GC/MS Testing - Our Standard of Quality
GC/MS testing, or Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, is a precise method to determine exactly what makes up a specific substance. GC/MS testing is considered the "Gold Standard" for testing the quality, purity, and safety of essential oils. It is extremely accurate and is a measure that helps us make sure the oils we are using in our products are effective and sourced from an ethical and high quality retailer.
At HPF, we ONLY use essential oils that are GC/MS tested. We do this for the following reasons:
Safety. Accurate botanical identification is crucial for safety reasons. Unfortunately, some manufacturers of essential oils take shortcuts to save money. They fill their oils with adulterants that look and may smell similar to the product they are marketing, but are not even from the same plant. This is a MAJOR safety concern. "Honest Essential Oils" (website available below) provides a great example of this dangerous practice. "[...] there are several different essential oils produced from plants named chamomile. But only two of these oils are genuine chamomile. There are oils that contain a blue colored hydrocarbon called azulene which lends them a color similar to that of chamomile. Occasionally they are sold under the name of chamomile, but they are actually distilled from a relative of wormwood, namely Artemisia arborescens.