Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So...I just felt I had to defend this product from what is more likely to be misunderstanding on the part of the consumer than a shortcoming of the company (Now Foods, not Amazon). Look, I'm no world renowned lavender breeder, but I know there are MANY types of lavender. They do not all smell the same. Likewise, for example, German and Roman chamomile smell 'similar' but not alike. You will see plenty of folks crabbing about they got 'fake' or low quality chamomile because they got a bottle of German and all they ever smelled before was Roman. So some of the bad reviews, I believe, from self titled rabid lavender fans, are due to this. 'I know lavender; we had a lavender bush growing up, and this isn't it'...well, that just means you had lavender breed X and this apparently isn't that. Always check that your oil brand lists the scientific name, the actual species/breed, not just ‘lavender’, ‘chamomile’ etc. You’ll notice differences in scent, and better literature will specify the species when it makes a difference (and for some purposes it DOES make a difference which ‘geranium’ or whatnot is used). Lavender will also smell different depending on whether just blooms are used, or leaves, or stems, and in what ratio. That is not a flaw either. Some people prefer a 'bloomier' oil, some people desire a little more herbal stringency and want some stems/leaves. It's not right or wrong, any more than telling someone who likes a lot of tannins in a wine they are wrong and you should only like a little. I would say in my experience this particular brand tends to mix stems/leaves with blooms though not to a slap-you-in-the-face degree. And Companies also have to change their blends sometimes for one reason or another (weather, harvests, who knows). Honestly, I would think lavender fanatics would know this,if even I do, & take that into account. Now, the other major roadblock is that quite frankly, there's a lot of third party sellers on this site that just shouldn't be sheltered by Amazon. They are selling either adulterated actual product or downright fake. People will buy the real stuff, pour most of it into other bottles, slap a label on and sell those bottles as 'Laurie's Awesome Lavender Oil' or whatever and then take the nearly empty Now bottle,fill it with whatever, and sell it to us. Twice the profit for them! It could be water or canola oil for all you know. But it has just enough lavender smell to fool you for two minutes till you USE it and decide Now Foods are the dirty bums, not the third party seller. There is, finally, the fact that if someone sold you oil that has been stored improperly or is old, it's not gonna be good. Again that's the fault of the seller, not the manufacturer. I have always bought oils from EITHER: A) a local business I feel I can safely trust, like a major grocery chain or a local health food type store that I've made other trustworthy sales with B) a third party amazon seller who has a high number of ratings of which the vast majority must be positive C) amazon itself, directly. Look at who is selling the item. You know, where it says 'Sold By'. Does it say Amazon.com? Great. They are very easy to work with. Does it say 'Biff's Fine Beauty Supply'? Then see B above. I don't know what else to say. My experience with this oil and Now Foods has always been fine. I've owned probably six bottles of the lavender and all have been fine for me. I don't think it smells chemically or synthetic; I just think those folks either prefer the softer, bloomier mixes or got an adulterated bottle. I own probably forty of the Now oils and several of their carrier oils and while I agree they are not usually the height of superior product to be found anywhere in the world, FOR THE MONEY they are excellent. I have used the two major MLM brands (do not and never did sell them), as well as many of the major hippie-store-type brands (Mountain Rose Herbs, Pranarom/Veritidas, etc) and I’ve got to opine Now holds its own most of the time...not all. Other oils are frequently five or more times the cost but are not five or more times as amazing, and usually come in a smaller bottle to boot. You know what, nebulizing diffusers go through oil like crazy...so for me, not a wealthy Hilton heir, these represent very good value. 2018: I still buy Now lavender oil. It’s still good! Also, when people tell you, drop oil on white paper to see if it leaves a mark as a purity test, know ALL oils do not do this! Only ‘most’. Patchouli, sandalwood, myrhh, vetiver, German chamomile, etc, will stain paper. Do some research so you’re not a) wasting cash throwing out real oils or b) slandering companies selling real oils because someone told you oil is fake if it leaves a mark. I have had people tell me they won’t buy this lavender oil because their Now patchouli failed ‘The Test’. Sigh.