Today, we’re going to hit on GC/MS reports and their importance in the aromatherapy industry. A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, or GC/MS test is the method of combining two analytical methods to identify the different substances that makeup a test sample. In aromatherapy, the test sample in question is generally an essential oil. Now, you might be wondering why knowing the makeup of an essential oil is important. Well, there are lots of reasons. Let’s take a look.
If you are here and reading this, you probably already know how amazing and powerful essential oils are. But do you know why essential oils work? Do you know what makes lavender essential oil great at soothing discomfort from inflammation? Well, one of the reasons it’s beneficial is that it’s high in linalool, which is just one of thousands of chemical components found in some essential oils. If it weren’t for a GC/MS report, we wouldn’t know that lavender essential oil is high in linalool and therefore might be beneficial for that swollen leg. As an aromatherapist, knowing what constituents makeup each oil is SO important as it allows us to make an informed decision on what essential oils would best meet your needs.
Knowing the chemical makeup of an oil doesn’t just let us know what essential oils may be beneficial. It also helps us make sure it’s safe as not all essential oils are created equally and not all essential oils are safe. Some essential oils can have carcinogenic and estrogenic constituents, among many other things. Some of them can even alter the effectiveness of certain medications. Did you know that not all essential oils are safe for kids, either? It all boils down to their chemical makeup.
After breaking it down a little bit, you may be thinking that the chemical makeup of an oil should be the same across the board, no matter what. You may be thinking that the latest bottle of lavender essential oil has the same levels of linalool as the last. Well, you might be mistaken. The levels of chemicals that make up an oil change. What? An oil can change? Yep, it’s true. They can change, and they do ALL THE TIME. That is one of the reasons it is important for companies to include batch numbers on each bottle of oil and why batch numbers are important.
How does an oil change, you ask? It’s just nature. As we all know, no one plant is the same. For those familiar with farming, no crop season is the same. Sometimes there is too much water, sometimes there isn’t enough water. Sometimes natural disasters happen and crops have to be completely regrown. Sometimes the temperature is much lower, sometimes it’s higher. All of these things can affect plants and other crops. When the plant changes, so do the chemicals the plants produce.
Each batch of essential oil should go through the GC/MS testing process. If you go and look at the reports for different batches of oil, you’ll notice that the numbers change slightly, or sometimes even drastically. No GC/MS report for different batches of the same oil should be exactly identical… ever. BECAUSE no crop season is going to be completely identical ~ it’s just nature. If you ever see an essential oil GC/MS report that is completely identical to a previous batch at any company… you should be alarmed because that just isn’t natural. If you notice that they are slightly different or vary batch to batch, that’s a pretty good sign that you’re getting an unadulterated oil. There is no standardization of natural essential oils.
Now, this may be a surprise to some, but did you know that essential oils are often times adulterated? To cut costs and save money, some companies may add synthetic substances and fragrances to the essential oil to make it cheaper. To an untrained nose (and sometimes even a trained nose), the essential oil may smell the same when it truly isn’t. Would you knowingly want to use an essential oil that isn’t truly pure and free of synthetics? Probably not. Well, GC/MS reports allow chemists to determine whether an essential oil has been adulterated by telling them exactly what’s in it as well as how much of each component is in it. This is another reason reputable essential oil companies will have every batch of essential oil they purchase tested before selling it to their customers.
So, what does that mean for me and for Branch & Blooms? Well, it means a couple of things. For us at Branch & Blooms, it means that we are able to provide you with effective blends and products made with the highest quality essential oils that are safe for you and your family. We only purchase essential oils from companies who do batch testing on all their essential oils. Every time we get a new bottle of oil from a different batch, we review the GC/MS report to make sure it’s still safe, effective, and completely pure.
For you, it may mean contacting your essential oil company of choice to make sure they are testing their oils and that the tests are readily available. It may mean that the bottle of essential oil you’ve been using on your little one might not be safe. It’s important to never assume that an oil is safe or not safe. If after doing some research you just aren’t sure, ask! If, in your spare time you feel up for a challenge, or want to seriously learn more about essential oils, start studying the GC/MS reports and the chemical constituents that make up your oils. You’ll learn a lot, and you’ll start to have a greater appreciation for your oils.
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