Deliberate Fraud

There are, as of yet, no standards for therapeutic-grade essential oils set by any government agency in North America.  Hence, labeling fraud is rampant.  Therefore, to be sure you are getting therapeutic grade oils, you need to know your grower, your distiller, your packager, and your distributor because anywhere along this chain of delivery, oils can be compromised.

There is nothing dishonest about producing food or perfume grade oils.  The problem comes when such oils are bottled, labeled, and presented as if they were therapeutic when they are not.  Such oils contain the flavor and aromatic components desired by their respective industries, but are usually missing the therapeutic compounds that do not contribute to taste or smell.

A common practice is to take a decent grade of essential oil and dilute it 90% to 95% with an odorless, colorless solvent (usually an inexpensive petrochemical) so that what WAS a pound of good oil becomes TEN or TWENTY pounds of diluted oil to be sold as if it were the original substance, thus multiplying profit.  Such diluted oils often carry labels saying “Genuine” or “100% pure”.  However, when you see a bottle of fluid labeled as “frankincense” for $10-$20 for a full oz, you can be SURE it has been diluted!

In Biblical times a pound of frankincense oil was more precious than a pound of gold.  If you have smelled true frankincense, then you will know the difference immediately when given a sample of the diluted versions that are common on the market.  I have tested several brands of anointing oils labeled as frankincense and/or myrrh sold in Christian bookstores and have not found a single one that is true.  When only the common names (Frankincense and Myrrh) are used and the latin names (Boswellia carteri and Commiphora myrrha) are missing from the label, that is a clear warning that the contents are probably NOT genuine, and certainly not therapeutic. 

Finding such oils for sale in a clear white glass bottle is another clue that the contents are not real essential oils, even though the label may say so.  Essential oils exposed to light will polymerize and lose both their fragrance and their healing properties.  Genuine essential oils must be stored in light proof containers or dark glass – like amber or blue.

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