Which essential oils are not counterfeited. Don't be fooled - how to choose an essential oil among hundreds of fakes

The modern world is full of fakes. Essential oils are no exception. And this is not surprising - today aromatherapy, as a type of herbal medicine, is very popular. In our country it is being revived again, new research is being conducted in this area, books are being published, and virtual encyclopedias are appearing. Our compatriots don’t want to get sick anymore and spend money on expensive medicines, which will only alleviate the condition, but will not eliminate the cause of the disease. And the complex properties of essential oils not only heal, but also provide relief from tense nervous system, increase immunity, help with mood swings.

Synthetic scents scents similar to essential oils are not new. This kind of thing has long been produced for the perfume industry, where the smell itself is important, and not its properties. These aromas can only improve your mood and elevate memories, but will not give you health. Synthetic oils sold as 100% essential oils can only harm the body! It happens that their action is completely opposite to what should be expected from the original. For example, natural vanilla essential oil reduces appetite and helps cope with sweet cravings, but the artificial smell of vanilla literally makes our mouths water.

The modern consumer must be literate. Here are a few rules to help you avoid making a mistake in your choice.

What does the label say?

By international standards label should not be bright, catchy, And contain advertising information. It should indicate company manufacturer and/or selling company indicating countries production. The title of the broadcast must be written on English(Russian is not necessary), as well as in Latin. The Latin designation is very important, since it alone tells us what type of plant the oil is made from.

The label should indicate that this is 100% oil. According to international standards, the phrase should be concise: 100% essential little, 100% pure, 100% artifisches (essentail) oil. Phrases such as “100% natural essential oil”, “environmentally friendly”, “super quality” should not be present on the label. Usually these slogans cover up the counterfeiter.

A self-respecting manufacturer will write on the label or secondary packaging (box), brief instructions by application(at least indicate contraindications), pack the bottle in a box and put it in full instructions by application. (A small digression: do not throw away the essential oil box; the smell from the printed bottle will spread even through a tightly closed lid.)

On the label The expiration date must be indicated, volume of oil in the bottle, batch number.

Some essential oils may already be diluted in base oil . In this case, the packaging should contain the composition (for example: neroli 10%, almonds 90%). This is not a fake, since a group of essential oils that are already diluted are usually in a high price category— 100% oil from them is very expensive. Therefore, some manufacturers dilute such esters in fatty oil, accordingly the price decreases. You can also find mixtures essential oils (for example, tea tree essential oils with manuka and kanuka). Such mixtures give effect synergy(Greek: Synergia - cooperation, oils act in harmonious interaction, enhancing the effect of each other in the mixture).

What can you read in the certificate?

All oils must be certified; copies of certificates must be in the pharmacy, store or distributor. Oils from imported manufacturers must be certified according to ISO or GMP standard(Good Manufacturing Practice) - “Standards of a good manufacturer.” GMP standards for the pharmaceutical industry were adopted in the USA in 1963. In 2003, new GOST standards were prepared in Russia in accordance with GMP standards. All Russian manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry must certify their products according to these standards by April 30, 2007. The requirements of these standards are as follows: the manufacturer must use high-quality raw materials, modern technologies, rational organization production using modern equipment, observe a special ventilation regime, carry out all routine maintenance work in a timely manner production capacity; attract highly qualified labor.

Attention! If the certificate contains the word "restored", this is not an essential oil, but a synthetic fragrance.

The bottle is an important indicator of quality

Essential oils are very sensitive to light. According to international standards, the bottle should be dark glass(50% dimming). Most often these are dark bubbles Brown, less often dark blue. The bottle must have a dispenser.

Essential oils are used in small quantities(10 ml is enough for 6-12 months), so never buy essential oils packaged in more than 10-15 ml, some aromatic oils do not last long. Many essential oils evaporate very quickly in open air, so the bottle must be tightly closed. It’s good when the manufacturer provides the lid with a child safety system.

We determine quality by smell

And so we bought an essential oil, its packaging and bottle were made according to all quality standards, but something still confuses us. Then we determine the quality by tests on paper.

Test "One drop". Drop a drop of essential oil onto a white sheet of paper. We look carefully at the color to see if it matches the description. We put the paper with the drop in a place inaccessible to family members for a day. After a day, we see whether the drop has evaporated or not. The quality of the essential oil will evaporate, leaving a slight odor and sometimes color. This test does not guarantee 100% confirmation, some essential oils can evaporate for weeks, and a substance such as acetone, often used in counterfeits, also tends to evaporate quickly.

Test "Three pieces of paper". This test is more effective. As we have already said on the forum, the aroma of essential oils decomposes into three tones (some aromas contain 4-5 tones.) The smell opens up like a flower. For the test, we need to take three pieces of paper and drop essential oil on them every 30 minutes. All three papers will have a different scent. The drop on the first leaf should smell like the bottom note of the aroma. The smell on the second piece of paper will have a medium tone (“heart” tone). These central notes are tart, deep, and refined. The top tone (last leaf) will contain a bright, rich scent, bringing freshness and lightness.

Now to the question of specific stamps(one of the most common questions on our forums). It is no secret that the Portal site® team approaches the issue of recommendations quite responsibly. And before we advise anything, especially to those who trust us, we try almost everything that is called “on ourselves”, or study it first unbiased the opinions of other people already familiar with products and services. Those visitors who have known our Portal for a long time follow the same path. As part of the discussion, you can ask your questions, receiving a competent answer from specialists who have been involved in aromatherapy for many years, get acquainted with the reviews of other people, find out why both ourselves and old-time readers now prefer to use one or two well-proven brands, certified according to international standards. Don't be shy - ask, share your impressions. We always welcome new interlocutors, friends and partners.

Received artificially. Of course, synthetic oils are several times cheaper than natural ones. It is important to understand that synthetic oils there is no physiological activity, which means they cannot be used in medicinal purposes. Remember: quality of essential oils used in aromatherapy is of paramount importance.

Not that the modern market is saturated with synthetic essential oils, but this is very serious problem, which does not allow the development of aromatherapy as such. Therefore, it is important for people who want to use natural substances to understand whether the product they are offering that is labeled “essential oil” is natural or artificial. The problem is that oil manufacturers often deceive customers by indicating on the label that it is a product, even if it is artificial. A person believes that he bought a real essential oil, while he is using an artificially produced substance. It is natural that quality of essential oils, which are presented as natural, will be appropriate. This essential oil is not suitable for aromatherapy.

Another serious problem is the falsification of essential oils, when various additives are mixed into it to make the product cheaper, or the most valuable components are removed. Certainly, quality of essential oils, the composition of which has been changed, cannot be equal to real oils. For falsification, products of organic synthesis, vegetable and mineral oils are used. Unfortunately, the smell of natural and falsified essential oils is almost identical, which cannot be said about quality of essential oils. Only natural and pure essential oils should be used in aromatherapy. Pure oils should be quite expensive, because they are used in limited quantities for individual treatment and care.

The most common are oils that are used to scent a room. Such oils are not used in aromatherapy, because they are not only useless, but also harmful (the use of such oils can cause allergies). Such oils are called aromacultures, but they are often sold under the guise of aromatherapy products. This is why it is so important to understand where the real essential oil is and where the aromaculture is.

How to determine the quality of essential oil

If you want to diversify your set cosmetics essential oils, then you, of course, are wondering: ? The female one will help you figure out how to determine the quality of the essential oil that will be used for medicinal purposes.

In Russia, aromatherapy is not yet sufficiently developed, so there are simply no special norms and standards. When buying an essential oil, you should first look at its packaging in order to make the first conclusion about the quality of the product. The bottle should be made of dark glass and hermetically sealed. The volume of the bottle should usually not exceed 10 ml. The label must indicate that this is “100% essential oil”; the name must be in Russian and Latin. It is also desirable that the label indicate that the oil is not intended for household or food use, but for professional use. JustLady magazine recommends carefully reading the label before purchasing oil.

The bottle with oil essence must have a label with clear notes about the composition of the product, expiration date, and place of production. The instructions must indicate the nature and method of making the oil. The instructions should also list the properties that the essential oil has. If all this is present, then we can draw a conclusion in favor of the essence.

Women's magazine JustLady does not recommend buying essential oils that have a strong smell. Any natural oil should have a harmonious, soft smell. That is, the smell should not hit the nose sharply, but gradually reveal itself, like a good perfume. If you feel Strong smell any component, then most likely it is a synthetic product. As for the cost of essential oil, quality also plays a role here, since quality oils can't be cheap. For example, from 100 kg of bitter orange flowers only 50 g of essential oil is obtained. So, when you think about it, how to determine the quality of essential oil, pay attention to the price: if the oil is too cheap, then it cannot be natural.

Often manufacturers based on synthetic substances produce aromatic surrogates, which are issued under the guise of essential oils. Here you don’t even have to think about how to determine the quality of essential oil, because aromatic surrogates have nothing in common with real essential oils. JustLady magazine strongly recommends remembering: essential oils of lilac, peach, linden, apricot, coconut, magnolia, banana, fern, strawberry, mango, watermelon, wild strawberry, melon, and cucumber do not exist in nature. Odoriferous substances that smell like the plants listed above cannot in any way be called essential oils, since these plants are not essential oil plants.

Alisa Terentyeva / Women's magazine JustLady
Photo: veer.com

Aromatherapy is marching victoriously around the world, and that’s it more people get carried away wonderful properties essential oils. Where demand increases, careless manufacturers always appear who care little about their own reputation, and even less about the health of their customers. Thanks to them, the shelves in pharmacies are loaded with counterfeit products in packages promising 100% naturalness of the product. Experts can easily distinguish fakes, but how can the average user choose an essential oil?

What are the dangers of synthetic oil?

It is difficult for a beginner to distinguish a natural essential oil from a synthetic fragrance by smell. A professional will tell you how many levels and notes the product has, and a person on the street may find an artificial scent even more interesting. The difference becomes noticeable only after application, and, unfortunately, instead of a magical transformation in appearance or improvement in well-being, a person receives headache, fever and other “joys” of allergies.

The use of surrogates in the absence of such a reaction also poses a threat, especially in the case of the manufacture of solutions for inhalation, use in aroma lamps, and flavoring of food products (for example, tea).

Artificial components, penetrating the body, can cause unintended consequences, up to the appearance of an asthmatic attack, jumps blood pressure, eczema, general poisoning. Even in everyday life, it is very dangerous to dispose of pseudo-essential oils - washed floors or cabinet walls will emit a specific smell for a long time.

Pitfalls of low prices

The crudest counterfeit of aroma oil is a mixture of solvent with aromatic fragrances. This is the most obvious example of adulteration, but there are many other production methods that reduce the cost of the final product at a significant cost to its quality.

These include replacing an expensive component with a cheaper one: lavender replaces lavender, cananga takes the place of ylang-ylang, and dill takes the place of fennel. In addition, they add to the essential oil (ostensibly to improve consumer properties) vegetable oil, for example, jojoba.

One of the methods for extracting esters is extraction, which involves secondary processing natural raw materials. This makes it possible to get maximum amount aromatic substances from a smaller volume of raw materials, but the potent reagents used in this case significantly change the chemical composition.

The oils obtained in this way are called naturally reduced. They are great for perfumes and cosmetics, but are completely unsuitable for therapeutic purposes. Knowledge of how to choose the right essential oil will help you avoid running into a fake.

How to choose the right natural product

The only way, which guarantees obtaining reliable information about the real chemical composition essential oil is a chromatographic study. In large cities there are laboratories that provide a similar service for a fee. Those for whom this option is not available have to limit themselves indirect signs, characterizing the product good quality. Some of them can be determined before making a purchase, and the second part needs to be studied by experimenting with oil (but not with health!) at home.

Only a chromatogram of an essential oil gives a detailed idea of ​​its naturalness.

What to look for when examining packaging in a store

A conscientious manufacturer always tries to indicate all the information important to the end buyer. If the packaging contains a lot of advertising promises with a minimum of specifics, the product should already arouse suspicion.

When choosing a natural essential oil, you should definitely pay attention to following points:

1. The packaging must include the inscription “100% natural, pure and whole” (or 100% Essential Oil, Pure and Natural, 100% Naturelle, Pure et Complète). Other inscriptions - “100% essential oil”, “100% environmentally friendly” pure oil” are often a marketing ploy.
2. The bottle containing the fragrant concentrate must have a tamper-evident dispenser and must be made of dark glass. Any other container does not ensure proper preservation of the product. The volume of the bottle is no more than 10 ml, and for the most expensive types of oil (rose, mimosa, verbena) even less.
3. The following information is very significant:

• the name of the plant in Latin, its genus and species, the part from which the ether is obtained;
• country and address of the manufacturer (countries with highly developed essential oil production include Austria, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy);
• composition of components in percentage terms and shelf life.

1. The cost of the bottle also indicates the quality of its contents. Prices for natural and synthetic oils can differ tenfold. However, a high price in itself is not a guarantee of the purity and naturalness of the product.
2. It is great if the packaging contains one or more of the following certification marks:

• Ecocert confirms that this oil is completely natural, corresponds to the description and does not contain additional impurities;
• Agriculture Biologique certifies the origin of the plant material from which the essential oil was extracted;
• NaTrue is assigned only to biologically authentic clean products, while classifying them using a 3-star system;
• Nature Progres demonstrates that the product contains no artificial colors or fragrances.

Checking quality at home

You should purchase aromatic oils in stores that have positive recommendations from regular customers. Here, experienced sellers will advise you on how to choose a quality essential oil, select required type and will tell you how to use it.

1. Smell the contents: real oil will have a subtle, unobtrusive aroma that changes character over time.
2. Consider: a high-quality product is transparent or has a uniform natural shade, without any precipitation.
3. Apply a drop on white paper and observe it from 30 minutes to several days: natural essential oils tend to evaporate without leaving greasy or colored stains.
4. Refrigerate: The esters of some plants (such as anise or rose) freeze at low temperatures.

Once you have verified that your purchase meets the stated characteristics, you can begin using it directly.

How to test essential oil for allergies

To avoid troubles in the form of a rebellious immune system, before the first experience of using any type of essential oil, you must study the reaction of your body. To do this, it is recommended to go through 3 stages:

1. Apply a few drops of the product to a cotton pad and periodically inhale the aroma. Natural oil should not cause headaches and discomfort during the whole day.
2. Mix the concentrate with any neutral plant (olive, jojoba) in a ratio of 1:4 and apply the mixture to the crook of your elbow. Positive result the absence of any signs of inflammation is considered.
3. Add 3-5 drops of an aromatic product to 50 g of honey, mix and pour the mixture into a warm bath. You can take it no more than 5 minutes.

If all stages are completed without negative reactions, you can safely use the selected essential oil for its intended purpose and use it to discover the limitless possibilities of natural cosmetology and aromatherapy.

Chemical industry in modern world has gone so far that it is capable of counterfeiting others from some ingredients. Today we'll talk about essential oil crafts. What is it and how to distinguish a fake from a real essential oil.

To begin with, we will define what we will consider to be a fake. IN in this case A counterfeit essential oil is considered to be a low-quality product, in the production of which chemical components were used. Thus, the fake is very different in composition, and can also cause serious harm to health if used as an “essential oil.” Please do not confuse fake with cosmetic oil.

Main signs of essential oil authenticity

Below we will analyze in detail each of the signs by which you can distinguish the original from a fake essential oil.

Manufacturer and price

It is safest to buy essential oils from trusted manufacturers. The main producers of quality essential oils are the following European companies:

• Vivasan, Just - Switzerland
• ATOK (Karl Hadek) - Czech Republic
• Styx Naturcosmetics - Austria

The fact is that in Europe there are quite strict requirements and checks not only for raw materials, but also a thorough check is carried out before certifying the product. In Russia, the requirements for raw materials and the final product are the most flexible, therefore domestic companies they make lower quality oils, which naturally affects the price.

We moved on to another important point - the price for a jar of essential oil.

The fact is that the production of essential oils is a fairly technological process. And in order to produce a concentrated product, quite a lot of raw materials are required. This is why real essential oil cannot be cheap. Narrimer to get 700-900 gr. Essential oil of fragrant chamomile requires approximately 100 kg of raw materials.

• Lemon, orange per 10 ml jar. asking on average from 9 to 17 $
• Eucalyptus or lavender for 10 ml - $11-22
• Geranium, ylang-ylang per 10 ml. 22-45$
• absolute oils (i.e. absolute, highly concentrated essential oils) for 1 ml - from $55

Label

Yes, yes, the label should say “100% natural essential oil” or “100% essential oil”. Other variations of these words indicate counterfeiting. Also, a self-respecting manufacturer will indicate on the label the country of manufacture, the country of origin of the raw materials, and, if any, the importer. There should also be information about the method of obtaining the oil, the name of the raw material in the language of the country where the oil is sold, as well as the exact name of the type of raw material in Latin. A positive sign is the presence of instructions for use, oil characteristics, expiration dates both on the packaging and on the jar.

Bottle size and type

Since essential oils are quite expensive and their shelf life, depending on the type of oil, ranges from 1 to 3 years. And since essential oils are used drops, then one jar is 10 ml. enough for about a year of use. That is why there is no point in making larger bottles. For very expensive essential oils - so-called absolute oils, they are distributed in 1 ml bottles.

The procedure of pouring oils into different containers is quite expensive, so you should be wary if the manufacturer has different variations of bottles other than the generally accepted 1 ml and 10 ml.

Also, the jar itself should be made of dark glass, since essential oils are volatile and sensitive to sunlight. Remember, if you are offered an essential oil in a transparent glass, it is a fake, since real essential oil loses its properties when exposed to light. beneficial features, and some oils may form under the influence sun rays harmful substances.

Manufacturers also specially make protective caps on jars - a ring for the first opening, as well as child protection (to open the lid you need to press on it). Plus, the bottle has a dispenser or pipette with which you can measure the number of drops.

Certificate

Any distributor must have copies of certificates for essential oils, which must comply with international standards according to ISO or GMP. This is a sure sign that essential oils can be used for aromatherapy. Cheap essential oils usually have certificates stating that they can only be used in Food Industry or for cosmetic purposes.

Presence of three different scents over time

Firstly, real essential oil, if dropped onto a sheet of paper, will not leave greasy marks, unlike vegetable or cosmetic oils. Second, real essential oil has a complex aroma that is easy to test.

Essential oil aroma test on paper

To do this, take a white sheet of paper and drop the first drop onto it. After 10-15 minutes the second, after the same amount of time - the third. Now try to smell each drop in turn. With a real essential oil, each subsequent drop will have a completely different bouquet of aroma: the first drop will be light and fresh, the second will have a deeper sandy aroma, the third will have a rich earthy hue. A fake will not have the depth of aroma, and each drop will smell the same, only with different intensity.