I’m often asked, how to choose
the best quality essential oil? What criteria should I look for?
There are so many misconceptions and misinformation in the world of
Aromatherapy and I wanted to address a couple of them. It is so important that we are able to have specific things to look for to ensure that we are using the most pure essential oils.
1. How do you know you’re purchasing from a reputable seller?
•
You’ll want to find out how long they have been in
business?
•
How do they conduct themselves as a business?
•
What are their customer satisfaction ratings?
•
What knowledge and education do they have in the
industry?
A
certain amount of trust is gained when a company has been established for a
while. This provides the needed time for
them to display what type of a company they are and show if they are able to
gain the trust of consumers to maintain a business overtime.
With
essential oil companies I specifically want to know that I’m dealing with an
honest, transparent, eco-conscious, safety educating, and charitable
company. This may take a bit of research
and a couple of phone calls but I think it’s important to know how they conduct
themselves. I want to know that the
company has a reputation for putting ethics and values as a priority rather
than profit being the sole focus.
Knowledge truly is power, and a company willing to invest in educating
their customers on safe essential oil practices is something I value highly.
Go
to their website to see if they have product ratings. If they sell on other big box sites (i.e.
Amazon) check the ratings on there. Also
see what their return policy is, do they offer free return shipping, do they
have 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can return for a full refund no matter
your reasoning. I want to know that if
there’s an issue, I don’t have to explain myself in order to return the item. I want to buy from a company so confident in
their product that they guarantee my satisfaction. The accessibility of customer service, can
you reach someone right away via phone or an online chat? There’s nothing worse than calling with an
issue and being put on hold for 30 minutes, listening to elevator music, an
occasional automated voice saying “thank you for holding”. I want to speak to a live person, who
resolves my problem without having to spend significant time on hold.
I
want a company that maintains staff that is formerly educated in essential oils
and aromatherapy. To have access to ask
an expert questions, be kept uprise of current safety recommendations, and be
given proper usage guidelines by someone with knowledge is empowering.
2. Does Therapeutic Grade mean it’s the best?
•
What criteria or testing is associated with a
Therapeutic Grade Oil?
•
What does Therapeutic Grade mean?
“There is no such thing as
therapeutic grade, or clinical grade. These are not grades that are
independently verified, they are words that are marketing terms created by the
company selling those oils so they will tell you that they are the only people
selling clinical grade oils. Well yes, because no one else is making that claim,
you are the only people selling what you call clinical grade oils.”
So unfortunately with there being
no requirements, criteria, or third party verification associated with the
terms “therapeutic or clinical grade”, anyone can claim the term. It does
not translate to quality.
That
being said essential oils DO have therapeutic benefits that can help
improve your overall sense of well being. Clinical studies have been done
that show exactly how the chemical constituents in an essential oil benefit a
person both physically and mentally. By
ensuring you’re using the best quality oils, you will be able to optimize the
therapeutic benefits you get from the chemical constituents in the oils
themselves.
3. What if a company invites the public to visit their
farms? Surely that must mean it’s the best?!
•
Have these plants been moved from their indigenous
environment?
First
I have to say that it’s so awesome to be able to visit botanical gardens!
However, this does not translate to quality.
A big concern with many of these farms is that they are highly
controlled and often grow non-indigenous plants. This means that they
have taken the plants from where they naturally grow and have put them in a new
environment. I’m very traditional in my belief that plants, like animals,
do best in their natural environments. Just as the therapeutic qualities
(from the naturally occurring chemical constituents) can be affected by
altitude and rain, it can also be significantly affected by being grown in a
foreign place.
You
will find that some of the best essential oil companies will actually go overseas
to personally visit the farms they want to purchase from. They observe the process, question the
procedures, and ensure practices of sustainability and quality are in
place. This in itself is a great show of
the commitment a company has to ensure they are providing the best quality
essential oils while still allowing them to flourish and grow in their
indigenous environment.
4. What if a company is USDA Certified Organic?
•
No GMOs: Genetically Modified Organisms are prohibited
in organic products. This means that an organic farmer can’t plant GMO seeds
and an organic producer can’t use any ingredients containing GMOs.
•
Clean soil: The land where the products are grown must
not have had any prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years
before the harvest of an organic crop. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge,
irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.
•
No
harmful pesticides: Crop pests, weeds, and diseases are controlled primarily
through physical, mechanical and biological efforts. If for some reason these
methods are not working, a biological, botanical or synthetic substance that is
approved on the National List may be used.
•
All
organic, all the way: Operations must use only organic seeds and other planting
material.
This is a great standard to use
to ensure that you are getting the highest quality essential oils. It is a certification that has strict
standards that cover all aspects of the growth process.
That being said it is a very
costly certification, some farms may not be able to afford those expenses.
So if an oil is not USDA Certified Organic, it does not mean it isn’t of
the highest quality. In those instances I would encourage you to get to
know the farm and growers. Find out their practices and operations.
If you’re unable to do that type of research, looking for that USDA
Certified Organic seal is a fabulous way to know their process is closely
regulated for quality.
5. If the company provides their GC/MS reports does that prove
quality?
▪ The testing is done by an impartial third party.
▪ Testing is done both on the initial sample, as well as after
the actual batch is received. (testing is expensive and many companies
only test the sample).
▪ You have access to the full report, the details are very important!
▪ The report should show the company, chemist, and be a batch
specific report.
▪ The education and experience of the actual chemist is
important to ensure it’s expertly interpreted.
6. What information should I look for with each individual
essential oil?
Transparency is key, you want the
specifics of each oil. Ideally they will
openly provide at a minimum, the following information.
•
Botanical name
•
Country of origin
•
Extraction method
Common
names of a plant can vary from company to company, the botanical names however
are the same across the board. Knowing
the botanical name lets you know exactly what plant you’re getting. Let’s say for example that you want to
purchase Frankincense (Boswellia frereana) for your skin blend. If the company only tells you that it’s
‘Frankincense’ you could be getting any one of many different species of
Frankincense, which all vary in their chemical constituents and may not be
ideal for your intended purpose. Having
the knowledge of the botanical name empowers you to know exactly what plant
you’re choosing.
Where
a plant is grown can determine both the chemistry as well as the scent of the
plant. I have 2 different lavenders, one
from Bulgaria and one from France. The
one from Bulgaria has a deeper, more herbaceous aroma while the one from France
is more floral and reminiscent of what most people associate with the true
scent of lavender. With this information
it can help me determine which country of origin I prefer.
The
extraction method is important to me because I want to know how I got my oils
from the plant. Some extraction methods
of the same plant can make a difference in an entire constituent being, or not
being present. For example, German
Chamomile extracted with a CO2 process has Matricine (highly sought after for
dry and/or reddened skin), whereas when it’s steam distilled that constituent
is absent. Another reason I want to
know the extraction method is because of concerns of phototoxicity. If lemon or lime are cold pressed you have to
exercise extreme caution in the sun, however through steam distillation
extraction these oils don’t carry concerns of phototoxicity.
So there you have it myths
busted, things to look for, and a better understanding of how you can ensure
you’re getting the best essential oils from the very best company!
