Thoughts on essential oil suppliers .... It's Our Right to Know What's in That Bottle!
The following is a question I discovered on an essential oil forum. With over 18,000 followers, I chose to keep my thoughts to myself due to the fact that many of the people on there purchase their oils from Garden of Eden and Plant Therapy. I had a hard time believing my response would be well received. In fact, having already upset the moderator on another post, it made sense to be invisible and share my answer elsewhere beginning in my January newsletter. But once I discovered a very questionable act of neglect, I decided to go public with this information because knowing what’s in the essential oils we’re buying is necessary!
Nature communicates with chemicals. Essential oils are compounds of chemicals plants produce and use for protection, reproduction and healing. Although they are rated GRAS by the FDA for the benefit of the consumer, science recognizes many of these chemicals as the signaling molecules they are. What’s more, they have been studied for centuries which continues on today, AND their discoveries are not only used to develop medications, but regulate the body’s detox and clearance mechanisms as well as penetrate tissues … most of which is based on their observation of various plant constituents.
I’m telling you this because knowing what’s in the bottle is critical for knowing if it’s safe to use with other natural remedies and medications.
It’s not uncommon to hear about adverse reactions a.k.a. side effects of medications. And there are times when we learn about a drug injury case albeit accidental overdose OR when someone becomes seriously ill after adding a new med to the currently prescribed regimen. We NEVER hear about potential issues between natural remedies (including essential oils) and / or medications. This is another topic altogether, yet, I recorded 2 videos in the last week that you’re welcome to check out! Click here for the one on cannabis and here for my thoughts on drug injuries in general
A better word for adverse reactions is synergistic. This word actually means, the interaction of two or more substances producing a combined effect which is greater than the sum of their separate effects .
Reading this takes the idea of good and bad out of every reaction and says, one reaction is responsible for another. Therefore, being aware of what we’re using and combining gives us the opportunity to inform our body of how we want it to react!
The question posed:
Hello! I’ve been browsing this forum for some time and have noticed a general theme running across the pages. Most people are recommending Garden of Eden and Plant Therapy for essential oil brands but I’m curious as to why Mountain Rose Herbs hasn’t been mentioned anywhere, really. It’s organic and inexpensive and not an MLM brand.
Thoughts? I’m just curious as to why no one shops there or recommends them. They even have a large assortment of carrier oils, recipe blog, and various smoking blends.
My answer: (which I realize is a bit different than what the author was looking for)
I cannot with good conscience recommend any of these companies. Not one of them provides a list of constituents or batch numbers which is how producers track the crop and time of distillation. Not only does the Garden of Eden not supply constituents, it doesn't even indicate which oil you're ordering i.e. chamomile! Is it Roman, Moroccan, or German? There is no telling! There’s not even a botanical name.
Plant Therapy provides SDS reports, quite similar to common MSDS, BUT there isn't a constituent to be found! On page 2 of the report for every oil I read through I found this statement: The exact percentage (concentration) of composition has been withheld as a trade secret. TRADE SECRET? We’re talking about plants AND as far as I know, naturally occurring compounds are not trade secrets .. they cannot be patented or trademarked!
Click here to see it with your own eyes
As for Mountain Rose, out of these 3, I like the best, yet, they don't list constituents either. There was one oil that said typically contains, and went on to list what’s usually found. However, the chemistry of oils does change from batch to batch, maybe not a lot, yet one chemical that shows up as a small percentage in one shipment could become rise depending on the growing season or location. Not to mention, keeping track of the constituents is quality control because adulterations are real as are mishaps with shipments. For instance, if a person is wanting to use an oil with a high concentration of a-pinene yet what they receive has a greater percentage of linalool with only a trace of a-pinene, it’s an entirely different oil with an entirely different degree of influence on the body.
This brings up another important thought. There are several varieties of oils within the same category. Said another way, there are several types of basils, rosmarys, thymes, chamomiles, sandalwoods, and so on that share the same botanical name because of the species BUT they are different plants. A few examples
rosemary cineol (rosmarinus officinalis)
rosemary camphor (rosmarinus officinalis)
rosemary verbenone (rosmarinus officinalis)
thyme linalool (thymus vulgaris)
thyme borneol a.k.a. moroccan thyme
thyme gerianol (thymus vulgaris)
thyme lemon (thymus vulgaris)
thyme limonene (thymus vulgaris)
thyme spike
thyme thujanol (thymus vulgaris)
thyme thymol (thymus vulgaris)
thyme carvacrol (thymus vulgaris)
The ones without a botanical name are slightly different yet, each oil has a different chemical profile, making it important information to have!
With this knowledge, it’s wise to ask your supplier, first, and if for some reason they are unable to provide you with the information you deserve, then honor your needs and find someone who will support you. Withholding details such as chemical profiles, percentages and batch numbers is a violation of your consumer rights.
In order to achieve the health results we desire, it’s up to us to source the body with quality information .. just like we do with our food.
You are what you use …..
Do you have a question about essential oils? It can be on anything? Email it to me and I will answer you directly and with your permission share it in the name of service.