The Adulteration of Essential Oils

Popular and Expensive Aromatherapy Oils are Often Substituted

Aug 26, 2008

Some essential oils in aromatherapy are difficult or expensive to produce. Aromatic oils such as Rose, Melissa and Jasmine are often added to or substituted in some way.

A true essential oil is extracted from a plant, tree or flower, either from its fruit, flowers, leaves, roots or bark; by its very nature, it is never identical. Extraction from some plants may be a long and difficult process, resulting in a cost of time and money, and consequently a higher selling price. This has lead to a mass market of adulterated essential oils, particularly in the fragrance industry where branding takes priority over authenticity.

Adulterating an essential oil is relatively easy; forms of adulteration may include introducing an alcohol, producing synthetic products, substituting different and cheaper oils and passing them off as natural oils. In addition, adulteration radically changes or reduces the therapeutic properties. When used in aromatherapy, unpleasant side effects such as skin irritations and nausea may occur and the healing value of the oil is lost.

Adulteration of Rose and Melissa Oils

Perhaps the most expensive of all essential oils to produce is Rose (rosa damascena) as it takes 60,000 rose petals to produce just one ounce of oil. It is estimated that there are over 300 constituents which make up Rose essential oil, making it relatively easy to substitute one or more of its chemical components. Geranium (pelargonium graveolens) and Palmarosa (cymbopogon martini) are two of the most common substitutes, although they both have their own therapeutic values.

Melissa (melissa officinalis) essential oil is also frequently adulterated. It is also known as Lemon Balm, referring to its fresh lemony fragrance. Commercially produced Melissa, and therefore not a true essential oil, often contains Lemon (citrus limon), Lemongrass (cymbopogon citratus), or Citronella (cymbopogon nardus). The reason for its prohibitive cost, and thus adulteration, is that the plant has very little actual 'oil' and is mainly made up of water, requiring a large quantity for little oil.

Adulteration of Jasmine Oil

Another essential oil open to adulteration is Jasmine (jasminum officinale). A popular and highly fragrant flower, many may not realize that a steam distilled oil does not, in fact, exist and it is the absolute which is abused frequently. Absolutes are slightly impure by their method of extraction; they retain some of the solvents used in production and, although they are used in some form of aromatherapy, they are more popular in the fragrance industry.

Jasmine is unique in that it is obtained by the method of enfleurage; a traditional method of extraction which is both labor and cost intensive. Unusually, the flowers are collected after dark, when the flowers are most fragrant. The flowers, once gathered, have to be left a few days to release the essential oil, a system open to abuse from those unwilling to wait this long; chemicals are introduced to kill the flower and making it of no therapeutic value for aromatherapy.

Although adulteration of essential oils is a common and accepted practice in the world of perfumery, and in some industries such as household products, it has no value in aromatherapy. Interfering with the natural properties of an oil created by nature lessens or removes its healing power; only by ensuring that the oil is unadulterated will it be of aromatic use.

References:

Lawless, Julia 1995 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils London: Element

The copyright of the article The Adulteration of Essential Oils in Aromatherapy is owned by Sharon Falsetto. Permission to republish The Adulteration of Essential Oils in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.