What is the difference between essential oils that are certified organic and those that aren’t? Does an essential oil need to be certified organic to provide effective benefits? These are just some of the questions that come to people’s mind when they come across certified organic essential oils. Below I’ll explain what the debate is all about when it comes to the essential oil discussion.
What is the Difference Between Organic and Non-Organic Essential Oils?
An essential oil that is organic certified is extracted from a plant that is grown according to organic standards and approved methods. These standards prohibit growing methods that include certain synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering. Integrated cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity aren’t also allowed. Furthermore, there is also a list of botanical, biological or synthetic substances that growers are recommended to use.
In order to get their products organic certified an essential oil distributor must pay certain fees and go through specified procedures to get their certification and keep it up to date. All this cost money, the reason why organic oils usually cost more.
Why Should You Choose Organic Essential Oils?
One of the main reasons to purchase certified organic essential oils is to avoid the possibility of nasty pesticides and chemicals getting in your oil. It’s a fact that some non-organic essential oil producers (especially small-batch ones) may follow organic growing practices but can’t afford the pricey organic certification process. However, unless you ask a conventional producer about their methods, there is no way to know for sure whether a conventional essential oil contains pesticides or not. Organic certification will clear that up. Plus, if you are after truly safe, natural remedies, that peace of mind is worth the higher price.
How the Quality of Essential Oils Impact Therapeutic Value and Safety?
What quality has to do with essential oil safety, you may ask? The answer to that question is, a lot! If adulterants are added to the oil, they can cause harm to the body. For example, the diluent diethyl phthalate (DEP), often added to commercial fragrance products, are known to have cancer-causing properties. There is also extenders, which can be even more difficult to detect since they are synthetically designed to mimic essential oils. The problem with extenders is, they can produce negative effects that the natural essential oils would not, which actually harm the body.
Generally, non-organic raw materials that are sprayed with harmful chemical pesticides bring these toxins with them into the essential oil. That is why choosing certified organic essential oil is paramount if you want a quality oil.
In addition to organic procedures, there is a number of factors that can affect the quality of your essential oils, so you should know what to look for when reading a label or talking to a potential new supplier. Here are some tips to help you ensure the oils you buy are what they say they are and safe to use.
Know What’s Hidden in Your Essential Oil
You’ll want to make sure your bottle of essential oil contains only essential oil. Some sellers add cheaper substances to their oils to get more “bang for their buck”. These substances include:
- Diluents – typically odourless substances added to the oils to dilute the product, saving the seller money on the real product
- Extenders – synthetic chemicals created in a lab to imitate the aromatic qualities of essential oils.
- Nature identical – unsavoury substances that aren’t natural but instead a chemically synthesized version of a plant.
Keep in mind that adultered oils aren’t suitable for clinical aromatherapy, and can be harmful to your body.
Do Your Research
Nowadays, almost all retail-related websites include a place for people to leave reviews. Spend a little time reading through these and you’ll get a sense of how reliable the retailer is. Ideally, you’ll want to shop from a supplier that deals directly with reputable distillers, which means they will be able to easily answer your questions concerning quality. Also, reputable retailers usually provide a small sample of the oil for you to check before purchasing larger quantities.
Go by the Oil Latin Name, Not Their Common Name
Multiple essential oils are called Lavender, but only “Lavandula angustifolia (Mill)” has shooting and relaxing qualities while “Lavandula stoechas (l) is not typically used for medicinal purposes at all. So, make sure you always check the oil’s label for the correct Latin name.
Build Your Experience
One great way to assess the quality of essential oils for yourself is to start sampling as many pure oils vs synthetic oils as possible. Write down the differences, and over time you’ll begin to notice the subtle differences between pure, unadulterated oils and synthetic or adulterated fragrances.
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