isn’t just a certification that gets handed out to anybody. Mountain Rose Herbs has clearly put a lot of effort into developing a manufacturing process that didn’t harm the environment, and this certification backs up their claims. This is a huge accomplishment for MRH, think about how difficult it is to live your own life waste-free, and then think about how difficult it would be for a whole company to do so? Overall, we are impressed with this aspect of the business.
Fair for Life
With the popular “fair trade” label coming under fire, Fair For Life was developed to help companies look at the bigger picture. Like fair trade, this certification means that Mountain Rose Herbs is paying more for their botanicals in order to support economically sustainable farming. However, it goes well beyond just money. Fair For Life does extensive checks on ethics such as working conditions, social benefits, and company transparency. So if you value ethical practices top-to-bottom in a company, MRH sets a high bar.
Variety
Mountain Rose Herbs offers an impressive variety of essential oils and other essential oil-based products. These include singles, blends, organics, roll-ons, a full lineup of body/skin/hair care and aromatherapy diffusers. They also provide one of the largest selections of aromas, with hundreds of different scents to choose from. So whether you like to stick to more common oils and make your own blends, or if you’re looking for more exotic and rare aromas, there’s a very good chance they will carry it. MRH also has great kits at competitive prices. Their popular starter kit is perfect for first-timers, and it includes some of their most popular blends which are peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender. When going onto the website and checking out the shop, it is prevalent that the variety of products they carry is vast. The store is broken down into categories for what exactly you are looking for, which makes it easy to navigate the variety of products they carry.
Cost
With their extensive selection, the cost of MRH essential oils varies quite a bit. This is generally true of most companies that sell essential oils. Factors such as rarity, purity, and whether or not a product is organic can all affect the price. Since the majority of MRH’s oils are certified organic, you are going to pay a bit more than you would for non-organic oils. That being said, their prices are actually quite competitive compared to other organic oils on the market. They also offer essential oil kits at great prices for what you get. The essential oil kits give you a bundle of eight different oils, and you can save a few bucks than if you were to purchase eight individual oils. What we really love about MRH is that despite their extensive quality control and certifications, they are still able to provide competitive and totally affordable prices on their awesome oils. It’s not cheap to run a business the way that they do, but it really demonstrates their genuine commitment to “people and planet before profits!”
Value
If you aren’t overly concerned with the kind of planet-friendly, organic products they strive for, you might find MRH a tad expensive. But if you genuinely care about supporting an ethically, environmentally, and naturally sustainable company, Mountain Rose Herbs will be a great option for you. Companies who take the time to make sure their business is ethically run and sustainable, often have to invest more money into ensuring their production and products are not cutting any corners. As a consumer, this has to be taken into consideration. If it is more expensive for a company to produce products sustainably, then the production price will increase the retail price.
Larger companies generally aren’t held to the same standard as MRH in regards to purity, sustainability, and quality, but smaller companies often don’t have the vast selection that MRH does. Overall, with MRH you get the best of both worlds. A lot of companies with high-level quality are able to do so only in small batches, but MRH has managed to achieve all of this and apply it to a huge supply of essential oils.
Commonly Asked Questions
You can’t learn everything about a product form the label. Here are some common questions we get asked about different essential oils brands, and the answers as they apply to this one:
What is an Absolute?
An absolute is an oil that has been extracted through the use of a solvent. This method is typically used for rare or delicate botanicals that can’t be extracted with steam or press methods, or if such methods would be too costly. They are known for being less pure and less aromatic than essential oils.
Does it make a difference what part of the botanical was used to obtain the oil?
The part of a botanical from which oil is extracted can have a significant impact on the resulting oil. It can affect everything from the constituents, the aroma, and the therapeutic effects of the essential oil. For example, oils can be extracted from roots, petals, rinds, and even seeds. It largely depends where the particular botanical stores its essential oils. In some cases, a plant may not produce enough oil to justify extracting it for commercial use. In other cases, the oils extracted from a certain part of the plant could bare no therapeutic benefit or even be toxic. Some botanicals, such as cinnamon, can yield essential oils from multiple parts (in cinnamon’s case, both the tree bark and tree leaves).
How is the customer service?
From our research, consumers have said that the customer service from the website is fantastic. Several reviews have mentioned that the service is quick, helpful, and efficient through email address correspondence. For the customers who have had to get help from the service team at MRH, they have been impressed with how the team addressed their concerns and helped them when needed. On the website, it is easy to find how to contact the service team. They provide their email address, phone number, and a 'live chat' option for timely questions.
Feel free to check out more customer reviews here
Mountain Rose Herbs Final Review
One thing that really stands out about Mountain Rose Herbs (MRH) is its transparency as a company. There is tons of information on each and every one of their products, from sourcing to extraction methods to use. Not only is this a refreshing break from many common business practices that prioritize profits, but it is also a reflection of the forward-thinking philosophy held by MRH. This is a company that truly cares about ethical, sustainable business practices and doesn’t appear to cut corners in order to achieve that. Not to mention their products are top quality in both purity and aroma. Finally, MRH offers one of the widest selections of organic essential oils available. Options always seem to be more limited when you prefer organic, but not with MRH. Overall, we are happy to recommend a positive Mountain Rose Herbs review for you all and hope that you found this review helpful when considering what company to purchase your best essentials oils from.
More of the Best Essential Oils Companies
Mountain Rose Herbs is one of our favourite brands to get our oils from for two main reasons: the superior quality of their products, and their impressive commitment to sustainable, organic, fair trade business practices. But, there are some other great companies out there with comparable quality to check out as well. If you're thinking you want to shop around some more, have a read of our article ranking the most trusted essential oil companies by clicking here.