Essential oils are natural products.
Since nature is not a factory, it does not produce anything standard: there is therefore a great variety in the quality of essential oils found on the market.
In fact, the quality of an essential oil depends on many factors, of which the following is a non-exhaustive list: the exact variety of aromatic plant, the soil, the cultivation method, the weather conditions, the harvesting conditions and, of course, the distillation process.
All these factors have a considerable influence on the quality of essential oils and therefore on their efficacy and potential toxicity.
Their organoleptic quality can be affected, not only for their use in cosmetics or perfumery, but also and above all for their therapeutic quality.
It is therefore essential to choose the right bottle for any therapeutic use.
ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS OR NOT?
Today, several aromatherapy brands choose BIO for part of their essential oil range.
However, those with a 100% BIO range are rare, and the price difference for certain essential oils is very significant between the two.
The question is: does it really matter?
Yes, using BIO essential oils is very important for three reasons.
- For health reasons. For years, it has been claimed that any pesticides that may be present in plants are not found in the essential oil that has been steam distilled. This idea is completely wrong: the numerous pesticide studies clearly show the significant presence of pesticides in conventional essential oils. We have already mentioned the excellent bioavailability of essential oils: if you use an essential oil containing pesticides, they will very quickly find their way into your bloodstream. The presence of pesticides in such a product is therefore completely absurd in the context of aromatherapy.
- For reasons of traceability and quality. The certification bodies require a certain traceability of the batches of essential oils sold. This traceability is not sufficient, but it is a reassuring basis for the quality process.
- To protect the ecosystem. Organic farming does indeed help to preserve the environment, thanks to the absence of synthetic pesticides, the rotation of crops or even the presence of grass strips, which help to preserve the soil and have a positive effect on flora and fauna.
PURE AND CHEMOTYPED ESSENTIAL OILS
For aromatherapy, it is also essential to use pure, chemically tested essential oils. Let's get this straight.
A pure essential oil is an essential oil that has not been mixed with any other substance.
We only find aromatic molecules in the bottle, and all these aromatic molecules come from the distillation of the same plant species.
When a brand claims to guarantee that its essential oils are 100% pure, it means that it has not made any mixtures, but also that it is able to avoid fraudulent batches.
Fraud is indeed common, especially with essential oils from plants that grow in distant countries.
To be sure that your favourite brand can really prove this purity, don't hesitate to ask them to at least do a chromatographic analysis of your batch: the fact that they can do this is already a good sign.
A chemotyped essential oil is a pure essential oil whose species, subspecies and geographical origin are precisely defined. For example, an 'Italian helichrysum essential oil' is not chemotyped. For an essential oil to be considered chemotyped, the Latin name of the species and subspecies, as well as the place of cultivation, must appear on the label. For example: Helichrysum (genus) italicum (species) ssp italicum (subspecies) from France.
THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OILS
Is your essential oil organic, pure and chemically treated? That's a good starting point.
However, nature provides a very wide variety of essential oils, with widely varying efficacy, even when chemotyped. That's where consumer choice gets complicated: how can you be sure you're dealing with the right chemotype?
You'll recognise a specialist aromatherapy brand by its ability to provide you with the concentrations of each aromatic molecule required in each essential oil to ensure its efficacy, and by publishing its analyses for each batch it sells to you. This transparency and systematic analysis guarantee that you are dealing with a serious and specialised brand in this field.
AUTHORITY TAGS?
2 Labels are often used to promote the intrinsic properties of essential oils: HECT and HEBBD. These labels have some weaknesses: they do not publish precise specifications, they belong to commercial players in the industry and, above all, they are not linked to any external verification or audit.
HEBBD stands for "Botanically and Biochemically Defined Essential Oil". This label is intended to ensure that the manufacturer knows exactly which plant has been distilled, but it does not guarantee that this choice is optimal or that the essential oil has been chemotyped. Unfortunately, in most cases, bottles labelled in this way do not indicate the place of origin of the batch sold.
HECT stands for "chemotyped essential oil". Unlike HEBBD, the producer states the place of origin and these oils are truly chemotyped. However, there is no guarantee that the choice of chemotype is optimal in terms of the expected properties and toxicities of the essential oil (particularly those cited in the scientific literature).
To be sure that your essential oil is chemotyped, that it has therapeutic quality, you should rely mainly on the information provided on the label and on the manufacturer's website. Today, no label can be a reference on the market.
THE 4 POINTS TO CHECK WHEN CHOOSING A QUALITY ESSENTIAL OIL
To be sure of the therapeutic quality of an essential oil, we recommend that you check the following points:
- an ORGANIC label (AB, Cosmos or other)
- the exact Latin name of the species and subspecies of the plant distilled
- the origin of the essential oil, mentioned on the bottle
- the indication of the batch number on the bottle, as well as the communication on the website of the results of the chromatographic analysis of each batch in comparison with those expected.