What makes an essential oil therapeutic grade?

People always confuse about these things. What is essential oil? Is Organic oils always has therapeutic effect? What is Therapeutic? And how do we know that the oils we buy is a therapeutic grade? These are the usual questions about buying aromatherapy oils that I found on the net.

As you know essential oils that use in aromatherapy is distilled from a plant and it has a powerful healing properties. It has a wide variety of use: to massage our body, can be used as a treatment, and cooking.

That's why you need a good quality of essential oils to achieve a better result in aromatherapy. By buying aromatherapy oil from reputable supplier you'll have confident in using them.

Did you know...

"That only 2 percent of essential oils sold in the United States are true Therapeutic Grade?"

Standards have been developed by the Association French normalization Organization Regulation and adopted by the International Standards Organization to distinguish true Therapeutic Grade oils from inferior oils merely used for fragrance.

This is a growing concern as demand for therapeutic oils increases due to health-conscious consumers desiring to ward off today's stressful lifestyles--thus diminishing the supply.

True Therapeutic oils are immune-system stimulating, anti-viral, anti-infectious, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, antiseptic, anti-tumoral and even anti-fungal.

If you still not sure about how to get this therapeutic grade oils, then I'd recommend Mountain Rose Herb as a reputable and trustworthy supplier.

And this is why....

Gas Chromatography Purity Testing

Gas chromatography is the scientific method employed to differentiate imposters from the real McCoys. It measures whether basic components of an oil occur in a precise percentage.

If only two primary constituents do not meet precise percentages, the oil cannot be AFNOR or ISO certified--although the oil may qualify as Grade A.

Gas chromatography can also identify oils that have been synthetically manipulated. At Mountain Rose Herbs, we go the extra mile and request the use of a 50-meter column during gas chromatography testing.

Most U.S. labs utilize a 30-meter column, which is adequate for vitamins or minerals--but is certainly not adequate for the chemical complexity of essential oils.

An oil's purity can be affected by myriad environmental factors: geographical region, altitude, climate, soil, growing conditions and harvest method and season. Even the time of day the plant is harvested can affect the oil's purity! Producing genuine Therapeutic Grade essential oils is indeed a fine art.

We do painstaking research at Mountain Rose Herbs, insisting on knowing harvest location, methods utilized to extract the oils, and data reports assuring the oil's character.

Proper Steam Distillation

The distillation method also affects an oil's purity--and Therapeutic Grade oils mandate preserving as many of the plant's compounds as possible.

Therapeutic Grade oils must only be distilled in stainless steel cooking chambers at lowest possible pressure and lowest possible temperature.

Extremely high temperature and high pressure, or contact with chemically reactive metals such as copper or aluminum can quickly destroy delicate compounds. At Mountain Rose Herbs, we even insist on knowing how the vats are cleaned!

Every essential oils offered by Mountain Rose Herbs is 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade. The aromatherapy oils we stock are obtained by steam distillation of the plant's volatile oils. And our oils are derived from the first distillation--never the second, third or fourth! The only exception to this rule is our Lavender 40/42, which is a blend of many different lavenders; and absolutes, which are extracted by alcohol. These oils may not suitable for therapeutic aromatherapy, however they are deliciously intoxicating as a fragrance or perfume.

No Additives

The primary components of 98 percent of all essential oils in the market are synthetic. They should not be used for therapeutic applications, and they potentially carry risks. Only pure essential oils should be used for therapeutic purposes. At best, synthetic oils may not produce desired therapeutic results--at worst, they could possibly be toxic.

Mountain Rose Herbs oils are 100% pure, natural plant oils. They are free of added water, alcohol, carriers or other diluents. No chemical solvents are added during distillation, and nothing is added to the oil after distillation. A very large selection of oils offered through Mountain Rose Herbs are certified organic through Oregon Tilth Certified Organic.

Although organic certification is an intensely painstaking process that a few of our suppliers are still striving to attain, any oils we stock that are not yet certified organic are guaranteed to be free of pesticide and chemical residues. Mountain Rose Herbs oils are wholly suitable for aromatherapy, cosmetics, cooking and body application.

Article source : Mountain Rose Herb

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