Why Has Patchouli Essential Oil Become So Expensive?
If you have purchased genuine patchouli essential oil recently, you may have noticed something surprising: the price has increased dramatically.
We certainly noticed it too.
At Arcadia Natural, the cost of the patchouli essential oil we use has increased by approximately 150% compared with what we previously paid. That is a substantial increase for an ingredient that is used in several of our handcrafted products.
So, what is happening, and why has patchouli essential oil become so expensive?
Patchouli Essential Oil Is an Agricultural Product
Unlike synthetic fragrance ingredients that can be manufactured in a controlled industrial environment, genuine patchouli essential oil comes from a plant.
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is a tropical aromatic plant that is primarily cultivated for its leaves. The leaves are harvested and processed to extract the essential oil.
As with many agricultural products, the availability and cost of the raw material can be affected by growing conditions, droughts, harvests, supply, processing costs, transportation, and overall market demand.
This means the price of a genuine essential oil can change significantly over time.
Why Does the Price Matter So Much?
Essential oils are concentrated ingredients, so even relatively small amounts can have a noticeable impact on the cost of a finished product.
When the cost of an essential oil increases by 200%, that increase doesn't disappear simply because we make our products in small batches. It becomes part of the actual cost of producing the product.
At Arcadia Natural, we make our products in small batches and use carefully selected ingredients rather than trying to compete with mass-produced personal care products on price.
When the cost of an important ingredient changes significantly, we have to consider that increase when pricing our products.
Why Not Simply Use a Cheaper Patchouli Fragrance?
There is an important difference between patchouli essential oil and a fragrance designed to smell like patchouli.
A patchouli fragrance can be formulated to reproduce or approximate the characteristic aroma of patchouli. A genuine patchouli essential oil, however, is extracted from the patchouli plant and contains the naturally occurring aromatic compounds found in that plant's oil.
For products where we specifically choose genuine patchouli essential oil, replacing it with a less expensive alternative would change the ingredient and potentially change the character of the product.
We would rather be transparent about the cost of the ingredients we choose than quietly substitute something different.
Why We Continue to Use Patchouli Essential Oil
Patchouli has a distinctive, rich, earthy aroma that has made it a favorite in natural fragrance and personal care products for generations.
Its deep, warm character also works particularly well when combined with other essential oils and aromatic ingredients.
For us, using genuine essential oil is part of what makes a product what it is. When we choose patchouli essential oil for a formulation, we want our customers to receive the ingredient we selected, not simply an inexpensive substitute that happens to smell similar.
What Does This Mean for Arcadia Natural Products?
We will continue to monitor ingredient costs and make pricing decisions carefully.
We don't like raising prices, and we understand that customers notice when prices change. At the same time, using quality ingredients and continuing to make our products in small batches has real costs.
Rather than compromising the ingredients we use simply to keep a product at the same price, we believe it is better to be honest about significant changes in ingredient costs.
Our goal remains the same: to make handcrafted personal care products with carefully selected ingredients while being responsible about the cost of producing them.
A Note About Essential Oil Prices
Patchouli isn't necessarily the only essential oil whose price can change. Essential oils are agricultural products, and their costs can fluctuate depending on factors affecting crops, availability, processing, and supply.
That is one reason ingredient prices in handcrafted natural products can sometimes look very different from prices for mass-produced products made with synthetic fragrance ingredients.
When you purchase a product made with genuine essential oils, you are purchasing an ingredient that begins with a plant and depends on a real agricultural supply chain.
We Appreciate Your Support
We know that price increases are never welcome.
For a small business like Arcadia Natural, however, your support allows us to continue making products in small batches and using the ingredients we believe are right for our formulations.
We appreciate every customer who chooses handcrafted products and takes the time to understand what goes into making them.
And if you love patchouli, don't worry — we're still making it.
We'll continue to use genuine patchouli essential oil in the products where we have chosen it as an ingredient, even when the cost of that ingredient changes.
Thank you for supporting small-batch, handcrafted products and the people behind them.
