When you buyessential oil, its quality is indicated on the cardboard packaging the bottle: the words “essential oil 100% pure and natural, 100% integral”, the name in French and in Latin, HECT (chemotyped essential oil) or HEBBD (biologically and botanically defined oil ), the molecule or two most representative of its composition, the name and contact details of the supplier laboratory, the geographical origin of the plant, the organ from which the EO is extracted, the expiry date. Nothing prevents you from requesting the chromatographic analysis of HE, a guarantee of its conformity with the European and French pharmacopoeias. In other words, a good EO can be bought in a pharmacy, in an organic shop, under certain brands known for their seriousness, online from a few very reputable suppliers. Not in a market, in a bottle without a label.
Should we prefer them organic?
Highly concentrated, HEY require a high level of quality. This is why it is always preferable that the distilled plants come primarily from organic farming. Their cultivation is carried out by specialized producers whose specifications exclude any use of synthetic herbicides or insecticides, thus avoiding any trace of pollutants. An organic HE can be recognized by the AB logo (or another authorized logo, for example Ecocert) stamped on the bottle. However, you should know that the so-called “100% natural” essential oils, produced by the main renowned laboratories, are just as qualitative since, organic or not, they have proven that their components are 100% natural: there is no therefore no residues of pesticides or other harmful products were found.
vegetable oils
Obtained by first cold pressing of certain fruits, flowers and oilseeds, they are the best vehicle for the active ingredients of essential oils. They serve in particular as a diluent for the dermal uses of essential oils, which are too powerful to be applied pure to the skin. They promote or slow down their diffusion through the skin, but also (because they are very rich in fatty acids) reinforce the protective film of the epidermis and combat skin dryness. They generally keep for 30 months away from light, air and heat and can be used within 6 months after opening the bottle.
Beware of synthetic products
Beware of HEY cheap sold in souvenir shops, on markets or on foreign Internet sites… You risk getting a synthetic product without any therapeutic properties. As Danièle Festy regularly reminds us, “an essential oil is 100% natural or nothing. So if you spot ethylparaben, BHT, oxybenzone-benzopone-3, polysorbate-20 (toxic molecules suspected of contributing to various disorders and diseases) or even flavorings on the label artificial (potentially allergenic and irritating), leave the so-called HE on the shelf and go to a pharmacy, a parapharmacy or a natural product store instead.
