Why is There Controversy About What Makes Essential Oils “Good Quality”

One of the most common questions I hear from those who are new to essential oils is, “How do I find good quality essential oils?”

For those who have used essential oils for a while, this inquiry can be a charged, complex topic.

In fact, this “quality question” has gotten, well, let’s just say it… competitive. And need I say, at times even divisive.

As a result, many of my clients and fellow practitioners have told me that they have been “turned off” from using oils. They report that oil enthusiasts were too fervent on insisting they use their brand in a specific way. At the same time, their hesitancy increased with hyped-up cautionary claims about the supposed dangers of essential oils.

This is too bad, because we really all should be playing for the same team in aromatherapy. If we all join together to aim for high standards, better accessibility, environmental sustainability, safety, and education of essential oils, oilers could be a powerful, united force of healing.

For these reasons, I wanted to start a series on the quest for quality essential oils and highlight their regulations and standards. All of these factors impact the perception of aromatherapy, the safe use of essential oils, and the effectiveness of oils as a medicinal tool.

So, if you are intrigued with essential oils, a newcomer, or a versed aromatherapist, please join me. I welcome an inclusive discussion in the feedback and comments section!

Topics covered in this first part include:

  • Factors related to how people choose their selected essential oils brands
  • Why I have preferences for essential oil companies but remain brand neutral in reporting on the science of essential oils
  • The essential oils used in research

Having this knowledge will set you up to understand more about the standards and regulation of essential oils and how this impacts their quality and purity in Part 2.

In Part 3, we’ll discuss what I look for in quality essential oils and how I vet the ones I choose.

As always, all the research links and references will be available in this accompanying article and in the resource section.

Let’s get started!

 

Why We Choose Our Favorite Essential Oils Companies

With essential oils, as with all product brands, many people have their own preferences and loyalty related to their beliefs about what is the best. This is based on countless factors. These include:

  • One’s experiences
  • Their own research, or lack thereof
  • Experts’ opinions
  • Marketing
  • Social acceptance and community
  • Resonance with a company’s mission (company values)
  • One’s own values (e.g., natural, holistic, health, etc.)
  • Biases- unknown or known
  • Company reputation and trust
  • Cost
  • Customer service
  • Availability
  • Accessibility
  • … and more

Admittedly, these aspects listed above influenced the essential oil companies that I use personally, with loved ones, and in my practice. I also have other considerations for selecting certain manufacturers as a naturopathic and functional medicine practitioner. These include:

  • Consistent results- As a wellness provider, having an intervention that is reliable is important. The main company that I have used in my clinic for over 20+ years has given me consistent, beneficial results.
  • Safety- I have had nearly no safety issues with this brand of essential oils, minus a few clients’ inappropriate applications or not following dosage specifications. This has also been true for me personally and my loved ones.
  • Manufacturing process- I have either inquired or visited several of the farms that produce my preferred oils and/or vetted their processes. This includes obtaining information on their raw materials, manufacturing, distillation, testing, and quality control.
  • Quality control- I have done my best to ensure my favored company, and others that I may introduce, have methods that match the quality and purity specifications that I feel are imperative when choosing essential oils.

 

Why I Remain Brand Neutral When Reporting on the Science of Essential Oils

One of my missions in life is to educate and empower others on the innate wisdom of the body to heal and the science and mind-body benefits of essential oils.

I am aware that there are many good brands of essential oils, and my clients have gotten great results with some companies that were not familiar to me at the time. Honoring their unique biochemical individuality, experience, and preferences has been imperative for the success of any intervention, including their essential oils selection.

These experiences keep me open-minded, humble, and expand my knowledge about essential oils. For these reasons, I do not want the distraction of my preferences to interfere with one’s use or acceptance of such an incredible healing modality.

This is why I am honored to be an administer of the Essential Oils DIY Recipe Group. It is brand neutral (welcome to all essential oils of all manufacturers), just as main website is.

If one is seeking my wellness advice and I am suggesting my recommended essential oil brand, this is what I state:

(1) If you are not using this essential oil company, you can still learn about the oils and products discussed. 

(2) Most of the information linked to studies on essential oils are from scientific journals and are not necessarily representative of a particular essential oils company or manufacturer.

(3) If you aren’t using this oils brand, please be very diligent about obtaining other high quality essential oils! This is for your own safety and to make sure you are getting the best effects from your beloved aromatic allies.

This brings us back to the topic of quality and how to assess this.

Let’s start with what the science reports based on the research.

 

Which Essential Oils Are Used in Research and Why Do We Care?

A gold standard of quality control must be upheld in well-designed research studies. This is because inconsistency leads to unreliable results and cannot accurately reflect if the intervention was effective. Therefore, the products used should be tested to ensure proper standards and purity.

With this in mind, it would stand to reason that we could find a commonality in essential oil quality products in the scientific literature. Alas, it is not that simple.

Here’s what I’ve actually seen reflected in my 20+ years of compiling research about essential oils:

  • The vast majority of the findings reported in the research on essential oils are brand neutral. The oils are either distilled by the research teams themselves or selected from a random company.
  • For the most part, the studies focus mainly on the percentages of active constituents found within the essential oils used (standardization). The researchers are not necessarily vetting for oil quality or providing too much information on their manufacturing, distillation process, and raw materials (quality and purity).
  • Studies that do use a specific oil company are often funded by that company, unless stated. This is not innately bad, but it does introduce a potential bias.

 

Summary on the Quest for Quality Essential Oils: Preferences and What the Research Uses

People’s preferences for essential oils are based on many factors including brand loyalty, company perceptions, personal experience, scientific research, training, and clinical outcomes.

Having quality essential oils is imperative for safety and efficacy reasons. It can also have an impact on the results found in research and the end user’s experience. Yet, how do we find these?

Currently, the scientific literature does not have a clear-cut definition of “quality.”

So, where does this leave us?

In future posts, we’ll dive deeper into the regulation and standardization of essential oils and how to determine quality oils that are also pure.

Stay tuned for the continuation of the series to discover more.

I hope this information was helpful.

I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback.

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn how to nurture your mind, body, heart, and soul.

Sending you many blessings.

 

Interested in Learning More About Essential Oils?

 

Resources

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Disclaimer: This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)

This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.

Thanks Pixabay and Canva.