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Determining Essential Oil Quality

Both the quality and the quantity of therapeutic properties present in an essential oil are affected by the following:

• climate and altitude where it was grown
• quality of soil
• amount of rainfall
• temperature
• how it was harvested
• how it was stored prior to extraction
• time elapsed between when it was harvested and when it was distilled
• the parts of the plant used – leaves, flowers, roots, etc.
• type of distillation equipment used (copper? steel?)
• storage conditions of the oil after distillation, as well as how long it sat before the consumer purchased it

Once distilled, and now “pure,” adulterations and other tampering can be done to the essential oils, such as:

Diluting a higher quality, more expensive essential oil species with a lower quality, less expensive essential oil species in the same genus. An example would be mixing Melaleuca quinquinervia into Melaleuca alternifolia and selling it as Tea Tree Oil.

Blending essential oil with another oil, such as vegetable oil.

Adding natural, or synthetic, constituents to a lower-quality oil to “improve” on the oil medicinally or aromatically. An example of this would be adding linalyl acetate to a low-quality Lavender essential oil.

Remember, any essential oil subject to the above tampering can still be sold as a pure essential oil – or even as “therapeutic grade.”

Trustworthy companies will provide thorough and specific information about each oil they sell, including Latin names, chemotypes, country of origin, and GC/MS reports which list the exact components in the essential oil. GC/MS reports are a wonderful tool that allows us to view the chemical components present in the essential oil to determine therapeutic properties.

Excerpt taken from the e-report, Using Essential Oils Safely. FREE when you sign up for our newsletter here.