Put Your Essential Oils to the Test!

• Are your oils meeting the International Standards Organization (European) guidelines? If so, the label will say ““Meets ISO guidelines”” because the manufacturer will be proud to tell you that.

• Are there any other ingredients listed on the bottle? With pure essential oils or oil blends, you should not find carrier oils, synthetic products, or chemicals listed. For example, some products sold as lavender actually contain lavendin. Lavender sooths itchy or irritated skin, including healing burns. Lavendin, however has camphor in it which can actually burn the skin causing the opposite of the desired effect.

• Does the label say ““Not for internal use”” or ““for aromatic or topical use only?”” Most pure essential oils are okay to ingest. If your oil is not, something was introduced during harvesting or processing that should not have been added, making it inedible.

• Does your oil leave a grease mark when you put a drop on paper? After about two hours, you should not see much of anything on the paper if the oil is pure. An oil stain tells you the essential oil has been diluted with something.

• If you drop your oil in water, does it create a milky slick? Pure oils don’’t actually mix in water and should bead up and appear a paler color than in their bottle. If you get a milky slick, the oil is likely synthetic and/or mixed with other ingredients.

• In the store where you purchased the oil, were the products all about the same price? That’’s a telltale sign they aren’’t pure. Essential oil prices vary dramatically. An ounce of orange oil may sell for a few dollars because it is easy to produce, but the same amount of rose oil could cost hundreds of dollars because it takes thousands of rose petals to make it.

If you are serious about attaining the benefits that essential oils have to offer, be sure you are getting pure, therapeutic grade, seed to seal quality oils, such as those offered through Young Living.

Resources and ideas for this article came from the following:

Carrie Raab’’s website offers information on oil purity and a host of other essential oil uses: younglivingoillady.com

Roberta Wilson’’s book, Aromatherapy, Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty, provides background on a wide array of aromatherapy tools and issues.