More and more of us are using essential oils in France. These concentrated plant substances are used in fields as varied as cosmetics, cooking and food, perfumery, aromatherapy... But what is an essential oil? Here is the information needed for an informed choice and use!
For several years, the craze for essential oils has not dried up:more than 20% of French people buy essential oils. Pharmacies are the first distributor. These substances are real plant concentrates which should be handled with care. For example, a single drop of essential oil corresponds to 75 bowls of herbal tea from the same plant!
According to the European Pharmacopoeia, it is a mixture of molecules produced by a part of a plant (leaves, flowers, bark, zest, etc.).
Essential oils can be used for cosmetic, food or therapeutic purposes and enter into the preparation of finished products.
The essential oil extraction processes are defined by the European Pharmacopoeia and AFNOR (ISO 9235 standard). The two most used extraction methods are:
The extraction yield of essential oils is low, which explains the high price of these substances for small quantities delivered in bottles (a few millilitres). 100 Kg of fresh plants distilled in a still allow for example to obtain 500 to 850 g of essential oil of lavender (Lavandula officinalis ). The price of an essential oil is related to this highly variable yield depending on the plant species.
Choosing your essential oil is a matter of precision. You may have already encountered bottles simply titled "mint" or even "thyme". Never trust these too imprecise names:there are indeed many different species for a given genus of plant.
The denomination on the label must clearly mention the precise denomination in Latin . For example, you will find Mentha piperita for peppermint or Mentha citrata for bergamot mint. A plant species gives an essential oil of very different composition from that of another species. The same species does not give the same essential oil depending on the part of the plant used, and depending on where it grows!
The chemotype corresponds to the biochemical profile of the essential oil. It indicates the majority molecule it contains and which will give it its properties. This is an essential qualitative criterion mentioned on the packaging. The same botanical species can produce essential oils with different chemotypes, and therefore with different properties.
For example, common thyme (Thymus vulgaris ) is a plant at the origin of 7 thyme essential oils with different chemotypes:thymol thyme, carvacrol thyme, geraniol thyme, linalool thyme, thujanol thyme...
An official organic farming label is a plus for choosing an essential oil:it excludes GMOs and avoids the presence of polluting phytosanitary products as much as possible. It is a guarantee of safety for health and the planet. Did you know that a plant not treated with pesticides produces more active molecules to defend itself against climatic attacks, insects and micro-organisms? Organic farming makes it possible to obtain more effective essential oils!
The "AB" certification (for “Biological Agriculture”) belongs to the French Ministry of Agriculture, while the Eurofeuille meets European criteria. Both markings now meet the same requirements. The labels are awarded by independent inspection and certification bodies such as Ecocert©, one of the French specialists in the field. The requirements for labeling are strict.
The mention "pharmaceutical laboratory" is affixed to the packaging of essential oils qualified as "pharmaceutical" and whose quality controls are the most demanding on the market.
Be careful, some specialties sold on the market are not pure. In these poor quality products, vegetable oils can be added to dilute the essential oils. Another process consists of adding a component obtained by chemical synthesis to artificially modify the action of the essential oil.
There is a simple test to apprehend the purity of an essential oil:just place a drop of essential oil on blotting paper. After a few minutes, the stain should disappear because an essential oil is volatile and must evaporate completely. If an oily trace remains, this indicates the presence of a vegetable fat which has nothing to do there!
Using essential oils is far from trivial. Their uses leave no room for improvisation and require the advice of a health professional.
Health professionals follow strict codes of ethics. By advising you, they fully engage their responsibility. The distribution circuit of essential oils in pharmacies is thus much more secure than in other shops. You can also find so-called "pharmaceutical" brands, whose controls are the most successful.
Some health professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, midwives, nurses, physiotherapists, and even veterinarians have specialized in this field.
According to essential oils, there are contraindications and drug interactions. Whether they are used in a therapeutic setting or not, consulting a health professional is essential to avoid accidents.
In relation to the DGCCRF, the consortium of essential oils has issued ten rules to be respected:
The conservation of essential oils must be done in a tinted glass bottle, if possible enclosed in its cardboard or aluminum box. Aromatic molecules degrade under the effect of UV rays. The bottle must remain tightly closed:essential oils are volatile substances and can escape! Finally, a place away from excessive heat and humidity will be perfect for storage.
Always seek advice from your pharmacist, your doctor, or any other health professional trained in aromatherapy.
In France, the status of essential oils is plural. Their use conditions their regulation. They can thus respond to legislative texts relating to:
For reasons of high dangerousness, a small number of essential oils can only be sold by pharmacists (list on the ANSM website, national drug safety agency). The latter present a risky profile:they can be neurotoxic, irritant, phototoxic, or even carcinogenic if the instructions and the dosage are not respected. They therefore require strict supervision by a health professional. However, essential oils all pose significant risks of toxicity if misused.
Despite the public health issues that free distribution may raise, other essential oils can be sold in any store, and the regulations are not very restrictive. You can find more regulatory details on the DGCCRF website.
