There are so many essential oil myths on the internet and elsewhere–it’s hard know what to believe. Some of the most popular myths are about purity–about how to know if essential oils are pure or not.
I’m here today to cut through all of the nonsense and get to the facts. So let’s dig in!
Essential oils are all the rage right now.
But with all of the information out there, it’s hard to know what to believe.
One of the most pressing questions out there is, how do you know if you are really buying pure essential oils, and not some bottle of “who knows what” diluted or adulterated with something else?
I think you know what I mean.
It seems that everyone and his brother (or sister) is using essential oils–and even more confusing is that pretty much every day there is a new essential oils company in the marketplace. And each of those companies is telling you that they are THE BEST! THE PUREST! The ONLY quality oil out here.
It’s gotten very much out of hand. In fact, it’s a veritable essential oils jungle out there.
In case you haven’t noticed, essential oils claims of purity and efficacy are everywhere.
Many of them, however are just not true.
There are essential oil purity myths–many of them. People and companies are telling you how you can know if what you have is REALLY a pure essential oil.
Well, a lot of them are false.
It’s confusing enough trying to figure out how to use essential oils and of course you need to keep in mind essential oils safety issues like do essential oils expire and whether or not essential oils are a scam, but one thing is for sure. If you are going to use essential oils, you want them to be pure. No thanks to toxic synthetics and cheap fillers in my oils.
So today we’re going to bust the essential oils purity myths. I hope this helps set the record straight.
Essential Oil Myth Purity Claims
Here are some things that companies claim about the purity of their essential oils…..
“Our oils are therapeutic grade.”
“We have the ONLY pure oils anywhere.”
“We looked at all of the essential oils on the market and found that there weren’t any quality oils ANYWHERE so we decided to start our own company.”
“Our oils are clinical grade.”
“We have only pure grade essential oils.”
“We have oils that are XYZPDQ certified (you know what I mean).”
“There are NO other pure retail oils on the market.”
and on and on it goes.
Frankly, I’m beyond sick of this.
And beyond that, there are representatives from essential oils companies sharing more faulty information about how you can test an oil to see if it’s pure.
So now you can be your own little EO expert at home.
Yeah.
I’m here to tell you the truth so hopefully you can sort through all of the nonsense in the essential oil marketplace and make a truly educated decision about what essential oils to buy–and what essential oils to leave on the shelf.
Essential Oil Myths
Pretty much every day I see some claim about essential oils that infuriates me.
I get them in my inbox, in the comments section of my blog, or I see them online–either on a website or on Facebook.
There are companies making claims and representatives from essential oils companies making claims about how their oils are the best. The purest ones.
On and on and on it goes. Readers regularly write and ask me, “What do you think about this company? They say they are pure!” and “Where does XYZ company measure up?”
I get it. It’s totally confusing. My head starts spinning too when I see all of these companies popping up with essential oils claiming to be pure and the best.
Common sense says that they can’t all be the purest and the best.
Someone has to be selling bad stuff out there, right?
Yes, it’s true.
There are shenanigans going on in the essential oil industry and it’s time to set the record straight.
Let’s first talk about why some of these essential oil myths are just plain wrong–and then later I will share what you really need to look for if you want to buy only pure essential oils.
The Label Myth
The ingredient list should have one item, and one item only: 100% pure oil. Well, first of all, if we’re talking about single oils, that can be true, but an oil blend will have a number of oils in there. I know that’s not the point that this company was making, but it is true.
Also, some companies sell essential oils that are diluted with carrier oils. Doing such does not mean that you are getting an adulterated oil as long as that dilution is disclosed on the label.
Besides, so many companies list only 1 ingredient on the label and that does not mean that they are selling only pure oils. They put in synthetic fillers or other adulterants and of course they aren’t going to list those on their label.
Can you imagine a label for a Lavender Essential Oil that claims to be quality that says: “Lavender Essential Oil and Synthetic Lavender added” on the label? Well, if you see that–don’t buy it :).
A company can write whatever they want on a label. That doesn’t make the oil inside pure.
Certified Organic = PURE
If the essential oils are certified organic, are they necessarily pure?
Nope.
It’s not even crucial that you buy organic essential oils to avoid pesticides. I will go into this at a more at a future date, but you do not have to get Certified Organic Essential Oils in order to have pure essential oils. It’s just not true.
There are some advantages to buying organic essential oils in some cases, but purity is not necessarily one of them. There are companies that have tested organic essential oils and found them not to be pure. And I have verification of that in my inbox.
GMO-Free = PURE
This is a good point in one sense.
You do not want to buy essential oils from GMO plants. That being said, when is the last time that you heard of GMO Melaleuca :)?
Basically there aren’t really any GMO plants that are made into essential oils, so no worries here.
And just because an essential oil is marked as being GMO-free doesn’t mean at all that it is for sure a pure essential oil.
Certified Therapeutic=Pure
There is no industry-wide certification of essential oils.
So when a company states that they are therapeutic grade, or clinical grade, or whatever certification acronym they decide to put on their essential oils bottle, that certification is just that. Their own designation. Nothing more and nothing less.
I could just as easily set up an essential oils company and put some purity designation together like “CBPEO” for “Certified Best Pure Essential Oil” and start selling my stuff.
But unless I have some sound science behind that name it means nothing.
Unless a company has something to back up essential oils claims of purity, those claims are not necessarily true.
The White Paper Test Myth
Something else that is all over the internet is that you can easily test your essential oils at home by putting a drop of the oil on a plain piece of white paper, letting the essential oil sit for several hours and observing. The story goes that if it disappears slowly and doesn’t leave a ring, then the oil is likely pure.
Malarky.
First of all, some oils are heavier and will leave residue. Furthermore, adulteration isn’t typically done by adding carrier oils any longer — these companies are getting smart. They are adding things that wouldn’t be picked up by such a simple test.
So save your paper.
The Freezer Test Myth
Another essential oil purity myth that is being tossed around is that pure essential oils don’t freeze. So simply place your essential oils in the freezer and if they freeze? Well, you have impure oils.
Again, not true.
Yes, some oils will not freeze in a typical household freezer, but all liquids will freeze at some temperature. There are some oils that will freeze in a household freezer, some will freeze in the refrigerator, and some are solid even at room temperature. The issue is the components of the essential oils which will crystalize at different temperatures depending on the amount of that component in the essential oil.
Here is an explanation of the freezing of peppermint oil by Robert Pappas:
The menthol in peppermint can range from 30-50%. Mint oil that has menthol content in the upper 40s (getting close to 50%) can crystalize in a household freezer, while cheap 33% menthol Indian peppermint, like the one that the MLM reps are saying is the good peppermint, can’t crystalize because its so inferior in its menthol content that it would take a much lower temperature to solidify.
The Nose Test Essential Oil Myth
This test encompasses many of the so-called essential oil purity tests that I have seen out there.
Tests like:
Does your essential oil smell rancid? It must be laced with a carrier oil.
Does your essential oil smell like alcohol? It’s probably been adulterated with alcohol.
Do the oils smell different than other oils of the same type that you’ve used? It must be fake.
Got a headache (or other reaction) from your essential oil? It must have toxins in there!
If you smell an oil and it doesn’t smell like other essential oils that you’ve used before, or if it smells “off” to you, or gives you a headache, does that mean that the oil isn’t pure?
Nope.
First of all, oil smells should vary by batch. The aroma of an essential oil should vary somewhat depending on the time of year, water, soil, etc. In fact, consistent smell could be an indication of impure essential oils as some companies add substances to their essential oils to make the scent consistent across batches.
Furthermore, a physical reaction to, or distaste for, a particular essential oil could be the result of a physical problem, allergy, or some other issue, and could have nothing to do with a purity concern.
Now, this doesn’t mean that your nose isn’t important. It is.
In fact, in my next post on How to Buy Pure Essential Oils, I will talk about the role that smell does play in determining essential oil purity.
But just be aware — your nose doesn’t always know :).
The Greasy Hand Essential Oil Myth
You know the feeling. Greasy hands.
You have some oil on your hands and you just have.to.wash.it.off.
If your essential oils are pure, the saying goes, you will not have that feeling on your fingers or skin.
Well, for the most part this is true. However, there are some oils that are exceptions to this. Those exceptions are heavy and richly colored oils like sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli and German Chamomile. So this is partially true, but not always.
The Dissolve in Water Essential Oil Myth
This “myth” states that true essential oils will not dissolve in water. This argument states that when companies adulterate oils they add emulsifiers and surfactants to stretch out the oils.
Well, newsflash–neither do vegetable or other carrier oils that might be added to an essential oil to extend its volume. That being said, most adulteration isn’t done with carrier oils any longer. The alteration is more sophisticated now. These adulterated oils will not dissolve either.
Save your essential oils and don’t put them in water to test them.
The Supplement Label Essential Oil Myth
Some brands of essential oils have supplement labels on them. It lends some sense of authority to the label but does it mean that the oil inside is pure?
Think about it. You’ve likely heard of how supplement companies have been caught with undisclosed or impure ingredients in their products, right? Some of them are only selling RICE FLOUR masquerading as vitamins!
The Supplement Facts Label sure didn’t stand for purity there.
And it doesn’t with essential oils either.
The Supplement Label means that the oils are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the government. Doesn’t mean that that is what is in the bottle, though. Essential oils that a company recommends for ingestion should have the supplement label on the bottle, but labels aren’t regulated unless complaints or injury reports cause the FDA to intervene.
Conclusion
So there.
Tons of myths about essential oil purity that are just not true.
Stick around to find out the truth about how to really know if you have pure essential oils.
And if you’d like to know the company that I trust to supply my family with quality essential oils (and no hype) you can go here to read about my search for the “best” essential oils. Or you can skip to the end here.
To make sure that you don’t miss the upcoming updates (I’ve got a few really interesting posts in the works), and to get access to oh so many other good things, the following might strike your fancy:
Free Essential Oils Report and Newsletter Access
Also, if you go and grab my Free Report on 10 Things to Know About Essential Oils Before You Buy, you will not only get more myth-busting essential oils information, but you’ll get access to my VIP newsletter as well–complete with updates, great healthy living offers, of course new posts on essential oils, and more.
I hope this is a help to all of you as you wade through the myths in the marketplace.
Maybe I should call this series Essential Oils Truth-finders. No lies allowed :).
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Oh, and please do share this with others. Enough of the lies.
Let’s get the truth out there!
Did you believe any of these myths before reading this post?
Which one(s) and what do you think now?
Hello,
I just did a paper test to a local brand who produce essential oil and claim it as 100% pure.
But, it leaves an oil mark even after 24 hours and the paper feel greasy. It’s a lavender essential oil.
I asked to them about the purity and tell them about the paper test i did. They said that their essential oil is pure but unrefined so it leaves an oil mark because it contains crude in it.
They have Certificate of Analyst, the put the latin name, country of origin, extraction method, which part of the plant that extracted.
So, is it real that it’s 100% pure? Or they’re lying about the ‘crude’?
I’m so confuse because i never heard about that before
What are they saying is in it that is crude??
Have you done any research on revive oils? I have been seeing their ads everywhere, it claims to be pure at 1/2 the cost of young living (which I use now) but is this too good to be true?
Yes, I have looked at them–it’s confusing and all of these companies are complicated. Every company claims to be pure. Have you heard about a company that says “Hey there, buy our oils–we’re not pure!” Stay tuned. I hope to update this topic in the future.
any investigation into Floracopeia essential oils, the owners seem to be well educated and knowledge
Hi there. I have looked into them–I need to review this topic again soon and I hope to do so. Thanks for reading and sorry for the delay. Stay tuned!
Thanks for doing so much research and being the voice of reason and sanity when it comes to essential oils! Your first post series on essential oil companies was so helpful, and this one hits all of the high points on what not to fall for in advertising. Well done!
Thank you so much! I hope to have some more EO posts coming out soon–stay tuned!
Since you have proven that these test are just mythh.. why not tell rather how to know if essentials oils are pure rather than promoting your trusted brand. .. That will be a better idea
Hi there. You are, of course, welcome to purchase any brand that you think is pure. The one I recommended in the post is just one option. This post should be what you were hoping for https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/pure-essential-oils-testing/
I hope to be writing more about this soon–stay tuned!
But how about that i am purchasing no brands essntial oils and i want to know if they are pure.. Thank you
What brands are you buying? This post might help you: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/pure-essential-oils-testing/
Hi I think I’ve read your articles before and enjoyed them. And I would like to believe that I don’t have to pay as much for good essential oil since I’m a massage therapist. But on reading your background I Kind of confused as to How you would verify that all of these things ARE Myths?
Hi Louise – Thanks for the kind words. Are you saying that you think that my background isn’t enough to verify that these things are myths? Or are you saying that you would like to know how I found it out? Let me know :).
I would like to know more about how you found out? Do you have links to research that was done? Or any other links to research that you did? Thank you!
Which item(s) are you referring to?
Hi! I recently started using and selling doTERRA essential oils. It took a while for me to get educated on them to understand them. I like them now only because I have seen them actually work and experienced them myself. My wife forced the Deep Blue, which is one of doTERRA’s proprietary blends, on me after a long week of putting in wood floors. I could barely stand up straight from the soreness. Once applied you could feel it immediately and within 2-3 hours all the soreness was gone and didn’t come back. I also had a guy put this on his knee who has an old ACL injury that pains him from time to time because he did go to the doctor and his reaction was immediate. No more pain and not even the next day when I saw him. Another older lady with morphine medication for her arthritis that only lasted 15 minutes tried it and it lasted for hours up to the next day. Another lady who was having back pain because of an old care accident tried it and no more pain. This stuff is great and I’m amazed by it. I’ve also recently given their Breathe Touch to a person who was having asthma problems and had an oxygen tank she didn’t tell us about. When she inhaled my wife walked away with another client only to have her turn around to see the lady crying in joy. She explained her situation to my wife and that the medication she was on was not working and the blend not only kicked in immediately but worked better. It completely opened up her air ways. I’m in the church and one thing I love is to see this actually helping people. I guess what I would like to ask with all this said is have you done any research on doTERRA and the quality/purity of their oil and pure blends? I’m asking because it’s obvious this stuff works but I want to make sure I’m not missing anything about the product I’m promoting to people and it never hurts to ask. They seem to be one of the biggest if not the biggest oil company out there. I just want to make sure.
Hi there. Yes, I have done quite a bit of research. Here is some information https://wholenewmom.com/what-to-buy/best-essential-oils-company-young-living-review-doterra-review/. I have not heard of their oils failing a purity test–only that there was concern about undisclosed ingredients. I think I actually did hear about artificial vanilla ingredient being in one of them but that wasn’t for sure the case if I remember correctly.
Hope that helps!
That sounds like you are saying it was just ” HEAR SAY”, so why would you have anything to comment about something that you do not have any positive information on the subject?
I have been with ” doterra ” now for going on four years and I love my oils!!!!
So when and if you have any proof about the vanilla oil I would love to know.
Thank you for your time.
Hi there. Actually this is what I was referring to. https://utahstories.com/2014/08/damning-evidence-that-young-living-and-doterras-essential-oils-are-adulterated/
This kind of thing can sometimes be hard to sort out due to the science behind essential oil testing but I can see if I can get more information since you asked. Thanks.
I would really like for you to point me in the right direction where you spent a lot of your time on chemicals in our daily products. I see you are very well informed so I assume you spent your time researching everything. Can you please give me the right links? I am interested in the big brands names: everything from toothpaste to cleaning supplies. Thank you.
Hi there. Oh my that’s a really big topic. Tell me what you would like to know. I haven’t published details on companies that much due to various reasons but I hope to do more about that. What kind of products are you looking for? I have some trusted brands that I really love. Thanks for your kind words. I do have a research problem :). There’s always something to be studying!
Ideas, simple examples to help people make better decisions for their lives, their health, why switch?
Sure! I think I should maybe do a guide on this in addition to this post. Here’s one place to start–does this help? Happy to direct you to other resources. This is something I have been thinking about–maybe writing an ebook / doing posts on this topic. So your question is very timely! https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/remove-toxins-healthy-lifestyle/
I appreciate your post. I use a company oil that I really do believe in using. Yesterday a friend of mine kind of “attacked” me on why I am not using the same oil she uses because mine was “fake” Needless to say, this post helped me a think about things in a more practical way. Not saying one is “better” then the other, I just feel we should do our research and decide with facts. Thank you
You are so welcome. There are for sure a lot of myths out there and a lot of it is centered on making people buy from only 1-2 companies. Thanks for reading! More to come :).
It’s happening in the bottle. When the oil is almost out, there is about a 1/8″ to 1/4″ of congealed oil. I can’t imagine how the diffuser could cause this, but I’ll switch out the brand & see what that does. 🙂
It can’t be related to the diffuser then if it’s in the bottle.
Well, then it’s settled. It’s something in the oil itself, apparently. Unless it’s because I’m using a bottle that once had Lavender oil in it. But I washed it thoroughly & rinsed with alcohol…maybe that caused it somehow. (By the way, what does “subscribe to comment” mean? I always check it, but do I need to?)
Hello there – sorry for the delay in responding. Dealing with a lot of things here both professionally and personally. Yes, I think that’s it! About the “subscribe to comment”–that is so odd. It didn’t used to say that that I remember. It means that you will get updates to comments on that post. I am working on this–can’t figure out how to change the wording but we’ll get it done–thanks for the heads up! We’re working on redesigning the whole site so that is on the list!
I have been using NOW peppermint oil in my Aromalux diffuser each night, as it’s less expensive than the oils I use otherwise. After a few days, some oil is congealed in the bottom of the bottle. Any idea of why?
Hi there. Is the EO congealing in the EO bottle? Is it a new bottle or oil?
I pour the NOW oil into an empty, clean, YL oil bottle which then fits into my AromaLux diffuser. When the oil gets low in the smaller bottle, it congeals. I’ve never seen this before, so thought maybe you’d have an idea on it. That’s the only thing I use NOW oil for. I’ve used YL oils for years, & thanks to you am now using RMO. But with diffusing every single night, all night, & with my diffuser pulling directly out of the bottle of oil, I use the NOW oil that’s more economical.
Hi there. Just checked w/ an aromatherapist who said she hasn’t heard of this. I would call the company and ask them what could be going on.
I just talked w/ NOW – they think it would have to do w/ how it was stored or something like that.
Interesting. Maybe how it was stored at Amazon, which is where I bought it. Here at home, it’s stored in the original bottle in my kitchen cabinet. Except of course for the oil that I’ve poured into the (former) Lavender Oil bottle, which I use in my diffuser. This is the ONLY oil that has ever done this, so it seems very weird. Thanks for your help, anyway! 🙂
You’re welcome!
You know, it makes me wonder if it’s the AromaLux diffuser that I only recently bought. I’ll try it with some Rocky Mountain Peppermint oil & see if it happens with that oil as well. Thanks!
So it’s happening in the diffuser or in the bottle?
Hi,
When I pick lavender in my French garden ( same as in your garden, the common Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia) and rub my hands around the stem and then smell it, it STINKS. The smell is overpowering, strong and really not “nice”. That smell will also change whether I pick the plants growing South, West or in more clay soils.
However, we buy Young Living Oil – And every single bottle smells the same, it smells “nice” almost pleasant – How is this possible? I cannot make a link in between the plant smell and the oils we buy…
Hi there. Hmmmm..that’s interesting. Every bottle should not smell the same. In fact, bottles that smell different is what should be expected I think. Is it angustifolia that YL is selling?
Yes YL sell the Lavandula angustifolia, your common type you find in every garden around the world.
But with a consistent, predictable sweet smell (?!) and I cannot explain it….
Hmmmm… I don’t know what to say but I think I recall that sweetness myself. There have been some concerns about YL testing in various places—with 3rd party testing, etc.
Hi
Thanks so much for this information. Where do you buy your essential oils please? I have been on the internet for hours searching to see which one I can trust. I am still undecided. Thanks in advance.
Hi there. This is the company that I went with. https://wholenewmom.com/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
You can sign up for updates here: https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/ I hope to revisit this topic in the near future! Thanks for reading.
Thanks a lot
What do you thing of Gurunanda oils?
I have been concerned about things I have seen and read. Did you see these negative reviews? https://www.amazon.com/GuruNanda-Top-Blends-Essential-Oils/dp/B07CSFM3VH/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1543170245&sr=1-4&keywords=gurunanda
Wondering about a company called Young Living, considering purchase of essential oils.
Hi there. I wrote this series that started after I had tried Young Living and doTERRA. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/the-great-essential-oils-showdown-in-search-of-the-best-essential-oils/
This post in particular might interest you: https://wholenewmom.com/what-to-buy/best-essential-oils-company-young-living-review-doterra-review/
Let me know if you have questions.
I make & sell natural personal care products. Essential Oils are amazing and so yeah, the companies seem to be coming out of the wood work lately. I’m thankful for this part however because when the market is saturated, folks, for the most part, get a better product. Most companies want to provide a quality product so you return. Yet there is much malarky, as you say, just like anything else ~for a sale. I find this occurs more so in the multi level marketing companies (use to subscribe to these as well as distribute). Things like mamas using volatile orange E.O. s on their babies to supplement vitamin C makes me cringe!
As for quality, one that I didn’t see on your list is Jedwards International. Like I said, I formulate personal care products and have used many companies for E.O.s, always on the look out for a great one. And this company delivers. I can tell quality from my senses but they also include a certificate of analysis and the safety data sheet with each of their products. Even rosehip oil, Jo. (NO I’m not affiliated just sharing a top notch company. And one that sells more than a mere dram of any given oil.)
Hi there. Thanks for commenting. So I have talked w /this company. Do they meet the standards in this post? https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/pure-essential-oils-testing/
I looked into them for purchasing other products (I know I was looking at xylitol) but they didn’t have organic so I went elsewhere but they seemed like a nice company. Thanks.
Have you ever covered the topic of carrier oils?
Overwhelming deciding which rosehip oil is actually what it claims to be.
Thank you for your research on essential oils!
Hi there. No, I haven’t really. What are you wanting to know? I do hear that rosehip is good for the skin, etc. I have a post on nigella seed oil here: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/nigella-seed-oil/