Shopping for Quality ESSENTIAL OILS | the HOLISTIC HEALTH View

“I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.”
-Walt Whitman
 
~Reality in Consciousness
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​PURCHASING QUALITY ESSENTIAL OILS

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Shopping for quality essential oils either for therapeutic purposes or for calming effects will allow you to become aware of their level of medicinal grades, farming practices, and its therapeutic properties which can affect your body systems. In pure essential oils, there are hundreds of chemical components that interact when they are mixed together, increasing their individual excellency bringing holistic health to quality essential oils.  



High-quality essential oils are often very expensive, but you can be sure that they contain the correct elements in the correct proportions and the desired therapeutic properties.  Commercial grade essential oilshave been distilled again, forming a lower-grade oil, or have materials added or removed to improve odor, safety, etc.  Synthetic or diluted essential oils are less predictable and less likely to be therapeutically effective. 



The time and effort that goes into producing good-quality essential oils means they can be costly. Therefore, it is important  to be aware that cheaper, adulterated essential oils are on the market and that these will not be as effective as the pricier, pure essential oils

 
The main methods of adulterating essential oils are:
  • Adding a cheaper oil
  • Diluting with alcohol or other bases
  • Adding a synthetic substance
  • Substitution for a cheaper essential oil

SYNTHETIC ESSENTIAL OILS

​“Clearly if we use standardized essential oils, we are not learning from nature but are simply practicing more of what we already know, that technology can be used to maximize profits.”
 Schnaubelt, Kurt-Healing Intelligence
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​Standardizing and adulterating both alter the original composition of an essential oil.
Practices such as adding cheaper lavandin to lavender oil, or adding corn mint oil (menthaarvenisis) to peppermint oil are, unfortunately, widespread(Hoare). Of greater concern is the use of substitute products or “nature-identical” synthetics: Cassia oil has been found to contain synthetic cinnamic aldehyde, and “red thyme” oil may be wholly synthetic (Hoare).  If the oil is not what you believe it to be, its effectiveness, and even safety, can be compromised (Hoare).


Standardization is the adjustment of essential oils so it conforms to a given standard: this is done openly for customers who expect a specific composition. Example: Lavender 40/42, partly or fully synthetic lindyl acetate is added to oil so its concentration reaches between 40 - 40%.  If this is information is hidden and the customer is lead to believe that it is a pure plant product, we would call this adulteration.  


​ESSENTIAL OIL QUALITY CONTROL


To discern that an essential oil  is in fact pure and authentic is most easily accomplished by: 
  • Knowing its source
  • Ascertaining the name of the producing company 
  • Compare essential oil samples to authentic samples of the producer
  • Cost
  • Reputable supplier



Most essential oils are distilled and standardized for use in other productions, so those suppliers meticulously sourcing and selling quality essential oils intentionally for therapeutic uses and aromatherapy are aware of important factors regarding its process of evolution.
  • Soil conditions
  • Seed quality
  • Climate
  • Altitude
  • Growing conditions
  • Harvesting
  • Care during distillation
  • Bottling
  • storage



The time and effort involved in producing quality essential oils, harvesting the plants which depend largely on the parts of the plant that are used and their oil content, the cost of production, and extraction process are valued by their medicinal grades.

There are many commercial grades essential oils marked as “aromatherapy”, but they are either not made with quality essential oils or contain synthetic fragrances and other impurities. So, if you come across a company that uses the terms “aromatherapy grade” or “therapeutic grade”, ideally you’d research other key indicators of their essential oil properties to determine their particular intent behind the use of the terms. Most companies provide details on their website that define their specific usage of the term.

CLASSIFYING ESSENTIAL OILS

If you plan to use quality essential oils therapeutically, it is necessary to know and understand the difference between the various grades of essential oils.

Pure Grade Organic
  • Essential oils are from organic flowers, plants, and trees that are certified by the U.S standards and inspections. They are considered pure medical grade oils.
 
Pure Medical Grade/Therapeutic Grade
  • Essential oils are 100% pure and completely natural. This means that they do not contain any synthetic or unnatural adulterations. They are determined to be pure through quality control from the point of growth, processing, and laboratory analysis.

Aromatherapy Grade
  • Essential oils are adulterated with natural and unnatural components and additives.

Commercial Grade
  • Essential oils have been distilled again, creating a lower-grade oil, or have components added or removed to improve odor or safety.
Grade A
  • This is the therapeutic quality, that uses onlyorganic plants and flowers, distilled at the correct temperatures so that they are purein quality. These oils are great for consuming holistic health benefits, diffusing, inhaling, and more. This top grade is safe to mix with carrier oils, apply to your skin, and so on.
 
Grade B
  • This grade can contain synthetics, anywhere from carrier oils, pesticides, etc. Theseessential oils are considered food grade.
 





​Grade C
  • More perfume style oils that also contain synthetics, carrier oils, and other items. This grade is more for the fragrance aspect of it.  You will find this in body washes, shampoos, detergents, and more.




When you use quality essential oils  in the form of an organic/therapeutic grade, you can benefit from their antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-microbial properties. Quality essential oils supply healing power, and in some homes, they are used as a natural medicine that has no side effects. 




​​Researched Most Trusted Essential Oil Brands with Quality Products:


  • Doterra
  • Now Foods
  • Edens Garden
  • Plant Therapy
  • Aura Cacia
  • Mountain Rose Herbs
  • Young Living


Awareness through Light…
About the Author:

Shaw Nee Janelle is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Health & Wellness Consultant, Author of  “The Traditional Modalities for Healing”Blogger & Owner of realitynconsciousness.com. 

In her blogs, she enjoys writing inspirational tips oHolistic Health, Affirmations, Self-Care, Afrikan Spirituality, Sexual Abuse Awareness and more. She also loves travel, fitness, reading, and creating new vegan recipes.

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