What Isolates Are And Why You Should Avoid Them
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.
About the Author, Jenna Jones
Jenna Jones is the Chief Marketing Officer of Edens Garden. Jenna’s background in journalism led her to investigate the world of essential oils, and what she discovered inspired her. She joined the team in 2016, spurring Edens Garden into a leading source for aromatherapy education.
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25 comments
Mary
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.
Tina Brady
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.
Angel
Just a simple THANK YOU for this article and many others that the staff have written. Don’t ever let us your true followers down. Thank You.
Mary
Thank you for this crucial information! This is precisely why I moved away from big name essential oils and to Edens Garden. In my experience, Edens Garden are impeccably effective. (Much moreso than oils I used to use)
Robbin
For perfume use, isolates are fine – they are designed to be singled out. They are tested and should have hazard reports available (MSDS sheets). If the isolates are identified, you know what you are getting. If it is mislabled as an entire product, say lemon oil, then it is a dishonest practice. Isolates in and of themselves should be qualified, but bashing all isolates as “bad” might be unfair journalism.
Tina Brady
Thank You !!!! For the easy understandable info. I have tried reading a few things on isolates. I either get sleepy or bored with all the scientific jargon, also have to keep a dictionary at hand. Thank You again for simple info, I don’t need a science degree after all!!!!
Yael Maimon
Thank you for sharing what an educational report
Vicki
Thank you for information, and also for wonderfully enjoyed and trusted natural oils!
I am blessed by your products, from my sinuses to my muscles, and aroma I get to wear, awesomeness from nature.
Sincerely,
Vicki
Enjoying life just a little bit better.
Michele A Smith
Your article was extremely important but you are speaking to the choir. Honestly, I was one of those who purchased what was termed essential oils. Once I started ordering from EG the quality is why I will continue to purchase your oils.
Doreen Latella
thank you for this information. My sister just asked me today, where to buy reputable tea tree oil, and I told her I only buy from Eden’s garden. The quality is superb!
Christa Robertson
Thank you for keeping your oils as nature intended. I recommend Edens Garden to anybody who is looking for essential oils without having to go through a multilevel marketing company. I also love your blog.
Edens Garden
Hi Kat! We couldn’t agree more 😊
Susan Shoemaker
I am so grateful that you provide this type of information. Really appreciated!
Tammy W
Regarding the information provided today on Isolates….this is why I exclusively use Edens Garden Essential Oils. I can count on you to use the purest form of the plant and not use synthetics or isolates to make a cheap imitation. Thank you Edens Garden!!!
Kat
Nicely put together and interesting, thank you. I’m a Registered Dietitian and your point about getting further away from the natural product is true also in food. Example: there are 600-700 different carotenes, if you take a beta-carotene supplement you get beta carotene only. If you eat a carrot – you easily get dozens of carotenes plus fiber and other vitamins and minerals. Nature knows the best way.
Debbie Joslin
Thank you for this information. I will use it wisely. Blessings
Carolyn
Thank you – that was very well laid out and informative.
Ansuiya
Hi! My question is on the yellow dress in the photo! Can you give me any info on that? I buy all my oils from Edens garden, so not worried about isolates.
Edens Garden
Hi Francesca! We do offer batch numbers on our oils as well as COAs. In regards to the expiration date of our oils, we begin the time of expiration at the time you open your bottle, and this is based on the recommended expiration on each oil’s product page. Our apologies for any mixed responses you received in the past, but we are always happy to help if you have questions: info@edensgarden.com
Edens Garden
Hi Diane! While we hope a company would disclose the presence of isolates in their products, you may want to have an oil’s GC/MS report analyzed by an essential oil chemist or aromatherapist. They would be able to detect the presence of isolates in an oil.
Edens Garden
Hi Eva! Fractionated Coconut oil is fractionated like isolates, but it contains multiple fatty acids and not just one. Therefore, we don’t consider it to be an isolate.
Suzanne
I’m glad I went online to your site to learn more about isolates because on my email I received today it would not come up! 404 error I think it said or something like that. Very important information! Thank you.
Eva
But fractionated coconut oil is an isolate
Diane
How can you tell if isolates are in a product?
Blake
December 12, 2024 at 2:27 pm
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.