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Would You Like to Create Safe and Effective

DIY Essential Oil Products?

Then this important blog post is for you!

Do you know the specific chemical components of the essential oils you’re using?

Do these phrases mean anything to you? 

  • Oxide-rich essential oils are superb for treating respiratory problems.
  • Essential oils with a high percentage of Sesquiterpenes are more stable and have a longer shelf-life.
  • Oregano essential oil contains between 61-84% carvacrol, and therefore must be used with caution.
  • Aldehyde-rich essential oils can be irritating to the skin and should be used in a low dilution.
  • Essential Oils with a high percentage of monoterpenes are highly lipophilic and therefore penetrate the tissues of the body easily (penetration enhancers).

No?  Then it’s time to raise the bar on your aromatherapy practice!

Advantages of Using GC/MS Tested Essential Oils

If you are serious about your work as an aromatherapist and want to use essential oils for their maximum therapeutic benefit, I strongly suggest you learn the molecules from which they are made.   The only way you can know this is through batch-specific GC/MS analysis of the essential oil. 

What does GC/MS Testing Mean?

GC/MS stands for Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry. Gas Chromatography (GC) is a method of separating the volatile compounds in essential oils into individual components. 

The Gas Chromatograph (GS) pictured below is a computer that produces a linear graph that charts individual components.
gcms
The Mass Spectrometer (MS) identifies each of these components and their percentages. This process can also tell us if the essential oil has been adulterated.   All the main components and some of the trace components will be listed on these reports.

The precise breakdown of the chemical components in an individual oil is SO important! 

Why?  Because the therapeutic benefits and safety issues of essential oils are determined by their chemical composition.  This process is vital for medicinal blending and quality assurance!

You can expect to pay a tiny bit more for essential oils that have been batch-specific tested, but it is money well spent when you want purity and the best results possible from your blends.

GC/MS Sheets in the Aromatic Wisdom Institute Classroom
In the classroom at Aromatic Wisdom Institute, my students use only essential oils that are batch-specific GC/MS tested.  In fact, our ACP (Aromatherapy Certification Program) is based on blending from the chemical component perspective so my students can create the most effective formulas for the best results.

GC/MS is Not the Same as MSDS

Please note that the information you receive on a GS/MS analysis report is NOT the same as that given on an MSDS sheet. 

Many essential oil distributors will offer you their Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This is fine, but it does not give the chemical breakdown of the oil.  An MSDS sheet is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner and includes information such as melting point, toxicity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill-handling procedures.

Your Action Step: Call the person who sells you your essential oils
and inquire if
their oils are batch-specific GC/MS tested! 

Then leave a comment below and tell me about that call!


Updated on June 28, 2023 for accuracy and relevance.

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