Oils That Heal vs. Oils That Don’t

When you see warnings about the potential risks and toxicities of a certain essential oil and it is not clear they are referring only to non-therapeutic grades, you COULD be mislead to believe that certain oils should always be avoided, not realizing that there may be therapeutic versions of that species which are safe and effective.

When non-therapeutic brands of oils are mistaken for therapeutic ones and are applied with an intent to heal, not only is healing unlikely, but actual harm can result.

Definition of a Therapeutic Grade Oil

A therapeutic grade essential oil is defined here as one that is specifically distilled from plants that are cultivated organically or grown wild in a clean environment (not gathered along a busy highway).  Plants should be from the proper botanical genus, species, and cultivar.  No chemical fertilizers are added to the soil, and crop cultivation is free of herbicides and pesticides.  Essential oils should be extracted by steam distillation at minimum temperatures and pressures, as was done in ancient times.  No chemical solvents are used in the extraction process.

The essential oil must be distilled using low-pressure, low-temperature steam for the proper length of time to ensure that a complete essential oil is extracted, and that there is no significant loss or exclusion of lighter fractions or heavier fractions from the oil.  Moreover, distillation, condensation, and separation should be performed in vessels constructed of relatively inert materials, such as food-grade stainless steel or glass.

Finally, the chemical profile of the principal constituents in the oil must fall within the parameters of certain standards such as those of the AFNOR (Association French Normalization Organization Regulation).  There are also standards set by the EC (European Community) and the ISO (International Standardization Organization) in Switzerland.  As of this publication, there are no standards for therapeutic-grade essential oils set by any government agency in North America.  The United States Pharmacopoeia Convention (USP), founded in 1830, used to publish standards for herbs and essential oils, but today it only provides the latest FDA-enforceable standards for manufacturing synthetic medicines (drugs), as well as some vitamins and nutritional supplements. 

Therapeutic-grade essential oil should be bottled as it comes from the still, with none of its natural constituents removed and with nothing added.  The container and its lid, or seal, must be non-reactive, air tight, and a shield from light, such as bottles of brown, amber or dark blue glass.

Thus derived, an essential oil will contain hundreds of constituents, most of them in trace amounts and measured in fractions of a percent.  Yet, every constituent is vital to the healing potential of the oil.  It is the balance of these many constituents that forms the foundation of its therapeutic value.  While salt is never a major ingredient in any recipe for fine food, trace amounts of salt can make all the difference in the flavor and even the nutritional value.  The same with our bodies.  We need only traces of iodine, selenium, boron, chromium, cobalt, and many other elements, but when our bodies are devoid of even one trace element, malfunction, disease, and even death can result.

Thus it is with a therapeutic grade oil.  Its delicate balance is the result of having been grown in a nurturing environment of love, gently coaxed from the plant, and guarded from light, air and heat in a protective container.  Once delivered from the still, not one constituent is removed or is anything synthetic added, lest the life of the oil be compromised and it’s ability to administer healing obliterated or reduced. 

In general, with the exercise of moderation and common sense, whether inhaled, taken internally, or applied to the skin, therapeutic grade oils are safe and effective even when administered straight and concentrated, without dilution in a fatty base.  Therapeutic oils may also be called “healing oils”.

Reference:  The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God’s Love Manifest in Molecules by David Stewart, Ph.D., D.N.M. Registered Aromatherapist.