Technically, ‘organic essential oils’ must meet the same standards applied to organic food and bear the UDSA green-and-white circular seal that appears on food products. This means plants must be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides; and cannot be processed with artificial, synthetic or chemical additives or preservatives. If roses, for instance, are grown organically but their essential oil is extracted with a petrochemical or synthetic solvent, the resulting essential oil will not be ‘organic.’
The term organic is used loosely and confused with words such as ‘100% natural,’ ‘pure,’ ‘chemical-free,’ ‘highest- or finest-quality,’ ‘no pesticides,’ ‘all-herbal,’ ‘grown wild,’ and ‘unsprayed.’ These terms are not synonymous even though they are used interchangeably. The only way to be sure you’re getting truly ‘organic essential oils,’ is to look for the USDA seal or ask a trusted dealer if they can certify a particular product is organically grown as well as organically manufactured.
In aromatherapy there are two schools of thought whether organic essential oils have a superior aroma or are more beneficial than non-organic oils. One argument is essential oils are highly concentrated and therefore they hold onto high concentrations of contaminants; however, there is no scientific evidence to support this reasoning. The counter argument is when oils are steam, water or alcohol distilled, molecules of pesticide and fertilize are too large to pass through the distillation process. Hypothetically, only pesticides sprayed onto plant material during or after harvesting, two unlikely occurrences, could survive distillation.
Whether to use organic essential oils is as personal as one’s decision about organic food. Similarly, organic essential oils are more expensive than non-organic, sometime more than 100% higher.
Amazon Auto Links: No products found.