WHAT ARE FAKE ESSENTIAL OILS AND HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

WHAT ARE FAKE ESSENTIAL OILS AND HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE 

Essential oils are becoming more and more popular because people are trying to find healthier ways to make or use natural remedies. If you have the habit of using essential oils it is important to know this information.

Just like every growing market, the essential oil market is getting some products that are fake. The problem with fake essential oils is that you don`t get the actual product that you buy (the label says one thing but you get another), they can be harmful to your health (can cause irritation, burns etc.) and instead of natural oil extracted from a useful plant, you’re getting a bottle of chemicals with none of the health benefits that come from that plant.

Here are some tips on how to tell if your essential oil is real or fake:

- Essential oil are always sold in dark bottles (amber or dark blue usually), because they expire fast if they are exposed to the sun, if the bottle is transparent the oil is fake.

- The labels of real essential oils always include the following information: the Latin name, origin country, expiration date, batch number, storage information, purity statement and the word “essential” in the name (like “lemongrass essential oil”, not just “lemongrass oil”). 

- Look at the price, real essential oil take more money to make. This doesn`t mean that you need to buy the most expensive oil, it means that essential oils can`t be extremely cheap. 

- If you purchase oil from the same company, but it doesn’t smell like the others of the same type you purchased, that’s actually a good. If the oil consistently smells exactly the same every time you buy it, then the company is adding chemicals to achieve the same smell profile.

- Except for heavy oils like sandalwood and patchouli, essential oils are light and will not leave a greasy ring when dropped on paper. You can do a test by putting 1-2 drops of essential oil on a white paper; if the oil leaves an oily ring on the paper when it dries the oil is fake.