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Spike lavender vs. True lavender
Spike lavender (Lavandula Latifolia) and True Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) are two different species of the same genus of plants. Spike lavender and lavender differ in their growing conditions, composition, aroma, and properties. But they also share many traits. Lavender oil is one of the most popular oils used in aromatherapy and perfumery. It has a distinct, gently floral, sweet aroma. The purple flowers grow well in the Mediterranean region of Europe, parts of northern Africa, the UK, and also in southeast Asia. Spike lavender naturally grows in slightly lower altitudes compared to true lavender but in similar regions...
Scent notes
Notes in perfumery are used to describe the time taken to sense a scent after the application of a fragranced product. Essential oils and absolutes evaporate at different rates to one another. Their volatility is what is used to categorise them into the 3 different note categories: top (or head) note, middle (or heart) note, or base note.
Essential oils vs. Absolutes
Essential oils and absolutes are both aromatic derivatives from plant sources. They both also possess what is known as "phytonutrients" i.e compounds naturally found in plants that have beneficial effects on the body. However, they do differ slightly in their extraction mechanism and therefore, their characteristics!
Essential Oils vs. Perfumes
Essential oils are different to what some product ingredients referred to as "perfumes" or "fragrances". Fragrance oils or perfumes can be either synthetic or natural, but both types are produced in laboratories. The difference between them is that "natural" perfumes are produced by isolating natural aromatic compounds from a complex scent (so the derivatives could be termed as natural but the perfume is still manufactured in the laboratory). In synthetic perfumes, the derivative of the scent is also one or more chemicals manufactured in a lab i.e not derived from naturally occurring aromatics.