Oil Purity

The purity of an essential oil is its most important characteristic. When an essential oil is adulterated or contaminated, it becomes less effective and can even be dangerous. Above all else, purity is dōTERRA’s first priority when producing essential oils. 

How does dōTERRA make sure their Essential Oils are pure?

From the beginning, we’ve made it our mission to share pure, quality essential oils with the world. However, without a definitive standard for essential oil purity, dōTERRA decided to set the standard for purity in the essential oil industry. 

Not all essential oil companies choose to enforce high testing standards for their oils. In fact, many companies skip important steps in the testing process in order to save money or time. Unfortunately, when proper testing measures are not taken, it’s impossible to ensure that an essential oil is truly “pure.”

To ensure that each bottle of essential oil is pure and free from contaminants or synthetic fillers, dōTERRA created the CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade® protocol. The CPTG process includes a rigorous examination of every batch of oil, along with third-party testing to guarantee transparency. 

Why is it so important to use pure Essential Oils?

Some people ask, “Does essential oil purity really matter?” Or, “What happens if I use essential oils that aren’t pure?” 

The answer is yes—essential oil purity matters. If you use an oil that has been adulterated, contaminated, or loaded with synthetic fillers, you will not receive the full natural benefit of the plant. And in some cases, low-quality oils can even be dangerous and pose serious threats to your health. 

This is why dōTERRA cares so deeply about essential oil purity. If you use an impure oil, it can be difficult to feel the benefits of the oil and can possibly put your health at risk. However, when you use pure, unadulterated essential oils, they’ll be more effective, and you can stay within the bounds of safe use.

How to know if your Essential Oils are pure?

How can you tell if your essential oils are pure? Before you buy essential oils, do a little research to find out how essential oil companies source, produce, and test their oils. 

Here are a few questions to ask during your research: 

  • Plant quality: Does the company use high-quality plants to produce their essential oils? Are the plants grown in the right conditions with the right farming practices?

  • Production practices: Does the company have safety procedures in place to guard against contamination during the production process? Are oils adulterated or are synthetic fillers added to cut costs?

  • Testing methods: Does the company test each batch of essential oil? Is impartial, third-party testing used? Are test results available to the public? 

  • Storage and handling: Are the oils carefully processed, packaged, and stored to avoid chemical alterations caused by exposure to heat or light? (Amber bottles are typically the best option for essential oil storage.)

8 ways to know that dōTERRA Essential Oils are pure

The CPTG quality testing process includes eight main steps to guarantee that every batch of dōTERRA essential oil is pure, unadulterated, and safe for use.

Here are the tests dōTERRA uses to ensure essential oil purity:

  1. Organoleptic testing

  2. Microbial testing

  3. Gas chromatography

  4. Mass spectrometry

  5. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

  6. Chirality testing

  7. Isotopic analysis

  8. Heavy metal testing