Oils ain’t oils..

by simplysoap

 It’s true you don’t always get what you pay for. My Aromatherapy course, being a Lavender oil producer and aload of research has taught me this. Adulteration is a major factor when talking oils, not just essential oils either- all oils, full stop. Actually even the oils that you buy from the supermarket whether it be olive or vegetable may or may not be exactly what you think they are.  Big statement I know but if you look into it a little you will see what I mean.  It comes down to not having enough or the right types of regulations and standards world wide for many industries….

What is adulteration anyway?  Well it basically means messed with, not in true complete form, been added too or taken from. Not whole, stretched and weakened with synthetic or natural compounds, diluted, you get my point.  Why are oils and many other things adulterated (?) I hear you ask, well its simple its always comes down to the big fat $$$.  Yucky money bringing out the worst in people.  An example I can give you with Lavender oil is this, it comes from my Aromatherapy study books and it sums up adulteration perfectly.

“in the year 2000, the small exclusive group of distillers who produce and sell Provencal (lavende fine from Provence is thought to be the best lavender oil) population lavender, calculated the entire crop of this specialized product from that year.  The total yield sold that year was 25 ton. This Lavender was sold to buyers from around the world.  In the united states alone 250 tons of lavende fine from Provence was sold that year.”

Ok if you do the math it’s easy to see that something has happened to that oil, by like 225 ton in just one country! Imagine the money they have made! even worse still (you may not want too but) imagine what they have done to the oil to make it stretch so far… and what sort of affect those additives have on the oil we use and even consume, are they toxic?, what about theraputically and fragrance wise.  Not good.

So how can we avoid and or dectect adulterated products?  

Try talking to your local producer, go fresh at the farmers markets, drop into local wineries and olive groves (I was told once years ago that olive oil doesn’t always mean olive oil, the standards of this suggest that oils can be labeled olive oil even if it contains just  a certain % of the real thing, the rest can be made up of any other sort of oil… even engine oil for all we know!? YIKES!!!! No thank you! not what I would choose willingly for myself, family and friends!!)  The biggest thing is to test them for yourself, after awhile and alittle research you get to know what good quality is and can then follow your nose. Another tip is to Trust your supplier, or look elsewhere and find one that you can trust. (Words of wisdom!)

In regards to essential oils look at things like..

Extraction method/quality for therapeutic activity, identifying botanical name and plant source, determining an oil through gcms and price, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is

Of course it also depends on what you want to use your oils for as to what grade of oil you need.

FYI the only olive oil I use is Locally grown, fresh, pure, and I trust them wholeheartedly! that Is Paling Yards Olive Oil.  Look them up they are the best! YUM! Hmmm what sort of olive oil do you use?? I remember the stuff from the supermarket smelling alot like ratsac…. I also remember watching Master Chef and listening to Matt Moran, he said that the worst thing you could do was spend all the time money effort in producing an immaculate meal then spoiling it with off olive oil!!! Funny thing was before I saw that show, I didnt even know what Olive oil was supposed to smell and taste likeuntil I started to by fresh from the farmers markets and I tell you what I will never go back to the supermarket again for this oil.

Where do you buy your Lavender oil from? do you know if your using and essential oil, or a fragrance oil? hmm…

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