Many essential oils sold as “100% pure and natural” are cut, diluted, and adulterated with vegetable or mineral oils, low-cost synthetic molecules, chemical emulsifying agents, turpentine, or alcohol. These profound alterations can make essential oils toxic and allergenic.
They may also be blended with other essential oils from the same family (e.g. inexpensive lavandin super mixed with fine lavender). Some essential oils are discolored or contain artificial colors. Others are stripped of certain molecules.
The only way to produce a premium essential oil is to control its quality in the laboratory.
The best essential oils are:
100% natural
no synthetic molecules, chemical emulsifying agents, or mineral oils.
100% pure
free of essential oils from the same family, vegetable oils, alcohol, and turpentine.
100% whole
uncut, uncolored, unmodified, and not subject to deterpentation, overoxidization, or peroxidation.
Each stage in the production process is important
The selection of the plant variety, the growing and harvesting method, and the distillation process are all criteria that will influence the quality of the final product.
Before bottling, systematic tests are performed on each batch to ensure the finished essential oils are 100% pure, 100% natural, and 100% whole.
The Pranarôm laboratory guarantees:
- A selection of certified organic plants
- Long-term partnerships with farmers and distillers
- Short supply chains for improved traceability
- Systematic tests of each batch by independent agencies
Control methods
Chromatography
Gas chromatography is performed using a sophisticated device that identifies the aromatic molecules in an essential oil (up to 450 aromatic molecules). The chromatograph produces a graph with a series of spikes. Each spike represents a specific aromatic molecule identified by the software.
The spectrometer
A mass spectrometer determines the relative proportion (quantitative composition) of each of the aromatic molecules in the essential oil.
The aromatogram
An aromatogram is used to measure the antibacterial power of essential oils. This in vitro technique is identical to the method that is used to measure the antibacterial activity of antibiotics.
How to read essential oil labels
The label on an essential oil bottle provides evidence of the quality of the essential oil. Each label must be precise and complete.
- Volume
- Batch no. for 100% traceability, from the farm to the consumer
- Expiration date: using the oil after this date is not recommended
- Name and address of the brand
- Type of product: essential oil
- ORGANIC means “derived from organic farming” (Certisys-BE-01 certification)
- Latin name: botanical name and, if applicable, the chemotype (CT)
- Common name
- Distilled plant organ
Certification labels
Ecogarantie: Ingredients derived from organic farming (Certisys BE-BIO-01 certification) - ECOGARANTIE ® product certified according to ECOGARANTIE specifications (CERTISYS certification)
Organic farming (Agriculture Biologique): Ingredients derived from organic farming (Certisys BE-BIO-01 certification) - ORGANIC means : derived from organic farming (Certisys BE-BIO-01 certification)