What Isolates Are And Why You Should Avoid Them
Jenna Jones
Isolates are popping up more and more in the aromatherapy world, which may lead you to wonder what they are and if they’re in Edens Garden’s oils. Our essential oil experts are on the case and ready to discuss everything you need to know about isolates and why they may be a concern to you.
What Are Isolates?
Each essential oil contains tens of hundreds of natural components. Isolates are ‘isolated’ essential oil components that have been manually separated from the essential oil through fractional distillation, selective CO2 extraction and column chromatography which involves the use of chemical solvents. Occasionally, isolates are a cheap byproduct of oils such as folded citrus essential oils where limonene may be removed to increase the amount of other components.
Why You Should Avoid Them
There are many reasons companies may choose isolates over essential oils, and it’s for these same reasons we suggest avoiding them. Here’s why.
Consistency Isn’t Key
Plants are affected by rainfall, pH of soil, sunlight, fertilizers and more. These factors affect a plant’s chemistry, which results in chemical differences between essential oils. You might notice a variation in the aroma of essential oil batches as a result. This is normal and expected of natural products, but some companies may alter an essential oil’s chemistry by adding isolates to create uniform, consistent batches with the same color, aroma and other organoleptic traits. A larger issue is if a company does not disclose these practices. This may be fine to some, but to those who are expecting to receive an essential oil that is as close to nature as possible, this can be a problem.
Natural Is Better
While isolates are obtained from natural products, we find that the more a natural product gets processed down (in this case, to one single component), the more value it loses. This is why we prefer whole essential oils and go to great lengths to ensure minimal processing occurs between the plant stage and the essential oil stage. With minimally invasive processing, we’re able to obtain highly therapeutic essential oils with beautiful, complex aromas, and this is something that isolates simply cannot offer.
Nature’s Synergy Blends
As mentioned earlier, essential oils in and of themselves are a synergy of tens of hundreds of natural, therapeutic components. These components work together to create powerful essential oils that effectively heal wounds, boost immunity, lower stress, enhance sleep, and more. We believe that this is the way nature intended it, and why isolates are not found in nature as they are–isolated. By using isolates in place of whole essential oils, you’re giving up the powerful, complex therapeutic and aromatic properties that essential oils have to offer.
Fragrances
In cosmetics and fragrances, isolates are often used and referred to as ‘natural fragrance.’ Isolates may be added to products because they have basic aromas that are easier to use than essential oils which each have their own, complex aromas. They may also be cheaper than the essential oils they’re obtained from. However, isolates can also have heightened safety precautions, such as being more sensitizing, than their essential oil counterparts.
100% Pure Essential Oil
At Edens Garden, we offer 100% pure essential oils and synergy blends, free of isolates, synthetics, additives, preservatives and more. This is something that we don’t and will never compromise on because we want to leave essential oils the way nature intended–pure and unadulterated. And this is just one of many standards that sets us apart. To learn more about our uncompromising standards, click here.
29 comments
Regina, we appreciate your feedback.
Ive done extensive research and read many articles on Isolates. And I agree with other posters. This article is a bit unfair in its reporting. There are Natural Isolates that are naturally distilled without chemicals and there are Isolates where chemicals are used to distill the Isolate. Like with all products that have an effect on us we need to do due diligence in researching the product before bringing it into our lives. You can start with an ‘SDS’ report on a specific product. Reputable Scent, Perfume supply co. supply them along with other documentation.
I honestly think that natural isolates are good, it adds another spectrum of scents to the natural perfumer’s palette. for example before you couldn’t make melon notes in natural perfumery but now you can because of melonal from fractionation of may change essential oil. I agree that sometimes natural isolates are a byproduct and not the best quality in that case, but they are better quality than their synthetic counterparts. For example, natural benzyl acetate is softer and less overpowering and synthetic-smelling than its artificial counterpart. Sometimes, tho, isolates are not the best thing such as in aromatherapy, where you want the therapeutic quality of the oils, not just the scent. So even absolutes are not really allowed in that case.
I say praise the Lord that I found this site on 11/2/21. I was planning on buying a vaporizer since I thought it would do the same thing as a diffuser. It stated on the box that I could add essential oils to it. I did a Google search asking what the difference was between diffusers and vaporizer and landed on your site. Your article convinced me that it was in my best interest to use a diffuser with essential oils.
Been hearing about essential oils for quite some time and am just getting a better understanding of using them. I hope this company is located in the US so I can start placing orders. I appreciate, as noted on your site, your honesty and integrity in delivering a product that is what the claims of purity are, along with the purity and products that are not filled with toxins and fillers. These are the types of products that want and look for when their desire is products of purity that will be useful for healing and the elimination of toxins and parasites from their bodies. God bless you all.
More great info, keep up the good work!!!! I learn so much from reading your simply direct info. I keep all your good info & print. This goes into my note book for Eden’s Garden in front. I’m not just teaching myself. I’m also teaching others how dangerous some products are on the shelf that they purchase. And how easy it ease to make simple natural products. My dream is to get people off the pharma train, and listen to their body more. Not calling Dr for every little issue.