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What Factors Determine Purity and Quality in Essential Oils?

Anyone who has been involved with essential oils for a little while can quickly identify a 'quality' oil. There is something about the clarity, the vibration, the subtlety, the breadth and depth of fragrance that makes it stand out. Some essential oils seem to have a brilliant 'three dimensional' effect, while others appear flat. But what are the key factors that affect this quality and vibrancy? The first factor is the plant itself. Compare the experience of eating an organic tomato fresh off the vine in your garden in the height of summer, with one that has been air freighted in from the other side of the world in mid winter. They simply taste entirely different. One is vibrant, fresh, pure, energetic. The other is dull, flat, lifeless. It is the same with essential oils. You need to use plants that have been respectfully treated, ideally wild growing or organically cultivated. Happy plants give much better quality oil. The second factor involves the production process: Most essential oils are produced by a process of steam distillation. This can be performed under high temperature and high pressure; this brings a higher yield so the cost is less. But if you distil under low pressure and low temperature, the quality is infinitely superior. In this respect, you get what you pay for. Only a small proportion (maybe 5%) of the global production of essential oils is ultimately destined for therapeutic use. The vast majority goes to the flavor and fragrance industries; and they have different requirements and expectations. For example it may be more important for them that the fragrance is identical year on year, and to this end laboratory created chemicals may be added. Therefore if your essential oil supplier sources his products from a dealer - a middleman - there is a likelihood that the product will have been adulterated with man-made chemicals. The only way to be sure is if there is a direct connection to the farmer, grower and distiller. Another, more subtle but significant, area that can affect the quality of the oil, is the bottling process. Essential oils ideally carry with them the energetic vibrancy of the plant, and this may become disturbed by exposure to strong electromagnetic fields. Finally, we need to think about intention and consciousness. It is well accepted that plants respond to the energy that we put their way. And the essential oils that they produce will respond to the environment that they are exposed to. This involves every stage of the process: cultivation, distillation, bottling, shipping, storing and retail. Remember too that the oils can and should be tested. Methods used include optical rotation, density, refraction, GC (gas chromatography) analysis, and, if necessary, mass spectography. GC readouts can be extremely helpful for determining the likely therapeutic value of the oil. But in the final analysis, we should not lose sight of the fact that the final arbiter is the human nose.

Check out https://bioessentialoils.com for more information.