The quality of essential oils, particularly when using them therapeutically, is of prime importance to all good therapists. Coupled with the right training and guidance, choosing quality oils should become second nature – after all, you wouldn’t buy/eat fruit and vegetables without first checking their freshness.

Common sense plays a large part in the decisions you make – for instance if an oil appears to be an absolute bargain, you should probably ask a few more questions.

Listed below are some of the things that should be taken into consideration when purchasing essential oils.

Suppliers

ALWAYS purchase your essential oils from a reputable supplier that specialises in aromatherapy. They must be trusted within our industry, have suitable knowledge and understanding of their products and be able to advise and guide you if required. 

Your supplier should also be able to give you the Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet for an oil. Asking for this gives you some indication that they know what they're doing!  This should also be available to you if you are purchasing from a third party (your therapist or a retail shop).

Research your suppliers, speak with other therapists, take advice from your membership body or look for companies that are members of the Aromatherapy Trade Council (ATC) and/or other professional bodies such as the IFA or IFPA. These kind of memberships show the company cares about essential oils and the essential oil industry. Looking at customer reviews on the company’s website and independent websites such as Trustpilot can also be useful.

Purity and therapeutic effects

Good quality essential oils will have natural therapeutic effects, so be sure to check you are purchasing pure and natural oils.

Unfortunately, it’s not too hard for disreputable distillers and suppliers to ‘adulterate/cut’ essential oils with cheaper ingredients, reproduce them synthetically, or produce reconstituted oils from a variety of plant sources. It is therefore very important to know that your oils are pure and haven’t been tampered with in a detrimental way.

Sometimes a cheaper price is an indicator that the oil is cut, although it should always be stated on the bottle if essential oils have been diluted in anyway. For example, Benzoin is typically diluted in benzyl benzoate to make it pourable and some high-value, highly concentrated oils are diluted in a base oil such as Jojoba to make them more affordable.

If an oil appears too cheap then it probably isn’t as pure as you think. Having said that though, certain multi-level-marketing companies sell their oils at very high prices. This is very much down to how their business model works and does not mean that other less expensive suppliers are selling inferior oils.

It’s always best to compare prices on the market and look at 'similar' suppliers for comparison.

While I’m talking therapeutic effects – I often get asked about the terms ‘Therapeutic Grade’ or ‘CPTG’ (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade). This is my opinion… These are simply marketing terms that have no real meaning. CPTG is always seen with a trademark symbol, which means that the company using it has actually paid to have this term trademarked, meaning that other companies cannot use this wording. All pure essential oils have therapeutic properties and there are no recognized, independent specifications or industry standards that define ‘therapeutic grade’, or independent bodies that certify essential oils as such. In fact, each batch of oil will or rather should differ slightly in its chemical make-up – it’s a natural product after all, that will vary by growing region and from season to season and year to year.

What's on the bottle

If you have purchased from a good supplier then there must be certain information on the bottle/label.  

Good and trusted suppliers will always have a batch code, this will ensure that if you are not happy with the oil, or you have a problem with it they can trace it back.  

Always check the Latin botanical name is on the bottle and where appropriate the chemotype. This ensures you’re purchasing the right oil, from the right botanical species and that it will have the therapeutic properties you are expecting. For example, there are at least three different genus of Lavender used in aromatherapy: True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia) and Lavandin (Lavandula hybrida also known as Lavandula x intermedia). In addition to this certain plant species produce different chemotypes. This essentially means the same plant can produce oils with different chemical constituents and therapeutic properties. This can be influenced by factors such as growing conditions, climate and the altitude the plant was grown at. Thyme is a good example of an oil with different chemotypes e.g. Thymus vulgaris ct thymol and Thymus vulgaris ct linalool.

Origin - this should be listed to ensure that you know where the plant was grown as this can have a huge impact on the quality and biochemical composition of the extracted oil.

Cultivation method – for instance if the oil has been produced organically or wildcrafted. 

Growing environment

As mentioned above this is an important factor, especially when looking at the chemical components within your oils. It is important to know for instance if your Lavender is High Altitude, or the chemotype of your Thyme to ensure that if you require a phenol rich oil you have purchased the right one.  

The environment should be free from pesticides, artificial fertilizers, be away from main roads, and the plants should be grown in countries that are appropriate for growing them!  Factors such as the sun/rain, altitude, soil condition all play a major part in the end resulting essential oil.

Harvesting & extraction

Good quality oils should be harvested in a way that is appropriate for the needs of the plant.  For example, you would expect Rose petals to be hand-harvested at sunrise with the dew on to maximise the oil yield. The essential oil extraction process - whether it is distilled, cold-pressed or solvent extracted - will also affect the oil’s chemical balance. For example, solvent extracted Rose Absolute is far more concentrated in terms of fragrance and therapeutic powers than steam-distilled Rose Otto essential oil.  Certain cold-pressed citrus oils are phototoxic, but steam-distilled ones are apparently not.

Synergy within

“Whole” oils are what we are looking for to ensure that they work in harmony with each other, blending to give the best therapeutic effect for our clients. When I talk about a whole oil, I mean those that have had nothing removed e.g. Bergamot FCF – has the Furocoumarin (Bergaptene content) removed to reduce its phototoxicity and to make it more suited to use on sensitive skin.

Other checks

Obviously when buying online you don’t get to look at or smell the oils prior to purchase, so it can be really useful to read reviews from customers who have already purchased from your chosen supplier. 

When the oil arrives have a sniff, it should smell pleasant and natural. Trust your nose - if you think it’s not right it probably isn’t. Know which oils are viscous and which ones aren’t. Some such as Benzoin are really thick and take their time to run out of the bottle whereas others such as citrus oils will run very quickly.  An oil that appears cloudy or viscous when it shouldn't be viscous could be an indication of oxidisation.

Does it leave an oily mark? Essential oils shouldn't, so this is a sign that they have been diluted (cut) with a vegetable-based oil to make it go further. Always check your label. As mentioned above, some oils such as Jasmine, Neroli, Melissa and Rose are sold in dilutions as well as pure form - but this should always be clearly detailed on the label.

Jeni Broughton
Consultant Aromatologist & Sports Massage Specialist

Disclaimer & Safety Advice

Useful reading

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (Second Edition) – Salvatore Battaglia

Aromatherapy for Health Professionals – Len & Shirley Price