Stallings Oi-Levation

Have you ever squeezed an orange peel or walked through a garden of flowers and enjoyed their fragrances? If so, you have already experienced an example of the aromatic qualities of essential oils. Essential oils are found in the bark, seeds, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. While essential oils are vital in the development and health of plants, individuals have long been able to benefit from their natural benefits in many aspects of day-to-day life. Essential oils have been used for centuries in many cultures for their therapeutic qualities and have profound health benefits in the hands of experienced users. Single oils and even complex blends are effectively used in the following three ways:

1. Aromatic: The volatile nature of essential oils allows them to be easily evaporated and diffused throughout a larger space. Using this application method helps create an atmosphere where several individuals can enjoy the calming, stimulating, and soothing benefits of essential oils.

2. Topical: Essential oils are safely and easily absorbed by the skin allowing you to use a variety of topical application techniques to different parts of your body.

3. Internal: Whether you are taking capsules or the oil itself, essential oils can be used as dietary supplements supporting a variety of healthy conditions. There are two major factors that play a role in the effectiveness and quality of essential oils:

1. Plant Potency:

When selecting which plants are to be used for essential oil production, it is important that the plant is grown in the correct soil, temperature, and climate. When these factors are optimal, the plant will be able to reach its highest potency.

2. Oil Purity:

When oils contain fillers or other elements that dilute and alter their purity, their ability to function at their highest capacity is compromised. In order to enjoy all the benefits of essential oils, they must be used in their purest form. dōTERRA has set the bar for essential oil purity and potency through rigorous scientific research and advanced testing of each oil that is put into production. As you implement dōTERRA essential oils into your life, you will be able to see firsthand the CPTG difference. dōTERRA essential oils are subjected to rigorous mass spectrometry and gas chromatography testing to ensure extract composition and activity. After the aromatic compounds (also called essential oils) are carefully distilled from plant material, samples are tested for chemical composition using gas chromatography. In gas chromatography, volatile essential oil compounds are vaporized and passed through a long column called a gas chromatograph. Each individual compound travels or “elutes” through the column at a different rate and is measured as it exits the column during the testing period. Using gas chromatography, quality control engineers can determine which compounds are present in a test sample and, as importantly, at what levels. In addition to gas chromatography, essential oil samples also are tested for composition using mass spectrometry. In mass spectrometry, samples are vaporized and then ionized and each individual compound in a sample is measured by weight. Mass spectrometry provides additional insight to the purity of an essential oil by revealing the presence of non-aromatic compounds, such as heavy metals or other pollutants, which are too heavy to elute along a gas chromatograph. The combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry is sometimes referred to as a GC/MS test. Essential oil samples are transported to a manufacturing facility for filling. Before being released into the facility, the essential oil “batch” is held in quarantine while additional quality tests are performed. Those tests include an FTIR Scan which, similar to GC/MS testing, is also an analysis of material composition. In an FTIR Scan, a light is shown at the material sample and the amount of light absorbed by the chemical constituents of the sample is measured. Results are then compared against a historical database to ensure adherence to composition standards. Before a batch of essential oils can be released from quarantine to manufacturing, it must be tested for the presence of bio-hazards such as bacteria, fungus, and mold. In microbial testing, samples are drawn from each batch of essential oils and applied to growing mediums in dishes or “plates.” After an incubation period, each plate is analyzed for growth of microbes. This test is performed on all incoming material to the manufacturing facility, and also performed on finished product to ensure no harmful organisms have been introduced to the product during the filling and labeling process, and to ensure shelf-life stability. Organoleptic testing brings a human touch to each step of the CPTG quality control process. Organoleptics include those attributes of an essential oil that can be tested with taste, sight, touch, and smell. From growers and harvesters to essential oil chemists; from manufacturing engineers to essential oil practitioners; dōTERRA’s global network of essential oil providers carefully monitors the quality of each CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oil. The extraction of essential oils is very much an art form that can be enhanced by, but not replaced with, mechanical analytics. The wisdom and experience of dōTERRA’s essential oil experts are an indispensable part of the CPTG quality control standard.