14 Tips to Spot Fake Essential Oils
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Wondering how to find what essential oils are fake and which are pure? You've come to the right place.
The essential oils market is murky and full of corruption. Every company claims to have pure oils, and some claim to have the best oils, but the truth is there are plenty of companies selling fake essential oils.
No one wants to waste money on essential oils that aren't the real thing. So here are tips to spot fake essential oils and to also help you know what essential oil brands are good and which ones you should avoid.
This article was originally part of a series comparing essential oil companies. As I continued researching essential oils and industry practices, I realized the bigger issue wasn’t which company was “best,” but how difficult it can be to identify truly pure oils. This post has been updated to help consumers recognize signs of fake or adulterated essential oils.
Essential Oils: a Huge and Growing Market
The essential oils market is huge. In 2024, it was estimated to be $24.94 billion USD, and it was expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% through 2034. That means that in 2034, essential oil shares globally are expected to be 59.04 billion. That's a lot of money being spent on essential oils, and that doesn't include inflation!
The hype around oils doesn't seem to be quite like it used to be; it's still a massive business. Companies are moving away from artificial fragrances, plus there's an increased focus on wellness in many countries. It makes sense that companies want to be part of this growth, but it also makes the marketplace more cluttered.
Some big players (and a few smaller ones) in the industry claim to have the best oils. That's really just silly. Unless they were the only company that knew how to make the best essential oils or had exclusive access to the best oils in the world, it just can't be true.
Here are ways to avoid the scams out there to ensure you're spending your wellness dollars wisely.
14 Tips to Spot Fake Essential Oils
1. Pricing
The saying “if it's too good to be true” can for sure be the case when it comes to essential oils. Now, just because essential oils are reasonably priced doesn't mean that they're low quality or adulterated, but the opposite is true as well.
Oils that are grossly overpriced aren't necessarily better quality either. The multi-level marketing essential oils come to mind here. I'm not completely anti-MLM, but let's face it, there are a lot of people getting paid, and sometimes the pricing in those companies is just way out of line with the market.
It's a good idea to compare the prices of any one company with other essential oil companies to see if the oil you're considering buying is in range. If it's significantly less expensive, then the oils are more likely to not be quality or to be adulterated.
2. Company History
Another thing to consider is how long an essential oil brand has been around. While a company's newness doesn't mean that they're selling fake oils, a company with a longer history is easier to check out based on reviews and their relationship with organizations. Of course, reviews can be falsified, but it's at least one more resource to check.
More reputable brands are also more likely to exhibit at trade shows or to be involved with other training endeavors. You can also check to see if the company is registered with any professional aromatherapy organizations.
3. Packaging
Essential oils should always be stored in dark-colored (either amber or blue) glass bottles. The reason for this is that essential oils degrade from exposure to light, so they need to be packaged in glass that prevents light from hitting the oils. Also, neat (undiluted) essential oils are strong, and they can react with the plastic over time, leading to contamination of the oils.
Glass is inert and will not react with the oils. If the oils have been diluted heavily into carrier oils to be used as is on the skin, then it's fine for them to be stored in plastic.
4. Botanical Information on Label
An essential oil label absolutely should include the Latin name of the essential oil. If that's absent, you won't really know what you're buying in many cases. Plants that have the same common name may not share the same benefits or contraindications.
Orange essential oil is one good example of this. Sweet Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis) is not phototoxic, but Bitter Orange Essential Oil (Citrus aurantium L.) is. So knowing the Latin name can be very important.
5. Paper Test
Most pure essential oils won't leave an oily residue after doing the “paper test.” For this test, you put one drop of the oil on a piece of paper and let it dry. After several hours, there should be very little sign that the oil was there. If there's an oily residue, that indicates that the oil might have been diluted with a carrier oil.
The reason this test works is that essential oils aren't really oils, and they evaporate into the air, but a carrier oil won't evaporate.
There are, however, a few important things to keep in mind. First, this test won't work for resinoid oils, like myrrh, which will leave a residue on the paper.
Second, just because there's no trace of the drop on the paper doesn't mean that the oil is pure; it could be adulterated some other way. Most “bad actors” in the essential oil arena these days are doing much more sophisticated things to rip you off than just adding diluting with carrier oils.
Third, some essential oils, such as blue tansy, sandalwood, bergamot, lemongrass, patchouli, and German chamomile, will leave a color residue that could be misinterpreted as an oily ring.
6. More Label Information
In addition to the botanical name, a bottle of essential oil from a quality company will typically have the country of origin, ingredients (if there are any in addition to the oil itself), expiration date, processing method (cold-pressed, steam distilled, etc.), safety and storage information, and full company contact details on the label, including a website.
Some of these are preferences, while some are legally required by the country of distribution and/or manufacture.
7. Smell
The smell of an essential oil can also give you a clue as to whether it's a quality essential oil or not. Organoleptic testing is the term for testing an essential oil's scent. It's of course a subjective test, but with a little experience, even amateurs can become at least fairly good at it.
When you sniff the oil, ask if it smells like a real essential oil should smell. Keep in mind that essential oils are all-natural products and plants don't smell like candy.
Essential oils also shouldn't smell like chemicals or alcohol. And hint: there are no essential oils of “apple” or “mint chocolate chip.” So if your essential oil smells like some of the above, or like a fake scented candle or something from a “body shoppe,” you just might be dealing with a bad essential oil.
8. Feel
When you rub a drop of the essential oil on your body or between your fingers, check to see if it feels oily or sticky. If it does, it's likely that the oil has been diluted with a carrier oil. For the most part, pure oils shouldn't feel that way.
There are some exceptions to this situation, however. Some thick oils, like patchouli, vetiver, myrrh, sandalwood, German chamomile, and cedarwood oils, are thicker than most essential oils, so they can sometimes have a sticky feel to them. Also, when oils oxidize, they can get sticky as well, so the oil might not be fake or adulterated; it just might be expired.
9. Pouring Mechanism
The best kind of pouring mechanism to have on the top of a bottle of essential oil is an orifice reducer. An orifice reducer is a plug that will still allow the oil to come out of the bottle drop by drop but also prevents air from getting into the bottle and oxidizing the oil.
What you don't want is a top that has a pipette with plastic sitting in the oil. Because essential oils are so strong, the plastic from the pipette will likely leach into the oil.
10. Growing Conditions
Since essential oils are so concentrated, it's very important to oils that have been contaminated with pesticides. You can do that by purchasing essential oils with the USDA seal, but wild-crafted oils are another good option.
Wildcrafted oils are made from plants that are typically unsprayed in contrast to oils from farmed plants. If the price point of organic and wildcrafted oils is a bit too much for your budget, at least make sure to avoid farmed citrus oils as they have been shown to be contaminated by pesticides.
11. Amazon and eBay Sellers
Yes, I know. It's convenient to buy on these sites, but just don't do it. So many rogue companies are selling there, and you literally could be buying who knows what. Even if the labels look good, unless a reputable company has its own site on there, you just can't know what you're getting.
12. Compare With Other Oils
You don't have to do this with all of the oils that you purchase, but it's a good idea to experiment with various essential oils from different brands. Since essential oils are natural products, they will vary by season and where the source plants are grown, but some things shouldn't change.
If you have an essential oil that seems a lot different from others you've tried, and the supplier can't give you a good answer as to why that is the case, you might not be dealing with a quality oil.
13. Readily Available GC/MS Testing
A reputable essential oil company should have GC/MS reports available for customers, and those reports should be done by a reputable third-party lab. Of course, it's not a simple task to read GC/MS tests, but knowing that they are there is comforting because a company can be called out for having a bad GC/MS report by experts.
At the same time, GC/MS reports can be falsified. I've heard from reputable sources that companies will get GC/MS reports for different oils and will then put the report for whatever oil they want on their site. In addition, essential oil adulteration has become very tricky to test for because the “bad guys” are better and better at manipulating oils so that they'll test well.
14. Company Transparency
A company's response to questions can also be a good indication of their quality. A trustworthy and reputable seller will be open to questions and will be able to provide detailed answers that make sense.
Of course, not every customer contact can be expected to be stellar, but if you get the feeling that a company is hiding something, they just might be.
Conclusion
At some point, we need to trust one company or another, but in this confusing world of essential oils, it's a good idea to consider all of these factors when trying to figure out where to buy your oils from.
It's just not worth skimping on essential oils to save a few bucks. If you're using essential oils responsibly (not putting multiple drops in your water throughout the day), you won't be going through bottles that quickly, so spending a bit more to make sure you're getting good products is worth it.
I sure hope that this list helps you use your healthy living dollars wisely and that you'll consider sharing this post with others.
Because friends don't let friends buy fake essential oils.
I would review the use of essential oils internally. You mention it in one of the reviews about Mountain Rose where they say they do not recommend any internal use.
Here’s the thing internal use can be VERY DANGEROUS. There are some essential oils that, when diluted, a lot, can be safe and are even used regularly in foods and beverages to flavor items.
Lemon, Orange, peppermint. These are a few examples that can be used internally, though again you should still dilute them quite a bit.
Other ones, like wintergreen for example, can be deadly. Even if used undiluted topically it can cause a lot of harm, especially to infants or those with poor lung health. I think your review overall is great, but I think this is an issue that has become obscured especially with companies like YL and DoTerra. Nothing against their oils specifically (expect for me the price, and I’m not big on those types of companies). However having lay people being the ones who end up selling your product it’s easier for misinformation to spread. It’s something I have seen a lot of recently and concerns me. Not only is it dangerous to individuals, it also compromises the industry as a whole.
Thank you!
Thanks! Yes, initially I was interested in companies that talked about internal use but I have moved from that position. That being said, I want pure oils no matter how I am using them…..b/c I don’t want toxins in my air either (some adulterants in essential oils are nothing that I want on my body, etc. :).
Jackie B. Thank you, you are 100% right. I am a Certified Aromatherapist and the first thing I was taught is to never ingest essential oils! Not because of the purity, but because of the potency and the fact that they are fat soluble! Our bodies are made of water and are not meant to accept oils in this form. If you want a natural rememdy in your body, use it in herb form as a supplement or a tea. Btw, 1 drop of peppermint oil is equal to 28 cups of peppermint tea. Overkill, right? Adrienne, the best source for you from the very beginning is NAHA.org. They have already done all this research for you. Since the FDA does not regulate EOs, this is a group of volunteer experts that put safety and consumer info out there for you. Including Robert Tisserand, who literally “wrote the book” on essential oil safety. Lastly, I just want to mention that I agree with you about the MLMs. Some of them may have a decent product, but the fact that they have completely uneducated lay people selling their product is the problem.
This was very helpful information, I looked it up right away. Thanku
Hello, I am new to your wonderful site. do you know know anything about Plant Guru? They claim pure oils and a family run company. Their oil are super affordable. Thanks in advance.
I would recommend this post. Hope that is helpful! https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/how-to-know-if-your-essential-oils-are-pure/
I do. Plant guru oils questionable quality and terrible customer service. I was purchasing through amazon and then decided to buy direct from them, as a courtesy, to keep more money in their pocket. After ordering and paying through pay-pal via an invoice they sent me because their website was not working properly, I waited and waited. I sent over 8 e-mails asking for a tracking and got no response. I called and left messages. Finally I opened a claim with pay-pal and guru did not respond there either. But I received an email from guru saying they “reshipped” the items and would refund my money for the inconvenience. I asked again for a tracking # and no response. No refund came either. Finally, I escalated pay-pal claim and after over a month and a long phone call to pay pal I was told guru responded with a false tracking # and thankfully pay-pal refunded my money back. Worst internet buying experience ever. In the meantime I tested their oil that I had on hand using the tissue/oil ring method and they failed. This company doesn’t even source their oils from growers, They buy already made from other vendors and relabel. Additionally, I believe they have created fake “health” blogs to promote their products. If you attempt to leave a discrediting comment it won’t post or it has an error, and their is no contact blog owner buttons. I don’t trust them one bit. Buyer beware.
Thanks for this information ty terry.
Have you heard of a company called
AmbiEscents? Also. Avione Botanicals?
Curious about those.
No, I have not.
I would recommend reading the following resources:
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/essential-oil-purity-myths/
GC/MS batch testing is a must and every test should have a chemist’s signature on it as well. I have more posts coming out hopefully soon so stay tuned!
Yes that is true
I would like to recommend you look at a company called Floricopedia. they will check off all your boxes of locally sourced, wild harvested, organic, sustainable, loads of educational information on their website. They do not recommend internal use unless directed by a Health care professional as that takes the at home grass roots use to another level.
I have used doTerra and Young Living as well. One concern I have with doTerra is their reps are very degrating of other companies and claim to be the absolute only pure line of oils, which I have found to be innacurate. Young Living is great, but like doTerra are high in price compaired to a company I recently found. The company was founded in 1985 and the earliest production company of essential oils I can find. Because of my research, which goes in line with a lot of your guide lines here, I have switched and am currently a representative for them. I know you posted your email here somewhere, but I cant find it now. I would love to have your thoughts on this company (if you have Researched them of course), if you dont mind emailing me. Anyway, great information here, thank you for all your information and research!!!
HI there. You can post here if you like. I’m at adrienne {at} wholenewmom {dot} com. I have seen others making that claim too – makes me very upset.
What do you think of companies like Pranarom or Esoteric?
I haven’t heard of them.
These should interest you and I have another post coming out soon:
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/essential-oil-purity-myths/
Hi Jamie what is the name of the oil company you are using now. Like you I have used and am using both doterra and Young Living oils they are good but very expensive. Would like to check out yours please.
Regards
Diana
You can buy NOW essential oils at many major grocery markets, Whole Foods and online at Vitacost.com. They are so much less expensive than the pyramid scheme ones and they work just as well.
I’ve been using essential oils for 4 years now and I never researched them like what you’ve done. I am so grateful you are sharing this information with the world! Please check out my blog as I also investigate forms of holistic healing and try out minimalistic methods. A quick visit would be deeply appreciated. Thank you so much!
( site deleted by blog owner)
Thank you for reading! Sorry for the delay in responding. I did remove your site’s address b/c first of all I don’t allow self promoting on my platform, but also b/c your site appears to be dead now. Thanks again.
I can’t find the recommendations of which essential oil companies you recommend. I’m lost with all these updates 🙂
So sorry – it all got very confusing. The final post is here: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
I started really using essential oils about 3 months ago. I buy from camdengrey. What do you know about them? It wasnt until I came upon info wanting to buy frankincense oil that my mind went spinning with which kind to buy. Steam distilled isnt good. Then theres CO2 method which is the best oil. But a report claims there could be more pesticides in that if its not organic. So I went from frankincense oil to needing CO2 organic. Camdengrey only sells 3 oils using CO2 process. Plus after reading all night the best Frankincense oil comes from Somalia. Theres an article all about the diff frankincense oils its very informative. Do you have any info on this oil as where to buy the best.
I just cant keep up with all the info on one oil. Well this is actually the third oil I have researched intensely. The others being Camellia and Rice bran. I finally decided on wowaza in Japan for these oils. I am still waiting to receive them.
Sorry this got long just want to say that I thought all I had to do was go to health food store buy an oil. Now I have to read labels checking info. This makes buying really difficult and hours of research on internet.
Hello and thanks for reading! I am thinking, if I am correct, that this company is dedicated to soap making? That doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t quality but typically I would be a little more cautious as they are typically going for fragrance than purity – but not always for sure. I would look at the following:
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
GC/MS batch testing is a must and every test should have a chemist’s signature on it as well.
Organic isn’t necessarily important. Some plants aren’t sprayed at all. I will be writing about this. Rice Bran isn’t an essential oil – were you thinking that it was?
I agree w/ you on how confusing it is. That’s why I want to find 1 or 2 companies that I trust and buy from them. Otherwise I start losing my mind! Did you read this post? https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
I am so sorry I’ve read pretty much all the stuff you’ve written about essential oils and still feel I do not know which one you found to be most pure and truly do what they say they do in the guide that is offeted on therapeutic oils. You have written some great stuff and I appreciate your research yet as I said earlier I don’t feel you’ve really said which co truly offers the most natural and beneficial oil. I am not as concerned about price as I am about quality and most of the oils working. While I know there’s nothing perfect I do know many oils have worked. I personally have tried thieves. Please get back to me if you could with a more specific answer on the top essential oils one can purchase. Thanks.
p.s. Please don’t sell my email address I have enough junk mail and would prefer not to get anymore. Much thanks!
Hi there.
I’m sorry — did you get to the final post?
I don’t sell any addresses – that’s so unethical. This is the final post. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/ Let me know if you need more help.