Quality and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
It is essential to buy high quality oils; cheap oils or “bargains” are almost always of poor quality. In order for essential oils to have a therapeutic effect, they must be pure plant extracts. The best way to assure purity and quality of each batch of oil is by knowing your source and testing the oil with Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).
A Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer is a device used by analytic chemists to determine the precise make-up of a given substance. It is used in aromatherapy to determine the precise chemical constituents of an essential oil, and whether the oil is pure or adulterated with synthetic chemicals or other products.
Gas Chromatography (GC) is a method of separating the volatile compounds in essential oils into individual components. The result is a linear graph that charts these components. Mass Spectrometry (MS) identifies each of these components and their percentages. This process is used to identify any adulteration of the essential oil tested. Adulterated oils or perfume oils will not offer therapeutic benefits and may, in fact, cause allergies, headaches and chemical sensitivities.
The precise breakdown of the chemical components in individual oils provided by GC/MS reports is important as the therapeutic benefits and safety issues of essential oils are, in large part, determined by their chemical makeup. Testing every batch of oil with GC/MS technology assures purity and gives us the exact chemistry of each oil. This process is vital for medicinal blending and for quality assurance.
At Inshanti, the GC/MS report is available for all of our oils – so you can shop with confidence!