Blending in cheaper oils to meet a customers target purchasing price, or to make additional profit for the producer, is commonplace in the aromatherapy and essential oil trade. Some practices mentioned by Arctander (1960) – for example, is the practice of extending of Amyris oil (Amyris balsamifera) with Cedarwood oil Virginia (Juniperus virginiana) and Copaiba Balsam (Copaifera spp.). These are likely to fool uneducated potential customers.
This list only covers some essential oils that are extended with other cheaper oils.
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There are other and more common adulteration practices in use, which include:
Bergamot oil (Citrus bergamia): addition of lemon oil, rectified ho oil (Cinnamomum spp.) and acetylated ho oil.
Bitter orange oil (Citrus aurantium subsp. aurantium): addition of sweet orange oil (Citrus sinensis) & orange terpenes, plus trace amounts of character compounds.
Cedarwood oil (Juniperus virginiana): addition of cedarwood oil Chinese (Cupressus funebris).
Cinnamon bark oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): addition of cinnamon “leaf” oil.
Cinnamon leaf oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): addition of clove fractions, eugenol, cinnamic aldehyde etc.
Clove Bud oil (Syzygium aromaticum): addition of clove stem oil & isolates (eugenol) & eugenyl acetate.
Fir Needle oil (Abies spp.): addition of turpentine fractions, camphene, (-)- bornyl acetate etc.
Geranium oil Chinese (Pelargonium hybrids): addition of adulterated Indian geranium oil (which itself has been known to contain diphenyl oxide!)
Grapefruit oil (Citrus paradisi): addition of orange terpenes or sweet orange oil distilled + minor amounts of (+)-nootkatone & others.
Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia): addition of cheaper lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) oil varieties; the addition of spike lavender oil (Lavandula latifolia); the addition of ho oil rectified (Cinnamomum spp) and acetylated ho or acetylated lavandin oils etc.
Lemon oil (Citrus limon): addition of orange terpenes, lemon terpenes & by-products (e.g. steam-stripped lemon oil). For lemon oil BP, expressed lime or grapefruit oil is added to poor grades to raise the UV absorbance level sufficiently to pass the BP specifications.
Nutmeg oil (Myristica fragrans): the addition of nutmeg terpenes, a- pinene, limonene, turpentine fractions etc.
Patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin): addition of gurjun balsam (Dipterocarpus spp.); vegetable oils, Hercolyn D; patchouli and vetiver distillation residues.The superior Indonesian patchouli oil is often blended with the cheaper Chinese oil.
Petitgrain oil (Citrus spp): addition of other citrus leaf oils & fractions, fatty aldehydes, linalyl acetate, orange terpenes etc.
Peppermint oil (Mentha X piperita): addition of cornmint oil (Mentha arvensis).
Sandalwood oil (Santalum album): addition of sandalwood terpenes, sandalwood fragrance chemicals etc.
Rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis): addition of eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus globulus) & camphor oil white (Cinnamomum camphora).
Ylang Ylang oil (Cananga odorata subsp. genuina): addition of cananga oil (Cananga odorata), ylang ylang oil tails etc., ylang ylang oil reconstitutions.
In addition, the adding of these synthetics “convert” one essential oil to another:
Basil oil exotic: add linalol to convert to Basil oil Sweet (Arctander 1960).
Eucalyptus globulus: add a-terpineol & others to convert to Eucalyptus radiata.
Geranium oil Chinese to Geranium oil Bourbon: addition of balancing materials (monoterpene alcohols and esters, especially formates), copper chlorophyll (for colour) and frequently a trace of dimethyl and/or dibutyl sulphides.
Tangerine oil (Citrus reticula var. tangerine): addition of g-terpinene, dimethyl anthranilate, a-sinesal & perilla aldehyde to convert to Mandarin oil (Citrus reticulata var. mandarin).
Read about the ORAC Scores of Essential Oils
Cheaper Essential Oils (part 2) – are there synthetics in your aromatherapy products?
Cheaper Essential Oils (part 3) – what factors make aromatherapy prices low?
If you care about the quality of your essential oils you will want therapeutic-grade. Only 2% of the essential oils in the entire world are of this high quality. Don’t be fooled by cheap inposters and novelty aromatherapy products!
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