Essential Oil Company Comparison
Starting in the summer of 2022, I began personally reaching out to several essential oil companies to find out the answers to several basic sourcing and testing questions. I wanted to have the answers be visible for anyone coming to this website to see.
As I connect with more companies, I will list them (and their answers) here. Just because they are listed here doesn't mean that I recommend them or will use them personally.
As of right now (October 2022), the companies that I will be purchasing from for my family and clients are: Aromatics International, Plant Therapy, Far & Wild, and Selah. I have created affiliate links for each of these brands. Original Swiss Aromatics intrigues me, but they have been very slow to respond to my questions.
If you would like me to connect with another EO company, please let me know their name and I will start researching.
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
3. Where do you source your oils?
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
6. Where does the distillation take place?
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
All oils go through GC/MS testing and all test reports are published https://blog.planttherapy.com/blog/2022/05/06/todays-testing-is-tomorrows-quality/
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
2b. Further information about testing:
“Plant Therapy always strives to better our own internal procedures from sourcing to final product – and backs it up with third-party testing.
Our in house chemist, as well as our QA team does various other testing measures to insure there are no contaminants in the essential oil shipments once we receive them. The results of this testing are often found on our COA (Certificate of Analysis) reports. Those are also available and are lot specific on request.”
https://blog.planttherapy.com/blog/2022/05/06/todays-testing-is-tomorrows-quality/
3. Where do you source your oils?
“We find out everything we can about the farmer, distiller, or supplier. We research the background, reputation, commitment to quality, and commitment to the industry…Plant Therapy has been able to build long-standing relationships with farms, distilleries, and other ingredient suppliers based on trust and consistent product quality and purity...
When we are purchasing Organic Essential Oil, they do have to be Certified Organic. We are a USDA Certified Organic company, so oils that meet that criteria, must meet those guidelines in order for us to certify them as organic.”
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
“We work directly with the suppliers. Suppliers can sometimes be the farm themself, or they can sometimes be a "middle man" between essential oil companies and the farms themselves. We do sometimes work with brokers as well.”
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
“Plant Therapy works with various suppliers and brokers from all over the world. These suppliers are strictly vetted inside and out. We will only purchase essential oils from reputable places that consistently show us they have the best quality. This is very important to us and for sure not something we ever take lightly.”
6. Where does the distillation take place?
“Distillation can take place in a variety of places, sometimes they are done on site from where we purchase. Sometimes distillation might occur at the farm our supplier is purchasing from. This may vary, but is something we do our research on at the time of purchase.”
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
“We cannot guarantee that other companies do not purchase from the same suppliers as us. There are many farms/suppliers that are some of the only ones to produce essential oils. Because of that, there are various different companies that might be purchasing from the same supplier.”
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
“This will vary depending on where the essential oils are being purchased from. However, all barrels are tested immediately upon arrival and subject to frequent quality assurance checks. This involves in house testing by our analytical chemist, as well as 3rd party GC/MS testing.”
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
Will send purity testing analysis reports for any oils purchased upon request
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
Does not test for pesticides or heavy metals due to the cost and size of the company. Only works with farms that commit to and sign agreements that they do not and will not use pesticides and chemicals.
“To be totally transparent, the main reason for this is that it would cost an exorbitant amount of money to do this amount of testing with EVERY single batch of oil we regularly source from the several farms we source from all over the world, and as a small business, we simply cannot afford to incur this cost at our early stage in business. That said, we are targeting a day when we are able to invest in this as we know how valuable that would be to our experienced customers”
3. Where do you source your oils?
“We do everything else we can at this point in our business to ensure the oils we source are the cleanest and purest possible though and only work with reputable farms with that commit to these highest standards.”
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
"Two of our founders actually worked within the contract manufacturing space before founding Far & Wild and had inside knowledge about the supply chain that ___ and ____ used....which is part of why they founded Far&Wild seeing as they had the relations to go to the source and do business directly with these farms"
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
Quality audits are conducted on these farms, but not by Far & Wild directly.
Farms are vetted by independent 3rd party accreditation agencies who vet and certify that their growing, harvesting, and production practices are up to par and in accordance with the highest standards of essential oil production
6. Where does the distillation take place?
Conducted on-site at the farms
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
The farms we work with are not exclusively working with us only at this stage. Since we are still relatively small in size as a business, we don't yet have the volume to demand exclusivity from them. In fact, it's quite possible that the larger companies still use some of the farms we also use to source some of their oils.
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
Stainless steel only
9. Other notes:
“We were passionate about essential oils but were tired of the complicated MLM sales model that dominated this product market and made it difficult to purchase high quality oils at reasonable prices. We wanted to bring the highest quality grade of oils possible directly to the consumer without sacrificing quality”
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
https://www.selahessentialoils.com/blogs/health-topics/on-the-purity-of-selahs-oils
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
“The nature of the distillation process is such that if pesticides/herbicides were used, about 99% of them would be removed through the process. The use of any such toxins just does not line up with the practices of our growers.
Thankfully, we have honestly come to a place of genuine trust in our partners and have great faith in their practices with the plants and the processes they are carrying out.
We do not test each and every batch of oil for contaminants (pesticides, metals, etc). This was happening initially, however, we have seen such positive results over time that we have come to really trust our partners. Testing for every and all products is cumbersome and unproductive as it was consistently showing results of no metal traces.”
3. Where do you source your oils?
“Connecting with our farms concerning their practices is an uppermost priority for us here. We strive to bring in only the best and to work with folks who have the same values as we do. We have great faith in our sources; they are solid, reputable, and aim to produce a truly pristine and pure product to offer in the marketplace.
A thorough amount of research (years worth) has gone into the selection of our oils. The conclusions we have come to for our sources are backed by hard evidence - we never compromise the quality of our purchases. We have chosen to work with suppliers who can provide us with high-caliber, therapeutically crafted, pure essential oils.
Each oil is grown in its most natural habitat. Our oils come from all over the world to ensure that they are produced in their most optimum environment. For example, we get our Peppermint oil from farms in the United States, while our Lavender is wild-crafted in France.
We select our essential oils with a few things in mind:
- Supporting ethical farming
- Obtaining wild-crafted essential oils
- Obtaining unsprayed, organic grown (uncertified but farmed with organic methods and principles) essential oils. (Because there is little consistency in organic certifications in various countries and various regions, it is not always possible to only buy certified organic oils.)
- The farm - the location and practices of the growers matter. Each one is carefully selected to guarantee that the oils purchased meet our quality standards.
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
Not specifically answered
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
Not at this time
6. Where does the distillation take place?
“Depending on the harvest, distillation can take place on-site or at a facility very close to the harvest location.”
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
“Yes. Depending on the farm and size, there would be other people sourcing from them.”
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
Not yet answered
9. Other things to note:
10% of profits go to missionaries in Ghana, West Africa https://www.selahessentialoils.com/pages/global-impact
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
Every batch tested & will send results whenever requested. 3rd-party testing on all oils. Posts top “key” constituents on each detail page. Provides entire analysis if asked (PDF file)
https://hopewelloils.com/quality.php
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
Does not test (does not feel the need)
“Theoretically, steam-distilled essential oils should not contain heavy metals (i.e. mercury, arsenic, lead, etc). These types of atoms/molecules are too heavy/large to be volatilized when steam distilled.”
3. Where do you source your oils?
Sourced from well-established farms all over the world (usually where they are indigenous), most of which use organic methods/standards
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
Some brokers, some farmers
“Some farmers only sell bulk to a distributor, as they are not set up to handle individual sales.”
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
No
6. Where does the distillation take place?
Sometimes on the farm, sometimes elsewhere
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
Yes
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
Essential oils are transported in metal containers with industry-standard liners common in the essential oil industry. The oil is only in contact with an industry-standard phenolic lining that coats the entire inside surface and does not break down when in contact with essential oils short term. These have been used for decades, and they provide a vacuum seal to protect the oil.
Have not yet answered any questions.
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
3. Where do you source your oils?
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
6. Where does the distillation take place?
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
- Instrumental testing such as Refractive Index, Optical Rotation, Specific Gravity, Gas Chromatography (GC), and Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS);
- And, Organoleptic Evaluation, focusing on appearance and odor.
See Purity Guide here:https://www.nowfoods.com/quality-safety/essential-oil-identity-purity-testing
Info on Quality & Safety: https://www.nowfoods.com/quality-safety
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
“Our extensive testing includes heavy metals and pesticides.”
See Purity Guide here:https://www.nowfoods.com/quality-safety/essential-oil-identity-purity-testing
3. Where do you source your oils?
Didn't answer
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
"We are not primary growers, so do not work directly with farms. We obtain from quality international producers/brokers with the requisite sourcing and production expertise."
From the website: "NOW® has established long-standing relationships with our suppliers, helping assure the quality and availability of our essential oils. We have also developed a stringent vendor qualification program, allowing us to source only the preeminent quality oils."
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
Did not answer
6. Where does the distillation take place?
Did not answer
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
Did not answer
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
"Plastic containers are not acceptable due to the solvent nature of EOs."
Messaged on 10/2/22. Have not gotten a response yet.
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide? Can anyone see these results?
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
3. Where do you source your oils?
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
6. Where does the distillation take place?
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
Note from Dory: For the other companies that I spoke to, I am just relaying the information in as unbiased a way as I can. With Young Living, it's different. I was with this company for 8 years. I wrote books, spoke at corporate events, invested thousands into business training and events, traveled, and hosted events. When I left this company, I left with the purest of hearts and the goal to simply be able to share the products that I found from many different companies. YL simply did not have the good quality supplements and products that led the natural supplement movement. After I left and more was uncovered about the business practices and quality issues, I took closer and closer looks, and I truly cannot recommend purchasing from this company anymore. Just some of my thoughts are included in the later round of questions.
1. What testing do you do on your oils and/or what testing do your suppliers do and provide?
"Quality starts at the farm and is proven in our labs. Through our stringent, unyielding quality benchmarks, we are able to identify the most pure, genuine, and effective ingredients.
Our quality control team uses a battery of physical, chemical, and microbiological scientific tests to measure the exact components and properties of our essential oils. Each test is repeated numerous times during the quality process. Testing begins at our farms and continues all the way through the final stages prior to shipment to our customers.
Our team of highly trained, highly skilled scientists perform state-of-the-art tests, including but not limited to:
- Densitometry
- Viscometry
- Refractometry
- Polarimetry
- Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
- Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES)
- Gas Chromatography (GC)
- High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
- Automated Micro-Enumeration
- Disintegration
- pH
- Microscopy
- Combustibility
- Flash Point
- Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
- Chiral Chromatography
- Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS)
While our labs can conduct all of these tests, we routinely use our third-party labs to supplement our internal testing. Each of these labs have highly skilled and trained scientists."
Can anyone see these results?
"Our scientific testing is an important part of our Seed to Seal® quality commitment. We believe that extensive testing is necessary to produce quality essential oils, and one or two tests is not sufficient. We have spent years developing some of the most sophisticated and accurate test methods in the industry. Sharing these specific methods could put us at a competitive disadvantage.
We are unable to provide GC/MS information as these reports contain proprietary information as to what constituents we deem most therapeutic and are therefore regarded as trade secrets. Patents and trademarks do not protect this information, as one cannot patent or trademark an oil."
2. Do you specifically look for pesticides or heavy metals, especially after shipping?
"All products comply with all U.S. federal safety regulations for heavy metal content by meeting or exceeding the specifications set by the FDA. We use an ICP method, and we use either an ICP-MS or an ICP-OES instrument depending on the which metal we are looking for."
3. Where do you source your oils?
"Our pure, authentic essential oils are sourced from around the globe.
The countries of origin for each of our essential oils are deemed as proprietary information. We are able to speak generally regarding some of the plants which we grow and distill on our global farms. However, as we are part of a competitive industry, we do not disclose comprehensive sourcing information for our essential oils.
However, the sourcing region for many of our essential oils can be found in the ‘Get to Know’ section of the product pages online. We will be continually updating the remaining product pages moving forward. In fact, we've already begun working on these updates and look forward to making them live as soon as we can.
All Young Living suppliers provide the same quality of essential oil. Partner Farms represent a deeper level of involvement and interaction between Young Living and the farm.
All Suppliers:
- Receive Compliance Training and sign a Compliance Training Certification
- Receive Seed to Seal Training and Sign a Seed to Seal Declaration
- Undergo a Comprehensive Risk Assessment
- Oils must pass stringent testing for purity and quality
- Become a part of our auditing program
- Sign Binding Contracts with Seed to Seal principles outlined in the contract
Partner Farms:
Everything Above and:
- A deeper operational involvement which may include:
- Longer term purchase commitments Research and Development Initiatives
- New product/cultivation development
- Site visits and farm work done by YL Members
- Qualify for YL Grant Program- ability to apply for grant money made available by YL"
4. Do you use brokers or work directly with the farms?
NOT ANSWERED
5. Do you provide audits on the farms and providers?
NOT ANSWERED
6. Where does the distillation take place?
"Essential oils from trusted third parties arrive in an already distilled form. Each batch of essential oil, whether from our farms or a qualified supplier, is subjected to rigorous testing, and we can assure you that all the oils we sell meet our exacting standards in every way. If the incoming oils do not meet the established profile, they are rejected and not allowed to be bottled as a Young Living product."
7. Do any other companies also use these farms?
"Most of our partner farms sell exclusively to Young Living and to the multilevel marketing (MLM) essential oil industry, but some may sell to companies in other industries, such as pharmaceutical, flavor, and fragrance. Young Living has complete exclusivity with our partner farms in the MLM space when it comes to marketing, farm tours, and member experiences."
8. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
NOT ANSWERED
9. Do you have an auditing team? Who oversees the audits? Are they in each country? How often are they done?
NOT ANSWERED
On November 2, 2022, I sent a follow-up email to get further clarification on the following questions. I received a response on November 3.
1. Do you realize that it is industry standard for aromatherapists to know where the essential oils come from geographically? How do you get around federal law that says you have to explain where a product is made?
3. Regarding the heavy metals in oils, do you make sure that the oils are only shipped in stainless steel barrels/drums? Or are some shipped in plastic containers?
"Our goal is that all our essential oils are shipped in either stainless steel or aluminum containers. Dark tinted glass would also be acceptable, but the logistics of shipping large containers of glass is impractical. A fraction of our oils is shipped in plastic containers that are specifically designed and approved to transport essential oils. Regardless of the type of container that an essential oil is shipped in, Young Living performs quality control (QC) testing for heavy metals on every lot to ensure it meets Young Living’s quality specifications."
[My thoughts: At least they admit that oils are also shipped in plastic containers. Yet the fact that some are shipped in aluminum, and those may be ones that are labeled for ingestion are very alarming. It's the lack of transparency and disclosure to the consumers and stakeholders that it the most appaling.]
"Each Young Living department has different functions and requirements. We work with various auditors depending on our needs. A single company cannot audit the entire Young Living operation. For farm and supply chain audits, we work with third party companies that specialize in sustainability and regenerative farming practices, quality operations initiatives, compliance, etc."
[My thoughts: Again, no absolutes. So consumers can't find out WHAT was audited and get the results. And for them to make the claims they have made in the past, it makes it seem like they had everything under lock and key.]
"Young Living has taken the position to not publish test results to protect our intellectual property.
Young Living routinely tests approximately 30,000 different samples each year, performing multiple tests on each sample. This results in more than 315,000 tests annually.
Young Living test results are documented, reviewed, and reported internally, then they’re stored in Young Living’s Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and measured against our specifications prior to release. Certificates of Analysis (COAs) reporting these test results are created for every Young Living product and become part of the release record. These records are routinely provided to governments or other regulatory bodies who require them for product registrations and regulatory audits. This includes prominent organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, and Health Canada (HC). COAs also are provided to Young Living’s contract manufacturers to ensure they’re part of their quality systems.