6 Ways To Tell If An Essential Oil Is Fake

When we think of the word counterfeit, the first thing that comes to mind is money. The word seems intrinsically linked to the image of fake dollar bills. But essential oils can be counterfeit, too! At Edens Garden, we only stock the highest-quality essential oils so you can be sure you’re getting the very best. To help you understand the EG difference, here are our top tips for spotting the fakes.

Carrier Oil Is An Undisclosed Ingredient

Sure, some companies offer pre diluted essential oils to make them more affordable for consumers. In our case, we offer prediluted Roll-Ons so you can conveniently apply your Roll-On topically. But, the fact is that you know this when purchasing your oil. An untrustworthy company will sell you an oil that’s been cut with carrier oil and not tell you. One way to identify this is if, say, an oil like Rose, Jasmine or other generally expensive oils seem erroneously cheap. In which case, you should ask the company if the oil contains a carrier oil  in hopes that they’re honest with you.

It Contains Synthetic Fragrance Compounds

Close your eyes the next time you smell a newly opened bottle of essential oil. Does it remind you of commercial room sprays, perfumes, candles or other fragrances? If so, it may be adulterated with synthetics or it’s completely synthetic. Keep in mind, there’s no such thing as “Honeysuckle” or “Apple” essential oil and essential oils generally smell like the plants from which they’re derived – not a scent you might experience in Bed Bath and Beyond or Yankee Candle. 

The Oil Lacks Qualities Characteristic Of Its Kind

Is your Blue Tansy essential oil clear? Does your Tea Tree smell more fruity than medicinal? Is your Sandalwood oil thin and runny? Characteristics of an essential oil can vary depending on where its grown, but certain characteristics generally never change. If you pick up an oil that is far removed from others you’ve experienced of its kind, and the supplier has no reasonable explanation for it, run the other way.

You Have A Bad Reaction To It

Certain essential oils oxidize quickly and easily, like citruses for example. An oxidized oil will oftentimes have a rancid aroma and can cause skin sensitivity. If you buy a new bottle of Sweet Orange and it has an off-putting aroma, it irritates your skin despite being properly diluted or both, it could very well be oxidized. In which case, ask the supplier when the oil was distilled. 

How It’s Labeled

It’s important to note that all essential oils have a Latin name, which is their official name. If you’re buying an essential oil that isn’t labeled with its Latin name, be aware that it might be an inferior oil. If it’s a blend, be sure to check for an ingredient list that arranges oils in order of greatest to least and includes the essential oil name and latin name as well. 

They Don’t Offer GC/MS Reports For Oil Batches

It all comes down to this. You can speculate about whether an oil is of low or high quality, but at the end of the day, it’s just speculation unless the oil is tested via GC/MS. At Edens Garden, we GC/MS test our essential oils because it accurately reveals if an oil contains synthetics, carriers, pesticides and more. After testing, both our third-party lab and our in-house aromatherapists analyze the tests, checking that the oil is pure and of the highest quality available. We offer these reports on our single oil’s individual product pages under “Reports,” because our oils have nothing to hide but pure goodness.