How can you be sure that the oils you’re buying are high quality and pure? In this blog post, we will discuss tips for choosing high quality essential oils, as well as ways to tell if essential oils are pure. I’ll also provide some recommendations for reputable essential oil brands that I personally used and loved.
Essential oils are great for so many things! They can be diffused to make your house smell nice, boost your mood, improve your sleep quality and even help kids with cold symptoms. More than that essential oils can be added to make homemade moisturizers for skin healing.
Essential Oil Quality Is Important
When it comes to essential oils, quality is important. Not all essential oils are created equal: some may be diluted and made with cheap raw materials or blended with other low quality oils.
With so many different essential oil brands on the market, it can be tricky to know which are the best essential oils. Some brands use terms like “100% pure” or “therapeutic grade”, while others use different names, but this is not a reliable indicator for high quality / pure essential oils.
In general, the higher the quality of an essential oil, the more expensive it will be. This is because quality essential oils are made from pure, unadulterated plant extracts. They also have a higher concentration of active ingredients, which means they’re more potent and provide greater therapeutic benefits.
What Determines Good Quality Essential Oils
Generally the quality of an essential oil is determined by factors like the type of plant it’s sourced from and the method used to extract the oil. Furthermore, quality essential oils are typically sourced from organic growers who use sustainable farming practices. So when you’re shopping for pure essential oils, be sure to choose quality over quantity. Your body will thank you for it.
So how do you know if you’re shopping for quality essential oils? The answer is simple: do your research.
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Tips For Finding High-Quality Essential Oils
Because standards for quality control of essential oils do not currently exist in the United States and the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils, it is important to find reputable sources that sell good quality essential oils. Especially if you are planning to use them for health-related purposes. Essential oils are actually amazing when used for pain and cramp relief.
Here are some tips for finding high-quality essential oils:
- Purity and third-party testing: Look for essential oil brands that use gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to test their oils. This type of testing ensures that the oils meet certain standards for purity and quality.
- Check to see if the company lists the country of origin for their oils. Oils sourced from countries with stricter regulations tend to be of higher quality.
- Look for a “therapeutic grade” label: This label is not regulated, but it generally means that the essential oil has been tested for purity and potency.
- Check the company’s website: A reputable essential oil brand will usually have information about their sourcing and distillation process on their website.
- Transparency about their production process. A good essential oil company will be open about where they source their plants and how they extract the oils.
- Check the ingredient list to make sure the oil is pure and free of additives. Double check that the oil you’re buying is a pure essential oil and not a fragrance oil.
- Check the botanical name: Make sure the bottle says the botanical name of the plant, and not just “essential oil.” The botanical name is important because it can give you an indication of where the plant was grown and how it was processed.
- See if the brand offers any customer testimonials or reviews.
- Ask questions: If you’re unsure about anything, don’t hesitate to contact the company directly
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Essential Oil Purity
Essential oils are only beneficial if they are pure. Given their popularity, it’s not surprising that essential oils are now big business. However, not all essential oils on the market are pure. In fact, many commercial essential oils are heavily diluted with cheaper carrier oils or blending together low and high quality oils of the same plant and adding synthetic fragrances.
Other factors that can contribute to an oil being impure is poor extraction methods or contamination during production.
So how can you tell if an essential oil is pure?
Pure essential oils and highest quality essential oils should:
- Have a strong, but not overpowering, aroma;
- Leave no residue when diluted in water;
- Evaporate quickly when exposed to air;
- Leave no oily residue when rubbed into the skin;
- The oil should be clearly labeled with the plant name and list the country of origin;
- The bottle should be dark-colored to protect the oil from light degradation;
- The company has to provide a lot number or batch number on the bottle so that you can trace the oil back to its source.
- Should have a seal of approval from a reputable organization like the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) or the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA).
If you’re unsure about an essential oil’s purity, ask the company for a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) report. This type of report will show you the oil’s chemical makeup and can confirm whether or not it is pure.
Should Essential Oils Be Organic
The answer to this question is a bit complicated. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase organic essential oils. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Organic certification is not currently required for essential oil manufacturers, so some companies that produce organic oils may not be certified.
- The term “organic” can mean different things in different countries. In the United States, for example, the National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as: “Organic agriculture produces products using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.”
- Some oils are extracted using methods that preserve the integrity of the oil, while others are extracted using harsh chemicals like hexane.
- Organic essential oils may be more expensive than non-organic oils, but they are also less likely to be contaminated with synthetic chemicals.
- Organic essential oils may be more expensive than non-organic oils, but they are also likely to be of higher quality.
If you are concerned about the environment or your personal health, purchasing organic essential oils is a good way to ensure that you are getting pure, unadulterated essential oil.
Best High Quality Essential Oil Brands
If you are looking for high-quality essential oils, I recommend checking out the following brands below. This is based on my own research and personal use. I usually like to add essential oils in body butters and moisturizers.
Plant Therapy Essential Oils
When it comes to their products, they are taking into account the farming practices, harvest technique and timing, material handling, distillation techniques, equipment and storage containers. They’re also publicly posting third-party testing results (microbial testing, FAME tests) and a batch code that corresponds to its third-party GC-MS analysis.
Moreover plant therapy has been granted a Leaping Bunny and GMP certification. And the organic products are certified through ECOCERT ICO. They also offer quite a few organic essential oils and a KidSafe line.
US Organic Essential Oils
Their ingredients are sourced only from certified organic suppliers over the world and is “Leaping Bunny” program approved (100% cruelty-free brand). Moreover US Organic’s manufacturing facility is FDA-registered, USDA-certified and GMP-certified, which speaks of really high quality standards.
Edens Garden Essential Oils
Edens Garden is a family-owned business that sources its essential oils from countries all over the world. Each batch of essential oils is tested by an independent lab. The company also has a team of certified aromatherapists that make sure the oils are 100% pure with no added fillers or synthetic ingredients. However they are only third party GC/MS tested (analyzed for impurities) and don’t have other official certifications.
On their website they claim that their essential oils are sourced from organic farms and that they use the best possible extraction method (steam distillation or cold press) for each type of oil, indicating that they make quality a high priority.
Bottom Line
When it comes to essential oils, quality is more important than quantity. A small bottle of high-quality oil will last longer and be more potent than a large bottle of lower-quality oil.
Now that you know how to choose high-quality essential oils, be sure to learn how to use them for the best results!
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