Question 1

What is the difference between essential oil and fragrance oil?

Accepted Answer

Essential oils are extracted directly from a plant, usually by steam distillation or cold pressing, and contain the plant's own naturally occurring aromatic compounds. Fragrance oils are formulated to smell a certain way. Some are entirely synthetic, others blend a little natural oil with synthetic aromachemicals to hit a price point or a scent nature doesn't produce on its own. A fragrance oil can smell identical to the real thing, but it won't carry the natural chemical constituents that aromatherapy research is actually about, so any benefit you're expecting from the plant's real chemistry isn't there.

Question 2

What does diluted and adulterated mean?

Accepted Answer

Diluted isn't automatically bad. Many brands sell oils pre-mixed into a carrier oil, like a 10% rollerball blend, and say so clearly on the label, which is often the safer way to use certain oils on skin. The problem is undisclosed dilution or substitution: a bottle sold and priced as 100% pure that's secretly cut with a cheap carrier oil, bulked out with a similar-smelling but cheaper species, or blended with synthetic fragrance to mimic the scent. It can smell identical, or close enough that most people can't tell by nose alone, but the chemistry that aromatherapy benefits are based on may be partly or entirely missing. A GC/MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) report is what confirms what's actually in the bottle, regardless of what the smell or label suggests.

Question 3

How to pick a reputable retailer?

Accepted Answer

Look for a retailer that publishes GC/MS reports: lab tests that identify and measure the individual chemical compounds in a bottle, often searchable by batch or lot number. That compound-by-compound fingerprint can reveal whether an oil has been stretched with a cheaper carrier oil, spiked with synthetic aromachemicals, or contaminated with pesticide residue. A retailer willing to show you the actual test results for the bottle you're buying, not just a purity claim, is the strongest sign you can trust them.

Question 4

How to test at home?

Accepted Answer

Two quick checks, best used together. Rub a drop between your fingers for about 30 seconds: if it feels oily and slick, like a vegetable or olive oil, that's a sign it's been cut with a carrier oil, whereas a pure essential oil tends to feel a bit tacky, closer to honey, and absorbs rather than leaving a greasy film. Or place a drop on plain paper or a coffee filter and leave it overnight: a pure oil is mostly volatile and evaporates, leaving little to no ring, while oil cut with a carrier oil leaves a greasy, translucent ring behind. Neither is proof either way: some genuinely pure oils, like resins and absolutes such as myrrh, sandalwood, vetiver, or patchouli, are naturally thick and can feel tacky or leave a faint ring even at full purity, and adulteration with other cheap volatile substances won't show up in either check. Treat them as a first flag, not a verdict. A published GC/MS report is the only real way to know what's in the bottle.