When is an essential oil not an essential oil…?

August 25, 2026

Not everything sold or described as an essential oil is quite what it appears to be.
Essential oils are naturally complex materials whose composition can vary considerably according to growing conditions, geographical origin, altitude, extraction and processing. This means that an oil which differs from the composition we are familiar with is not necessarily adulterated or poor quality.

Different chemotypes of the same botanical species can be completely genuine while having markedly different chemical profiles.
The picture becomes more complicated because the commercial market also includes absolutes, CO₂ extracts, natural isolates, nature-identical materials and compounded or facsimile oils. These can all have legitimate uses, but they are not necessarily essential oils and some can be remarkably difficult to distinguish from the genuine product simply by appearance or aroma.

The article by expert Ray Gransby also looks at ISO standards, food and pharmaceutical grades, natural variations in lavender and tea tree, Lavender 40/42, adulteration and why price alone is not a reliable indication of purity or quality.

Want to find out more?
The full ATC article, “When is an Essential Oil Not an Essential Oil?”, is available in the Members’ Area.

ATC membership for practitioners starts from £50 per annum, with additional membership categories available for businesses and other sectors of the aromatherapy industry.
See our membership categories and join the ATC here

Article Written By:

Ray Gransby

BSc. Hons., London; BA Hons. Open; MA open

Ray qualified as a biologist and microbiologist in the 1960s with a BSc Honours degree in Zoology with Botany. He has more than 50 years experience in the cosmetics, toiletry, perfumery, flavour & fragrance and essential oil industries with many of the leading multi-national companies. During this time Ray held a variety of quality, technical service, production and development roles at senior management and board level specialising in legislation and regulatory affairs on a worldwide basis. Ray has considerable experience of the science of essential oils and particularly those used in aromatherapy practice and was for several years a part-time lecturer in the chemistry of essential oils and the science of aromatherapy at Anglia Ruskin University. Ray is currently a consultant specialising in legislation and regulatory affairs.