How can you tell if essential oils are real? How to Spot a Fake.
While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil. How can you tell if what you’re buying is a knockoff or the real deal? And even if it is real (no synthetic fragrance oils), how do you know if it’s great quality? Here’s what you should know to make sure you’re buying the good stuff. How do knockoff essential oils end up on store shelves? Not all essential
oils are created with utmost purity and authenticity in mind, and unfortunately they’re not regulated by the FDA. This means you must be your own advocate when it comes to sourcing the good stuff.
Sadly, that means some of those brown bottles you see on shelves are filled with cheap synthetic fillers, extenders, or even just “fragrance oils” in efforts to simply turn a profit. And if it is a real essential oil in that bottle, the quality depends on several factors, including:
Plants. Quality can be impacted by weather, changing growing conditions, or the use of pesticides or other chemicals.
Processing. How clean the equipment was kept during the distillation process matters. Some EOs may also be intentionally diluted during processing, and it can be really hard to tell… even if you’ve been working with EOs for years.
Packaging. How EOs are handled and stored can determine how long they’re good for. The quality of even the purest, highest quality oil can be compromised if the oil isn’t packaged properly in a tightly sealed dark glass bottle.
The oil will have a GCMS Analysis , what is that?
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, or GC/MS analysis, is an analytical method that combines the features of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a sample component matrix. GC/MS analysis is generally considered one of the most accurate analyses available.
GCMS testing is widely known as the 'gold standard' in the chemical analysis of essential oils. In a nutshell, a GCMS analysis identifies the various constituents in an essential oil and lists how much of each constituent is present as a percentage. GCMS is especially useful for air samples but can be used to detect, quantify, and identify chemicals in air, water, soil, plant and animal tissue, and many other substances. Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Gas Chromatography (GC) and are excellent tools for the analysis of essential oils because the semi-volatile and volatile analytes that make up essential oils are readily separated, identified and quan
tified.
The main purpose of any chromatographic process is to separate compounds so that we can then study them independently from the others. As essential oils are made of dozens, often hundreds of molecules, it is not surprising that gas chromatography is so fundamental in quality control.
In a nutshell, a GCMS analysis identifies the various constituents in an essential oil and lists how much of each constituent is present as a percentage. A GCMS test is crucial in verifying the authenticity and purity of an essential oil.
Ask the company for it, it should be right on the web site with the oil purchased and then read it. Learn to read what it means. You want to know if your oil is real or fake If fake it's worthless other than for perfume, not therapy of any kind,
- Various Sources
