How to know the truth
Essential oils are the craze these days. Almost everyone you talk to is using them and now even large retail chains are selling them. So how do you know which ones are the best? How do you know which ones are pure? I am going to tell you 5 facts to help you determine what to look for in purity and quality.
Fact one
There is no governing body that grades or certifies production or quality of, nor sets a standard for grading essential oils. Therapeutic grade oils is a marketing campaign, a very good one, but just a marketing ploy. There is one company that has coined the phrase "Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade", it is just a marketing tool. When you are looking at essential oils don't be fooled by certifications or grades.
Fact two
The ISO, International Organization for Standardization, was established in 1947 to certify universally accepted standards for individual essential oils. They provide the specifications for industry norms so that each batch of oils is similar in flavor or fragrance. They do not set a grading system of quality. They simply set the specifications so that each batch is the same in 2015 as it was in 1947. When an essential oil is ISO certified it simply means that it has been distilled to their specifications but it in no way reflects the grade of that essential oil.
Fact three
The AFNOR is simply the French branch of the ISO. It again is just setting specifications for norms. It does not set a quality standard but is used in order to set the highest purity and quality available but there is not a rating system. They set the industry standard for quality.
Fact four
The next fact that I am going to mention is the GRAS certification. This stands for Generally Recognized as Safe when used as recommended or for the intended purpose. It is FDA pre-market and approval for food additive use certificate and is what food grade is intended for. It is for those essential oils that are used in food and are deemed safe to use for flavoring. There is a list with the FDA on these approved oils. Remember, not all essential oils are approved for internal use and should be used with great caution if they are not on this list. If you are going to ingest them, for more than the use in food, then you need to consult with your doctor for their recommendation. Not all essential oils are GRAS rated and can reach toxic levels when ingested.
Fact five
The final fact relates to the testing of essential oils that shows the quality of them. These tests show actual purity of each and every batch. The tests are the GC/MS (or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry), chirality testing, heavy metal/pesticide/herbicide testing, organoleptic testing, optical rotation and refraction index testing, specific gravity testing and microbial testing. These tests are to make sure that they are free of synthetics and impurities. These are the tests that you want to look for when you are choosing your next batch of oils.
Essential oils are the craze these days. Almost everyone you talk to is using them and now even large retail chains are selling them. So how do you know which ones are the best? How do you know which ones are pure? I am going to tell you 5 facts to help you determine what to look for in purity and quality.
Fact one
There is no governing body that grades or certifies production or quality of, nor sets a standard for grading essential oils. Therapeutic grade oils is a marketing campaign, a very good one, but just a marketing ploy. There is one company that has coined the phrase "Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade", it is just a marketing tool. When you are looking at essential oils don't be fooled by certifications or grades.
Fact two
The ISO, International Organization for Standardization, was established in 1947 to certify universally accepted standards for individual essential oils. They provide the specifications for industry norms so that each batch of oils is similar in flavor or fragrance. They do not set a grading system of quality. They simply set the specifications so that each batch is the same in 2015 as it was in 1947. When an essential oil is ISO certified it simply means that it has been distilled to their specifications but it in no way reflects the grade of that essential oil.
Fact three
The AFNOR is simply the French branch of the ISO. It again is just setting specifications for norms. It does not set a quality standard but is used in order to set the highest purity and quality available but there is not a rating system. They set the industry standard for quality.
Fact four
The next fact that I am going to mention is the GRAS certification. This stands for Generally Recognized as Safe when used as recommended or for the intended purpose. It is FDA pre-market and approval for food additive use certificate and is what food grade is intended for. It is for those essential oils that are used in food and are deemed safe to use for flavoring. There is a list with the FDA on these approved oils. Remember, not all essential oils are approved for internal use and should be used with great caution if they are not on this list. If you are going to ingest them, for more than the use in food, then you need to consult with your doctor for their recommendation. Not all essential oils are GRAS rated and can reach toxic levels when ingested.
Fact five
The final fact relates to the testing of essential oils that shows the quality of them. These tests show actual purity of each and every batch. The tests are the GC/MS (or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry), chirality testing, heavy metal/pesticide/herbicide testing, organoleptic testing, optical rotation and refraction index testing, specific gravity testing and microbial testing. These tests are to make sure that they are free of synthetics and impurities. These are the tests that you want to look for when you are choosing your next batch of oils.