There’s a lot of talk in recent years about things natural, health, well being, essential oils, aromatherapy, eco-friendly and the like. One only has to flick through magazines, go online, watch TV and go shopping and these buzz words confront us all in many guises. It’s no wonder then that many are jumping on the band wagon and are now making products that claim the positive benefits of natural ingredients, essential oils and aromatherapy. For the consumers, this can only be a good thing, right?

So what are essential oils? Aromatic plants are plants that contain essential oils.  Essential oils are derived from the essence of plants. These are complex mixtures of individual chemical constituents which determine the therapeutic properties and fragrance of the essential oil. Essential oils are in a wide variety of plants and are found in the flowers, leaves, bark, root steam and fruit and these oils are extracted through several methods. It is important to understand and appreciate these facts as essential oils are not only used for aromatherapy but also for personal fragrance, home or ambient air care , skin care , body care, cosmeceutical products, and even  food &beverage . Using the best and finest quality essential oils is therefore “de rigueur” in aromatherapy and for products that claim 100% natural, particularly in skin and body care. For these products to deliver the promised benefits, the purity and quality of the essential oils are vital to determining the therapeutic results.

In many industries where essential oils are used for mass produced consumables, there is far less need for the "pure" essential oils and far greater need for consistent, standardised essential oils that do not change from shipment to shipment. In this case, the oils are tested and then adjusted to a “standard” by adding or removing constituents until the resulting oil meets the ideal percentage required. In contrast, aromatherapy and products that claim 100% pure essential oils usage must follow the highest standards in quality and purity. The essential oils must be 100% pure and need to be the highest quality. Adulterated essential oils will just not deliver the therapeutic benefits that one expects.  Consumers have also to be mindful of the risks of serious skin irritation or sensitisation due to possible adverse reactions to the synthetic chemicals that have been used to adulterate, extend or 'standardise' the essential oil for products that are mass produced.

Most manufacturers of aromatherapy and essential oils have standards and process to ensure that products are unadulterated and deliver the best possible results. At the Natalie Group a stringent Quality Control process is strictly pursued which starts from the origin of the plants. This involves verification and authentication of the botanicals sources and species followed by other methods and tests like low distillation techniques, olfactory test, measurement of physical parameters of the oils and many more. The rigorous checks guarantees that if any of the essential oils fail to meet the standards, the product is not released in the market. So next time you choose a product that promise the therapeutic benefits of essential oils and aromatherapy, be sure to read the labels carefully.