What Are Rare Botanicals, Extreme Extracts & Essential Oils?

Buying herbal supplements over the Internet can be overwhelming. This is especially true for websites advertising psychoactive and rare herbs. For the consumer, it can be difficult to distinguish between marketing hype and factual product information. Three confusing terms you may run into are "rare botanicals," "extreme extracts," and "essential oils."

Rare Botanicals

• "Rare botanical" is a marketing term used to sell herbal products, particularly psychoactive herbs. Herbs described as rare botanicals are generally slow-growing, native to difficult-to-reach parts of the world, or difficult to cultivate commercially. However, the use of this term is not precise and is used mostly to add mystique to the product. Many rare botanicals are plants used by indigenous cultures for their psychoactive effects; these ritual herbs are marketed over the Internet as recreational drugs. Some examples include amanita mushrooms, ayahuasca, and kratom.

Extreme Extracts

• Extracts are herbs soaked in a solvent, usually alcohol, to extract their active constituents. Extracts can also be powdered; this means the solvent is evaporated, leaving a gooey residue or powder. Extreme extract is a marketing term used to describe herbs put through the process of extraction a number of times. They are usually designated with a number and the letter X; for example, a 50X theoretically has been extracted, dissolved, and re-extracted 50 times. According to the website Erowid, this process eventually reaches a point where it is no longer effective. One herb commonly sold as an extreme extract is salvia divinorum, a legal psychoactive herb. Extreme extracts should be used with caution for several reasons. They are highly concentrated can be unpredictable. Commercial extracts may also contain acetone or other harmful solvents.

Essential Oils

• The term "essential oil" can be confusing because it is used in several ways. It is sometimes used by herbalists and retailers simply to refer to the volatile oils contained in plants. Essential oils give plants their taste, smell and chemical properties. More commonly, essential oil is used to describe a particular herbal preparation in which these oils are extracted from the plant into a highly-concentrated form. The extracts are made using steam, solvents or carbon dioxide. Essential oils are sold and used in very small quantities for a range of purposes including aromatherapy and homemade perfumes and cosmetics. Some common essential oils are peppermint, tea tree, lavender, rose and eucalyptus. Many essential oils are toxic; they should not be taken internally.

What To Buy?

• As a consumer, you should be cautious of websites with flashy graphics or language that seems calculated to add glamor to the product. Reputable herbal suppliers link their websites to factual information and do not attempt to sell their product based only on potency. Research the effects and possible drug interactions of any herbal product before you buy it over the Internet. This is particularly true for any herb that claims to have psychoactive properties, or that you intend to take internally. Just because an herb is legal does not mean it is safe.