Which essential oil companies can you trust? How can you know if their products are pure and safe?
After all, there are no FDA regulation and no set industry rules. Just as bad, there are lots of fake reviews online. And those multi-level marketing schemes keep some shoppers away.
But we did the research to help you sort through the noise. We want to help you find the best essential oil brands today.
See also:
Scroll down for a chart comparing the top 15 brands. Then stay on the page to see in-depth reviews of each one.
Criteria to Consider When Shopping for Essential Oils
Aromatherapists (1), massage therapists, and essential oil experts agree on certain criteria regarding essential oils. These standards can help you choose the top brands, too.
When you look for the purest, most potent essential oils, you’re likely to find the top companies follow certain practices. For example:
- They use certified organic ingredients whenever possible from sustainable sources.
- They don’t dilute the oils or adulterate them with additives. (Or if they do dilute them with carrier oils, they don’t hide that fact.)
- They maintain tight quality control throughout the manufacturing process.
- The oils are checked for purity and quality through a variety of tests, preferably through third party laboratories. (Extra points if the testing results are publicly available.)
- They provide information regarding where the plants came from and what type of extraction process was used.
- The company promotes safe use of the oils.
- They have responsive customer service.
If an essential oil brand meets all of those conditions, it’s likely that professionals will prefer them.
Our point of view is that we don’t mind paying a little extra for high-quality essential oils. The idea is to use them to improve well-being, so the effort and expense are worth it.
Top Essential Oil Companies
Now let’s take a look at this chart comparing the top 15 essential oil brands.
| Brand | Certified organic ingredients | Test for purity and quality | Type of extraction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Foods | Yes, whenever possible, QAI certification | Extensive in-house testing of both ingredients and finished oils | Depends on the plant: cold-pressed and steam-distilled are the most common | FDA-registered facilities that follow good manufacturing processes; also UL certified |
| Plant Therapy | Yes, certified by ECOCERT and USDA | Each batch tested by third-party labs with GC/MS plus expert organoleptic testing | Both cold-pressed and steam-distilled depending on the plant | Their Kid Safe oils are formulated for children ages 2 to 10 |
| Aura Cacia | Yes, whenever possible, QAI certifies them | In-house testing with gas chromatography, specific gravity, optical rotation, and sensory evaluation | They don’t distill their own oils | Buys oils from suppliers and resells them |
| Rocky Mountain Oils | Depends on the supplier | Testing by a third-party lab and in-house, GC/MS results available online by batch number | Depends on the supplier | Buys pre-sampled and tested oils from suppliers and resells them, offers a 90-day satisfaction guarantee |
| Edens Garden | Unknown but they prefer sustainable practices and source the raw ingredients themselves | Testing by third-party labs | Cold-pressed and steam-distilled | Woman-owned family business--They offer a free downloadable guide to essential oils |
| Fabulous Frannie | Depends on the supplier and the grade of oil | Certificate of analysis available for GC/MS tests | Cold-pressed, steam-distilled, and infusions | Vegan, cruelty-free products |
| Majestic Pure | No certified organic labeling to save money | Unknown | Variety of methods depending on the oil | 90-day satisfaction guarantee |
| Young Living | Not certified | Variety of tests performed in-house and verified by third-party labs | Variety of methods | Own their own farms, multi-level marketing |
| doTerra | Not certified | Extensive testing performed in-house (CPTG) | Variety of methods depending on the plant and oil | Founded by former employees of Young Living, multi-level marketing |
| Lagunamoon | Not certified | GC/MS | Variety of methods | Follow GMP for Cosmetics |
| ArtNaturals | Not certified | GC/MS, analysis is publicly available online | Variety of methods | Convenient, attractive packaging |
| Artizen | Not certified | Unknown, but they say they test for purity and quality | Variety of methods | Direct sales to the public, lifetime guarantee |
| Healing Solutions | Not certified | GC/MS by third parties results available | Distillation facility is FDA-registered, cushion-certified, and compliant with ISO 9001 | Over 170 oils derived from ingredients from around the world |
| Radha Beauty | Not certified | Unknown | They import oils and bottle them in the USA | Established in 2014 |
| Natrogix | Not certified | GC/MS by third-parties (where possible) | Imported oils are bottled in the USA by the company | Free ebook of recipes |
Did you see some oil brands that intrigued you? Then check out the in-depth reviews below along with some sample products from each brand.
1. NOW Foods
NOW Foods makes some of the least expensive and purest essential oils available. In cases where they cut their oils with a carrier, they label it. And the same is true for their fragrance oils as opposed to essential oils.
Besides the excellent price and honesty, we admire their in-house quality testing. They use Quality Assurance International (QAI) to verify certified organic ingredients. Plus, each delivery is analyzed on the receiving dock.
Another point in their favor is that NOW offers safety data sheets on every oil they sell. They are still a family-owned business since 1968 and comply with both GMP and cGMP manufacturing practices.
Finally, in 2018 they achieve the UL (Underwriter Laboratories) Enhanced Certification on all of their personal care products and natural foods.
If you’re concerned about the safety of your essential oils, stick to this brand.
NOW Essential Oils, Lavender Oil
Grab this large 2-ounce bottle of lavender oil to diffuse each night before bed. It’s steam-distilled from the flowering tops of the lavender plant.
NOW Eucalyptus Oil
This is what you need to unclog those nasal passages. NOW’s 100% pure eucalyptus oil comes in a giant 4-ounce bottle.
It’s steam-distilled from the leaves and small branches of the Eucalyptus globulus plant. The purity and quality are verified by gas chromatography.
3-Pack Variety of NOW Essential Oils: Citrus Blend
NOW offers three of their most popular citrus oils: orange, lemon, and tangerine, together in this pack. They’re ready to diffuse, or you can blend them with a carrier oil for massages. Some folks love to use them for homemade cleaners.
NOW Peppermint Essential Oil, 4-Ounce
The peppermint oil in this large 4-ounce bottle was steam-distilled from the upper parts of the mint plant.
Interesting note: the refractive index is 1.459-1.465, and the specific gravity ranges from 0.896-0.908. The only downside is that there’s no dropper in the bottle.
NOW Essential Oils, Citronella Oil
Tired of mosquitoes biting you? Then try the citronella oil. It’s in a generous 4-ounce bottle so you can blend it with lavender or cedarwood to make an even stronger bug repellent. The citronella was steam-distilled from both dried and fresh citronella grass.
NOW Essential Oils, Peace & Harmony Oil Blend
Get a feel for how well essential oils can work together with this blend. Peace and Harmony includes lavender, peppermint, orange, patchouli, and basil. Together, the aroma centers and calms, perfect for meditating or relaxing.
While the orange oil is cold-pressed, the other ingredients are steam-distilled. Feel free to enjoy this blend in a diffuser or with a carrier oil for massage.
NOW Cheer Up Buttercup! Essential Oil Blend
Our final selection from NOW’s lineup is this blend with an amusing name. It’s designed to put a smile on your face every time you smell it. It contains bergamot, grapefruit, lime, orange, and lemon. All the components except for lime oil were cold-pressed. The lime was steam-distilled.
2. Plant Therapy
Plant Therapy is another company that does intensive testing on their essential oils. Not only do they have outside laboratories perform gas chromatography and mass spectrometry on each batch, but they also employ an expert for organoleptic testing.
What is organoleptic testing? If you’ve ever compared one particular essential oil to another from a different brand, you’ve done organoleptic testing yourself. You checked the look of it, the feel of it, and the smell of it. Think of it like a wine taster who ensures that the product is appealing and up to the usual standards.
Another point in their favor is that Plant Therapy employs certified aromatherapists to answer customer questions.
Their line of KidSafe oils are designed to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation in kids from ages 2 to 10. They are ready to use right out of the bottle.
Moreover, the company holds various certifications regarding the purity and safety of their products. These include ECOCERT (international standards for non-GMO and organic ingredients), USDA Organic, and Leaping Bunny (cruelty-free).
Plant Therapy Lemon Organic Essential Oil
It’s hard to resist the delicious fragrance of pure lemon essential oil. It’s made by cold-pressing the peel of the plant. Diffuse it to refresh your home’s air or apply it to treat acne and foot fungus. Plant Therapy also suggests a list of other oils like bergamot and lemongrass that blend well with lemon.
This essential oil is certified pure and undiluted by three testing methods. It’s available in a variety of sizes and as a pre-diluted roll-on as well.
Plant Therapy Frankincense Serrata Organic Essential Oil
If you’re familiar with essential oils, you know that frankincense tends to be one of the pricier ones. Plant Therapy steam-distills it from the gum resin of the Olibanum tree. This tree grows in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.
The earthy, woody fragrance of frankincense may help clear your mind so you can relax. It’s also a traditional medicine for a variety of skin conditions, muscle pain, and congestion.
Plant Therapy Chamomile Roman Essential Oil
Roman Chamomile has a sweet fruity fragrance that can help you sleep better at night. It’s steam-distilled from plants grown in the USA, France, China, and the UK.
Plant Therapy Essential Oil | KidSafe Starter Set
Plant Therapy created this KidSafe set of oils to cover needs like calming, attention, illness, and sleep. Each blend is a pre-diluted roll-on that you can apply to the wrists, chest, and back of the neck of your child.
The KidSafe collection avoids potentially irritating oils like peppermint and ylang-ylang in the blends. Instead, their certified aromatherapists and the famed Robert Tisserand customized these combinations that hit the spot. One example is the A+ Attention oil to improve focus with grapefruit, bergamot, cedarwood atlas, vetiver, lavender, and petitgrain.
3. Aura Cacia
Aura Cacia has their organic products certified by QAI (Quality Assurance International), the same company that NOW uses. But they don’t distill the oils in-house, and they won’t accept products that are irradiated.
The company belongs to the Frontier Co-op, and it sells directly to the public. They purchase the oils from other manufacturers after sampling and testing them. Then each shipment they send out is also tested for purity and quality.
The testing they perform includes gas chromatography, specific gravity, optical rotation, and sensory evaluation. Furthermore, they stand behind their oils with a satisfaction guarantee.
Aura Cacia Essential Oil, Uplifting Bergamot
Bergamot’s perky citrus aroma is great for giving you a boost any time of the day.
Aura Cacia Pure Essential Oil, Vetiver
Vetiver does not smell pleasant by itself, but it’s effective in blends. It’s a common ingredient in many perfumes.
Aura Cacia Pure Essential Oil, Patchouli
Patchouli is another essential oil often used in perfumes. It’s a fixative that bridges the gap between floral and herbal scents.
Aura Cacia Essential Solutions Pillow Potion Essential Oil
Aura Cacia created this blend to help you achieve deep, relaxed sleep. It has lavender, sweet orange, patchouli, yarrow, German chamomile, and hops. Once opened, it has an anticipated shelf life of two years.
4. Rocky Mountain Oils
Rocky Mountain Oils purchases oils from vetted suppliers, then resells them. These suppliers are expected to comply with stringent quality standards. To ensure that the essential oils are up to snuff, the company performs multiple rounds of checks and tests.
To illustrate, they sample hundreds of oils and test them for purity before they buy them from the suppliers. They reject any with contaminants or adulterants.
Next, once the bulk order arrives, they have a third-party laboratory double check the results for purity. Meanwhile, their own chemist runs Refractive Index and organoleptic tests. Even the in-house bottling process is monitored.
The conclusion of their manufacturing process comes when each amber glass bottle is sealed, labeled, and shipped. But you can contact their customer service for further information or get useful tips on their website.
Rocky Mountain Oils – The Essentials Kit
If you’re new to aromatherapy, try this Essentials Kit from Rocky Mountain Oils. It contains pure lavender, peppermint, lemon, orange, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oils in 5 mL bottles.
Rocky Mountain Oils – 100% Pure Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
The spicy fragrance of cinnamon bark oil is perfect for creating a comforting and uplifting mood and your home. Should you choose to apply it to your skin, the company suggests diluting it with a carrier oil.
Rocky Mountain Oils – Purify Essential Oil Blend
Diffuse this blend or use it in a DIY cleaner to freshen the air and get rid of germs. The Purify blend combines citronella, lavender, myrtle, rosemary, tea tree, and lemongrass essential oils.
It has no fillers and tested to be free from GMOs and pesticides. Just check online to see the test results.
Rocky Mountain Oils – 100% Pure Immune Strength Essential Oil Blend
Of course, Rocky Mountain Oils posts a disclaimer that their statements are not intended to diagnose or cure any disease. But fans of essential oils will appreciate this blend that boosts the immune system.
Add up to 10 drops of the oil for every hundred milliliters of water in your diffuser. Or combine up to three drops per half teaspoon of carrier oil when you apply it to the skin. The spicy herbal fragrance comes from eucalyptus, clove, cinnamon bark, orange, lemon, oregano, thyme, mandarin, rosemary, ginger root, and nutmeg.
5. Edens Garden
You might like making a positive impact by supporting a women-owned family business like Edens Garden. It was established in 2009, and it may be the top non-multilevel marketing essential oil company.
Edens Garden sources raw ingredients and oils then relies on third-party laboratories to perform gas chromatography and mass spectrometry on what they sell. You can request both the MSDS sheet and certificate of analysis for each product.
They prefer oils that are created from sustainable ingredients with eco-friendly practices. They focus on providing pure oils without additives in fresh batches. Each batch is stored in low light in a temperature-sensitive room before shipping.
If you want to learn more about how to use essential oils, the company offers a free guide on their website. The aromatherapists on staff also publish articles and respond to customer inquiries.
Edens Garden Myrrh 5 ml 100% Pure Undiluted Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil
The ancient remedy myrrh has a distinctive woody and smoky fragrance. Over the past 3000 years, it’s been used for embalming, perfumes, and to treat sores and hemorrhoids.
The Commiphora myrrha plant exudes resin which is steam-distilled to create this oil. It can last up to seven years after you open it. But take note: breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women should avoid using myrrh.
Edens Garden Cannabis 30 ml 100% Pure Undiluted Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil
In this case, cannabis oil is not psychoactive. It won’t make you high. Instead, it’s recommended for soothing sore muscles. Mix it with a carrier oil for massage.
Edens Garden Cedarwood- Himalayan 10 ml 100% Pure Undiluted Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil
Like other oils they sell, Himalayan Cedarwood is available in a variety of sizes besides the one we selected here. You can get a smaller size to try or a large 4-ounce bottle if you use a lot of it. Since it’s a favorite choice for relaxing blends, we wouldn’t be surprised if you went with the big one.
Edens Garden Good Night Essential Oil Synergy Blend, 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade
This is Edens Garden’s own take on nighty-night blends to help you fall asleep. It contains lavender, marjoram, chamomile, bergamot, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, key lime, and vanilla.
6. Fabulous Frannie
Fabulous Frannie makes their products in small batches. The oils are tested by third parties using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. They provide a certificate of analysis for each batch.
Since the United States doesn’t yet have laws governing the quality of essential oils, the company relies on European standards to guide them. For example, therapeutic grade oils must be undiluted and suitable for any application, whether diffused or on the skin.
Next, food grade oil must be pure or cut with a food-based carrier oil. After that, cosmetic grade includes oils, and that could be a blend of steam-distilled and lab-formulated components. Last of all, synthetic oils are safe for use in making candles, incense, and cleaning products but not recommended for aromatherapy or using on the body.
Fabulous Frannie Essential Oil Beginner Starter Set
The Fabulous Frannie Starter Set contains 14 of the most popular essential oils. They are packaged in dark amber glass bottles with dropper caps.
The company says they are 100% pure therapeutic grade. Since there are no hard and fast rules about what qualifies as “therapeutic grade,” you can have a look at the test results for each batch. None of them have additives or are cut with carrier oils.
The set features tea tree, tangerine, sweet orange, rosemary, spearmint, pine, peppermint, patchouli, lemongrass, lime, lavender, grapefruit, and eucalyptus oils. They are appropriate for aromatherapy, making custom massage oils, and your own cleaning products.
Fabulous Frannie Carrier Oil 5 Pack #2
We’ve mentioned carrier oil several times. Here is an ideal way to begin using them. Fabulous Frannie’s pack includes hemp, olive, grape seed, avocado, and castor oils to blend with your favorite essential oils. Then you can make your own lotions, soaps, massage oils, and creams.
7. Majestic Pure
Majestic Pure has a worldwide customer base. Their products are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and not made with GMOs.
They say they avoid organic labeling because the money they save in not pursuing certification keeps their prices low. But they do offer a satisfaction guarantee so that you can exchange a product or get a refund.
For each oil, they provide detailed information about the country of origin, the plant, and how it was extracted. They also reveal how it smells, how it may affect the mood, how to use it, as well as cautionary statements.
MAJESTIC PURE Essential Oils Set for Aromatherapy and Diffuser
This set is a good introduction to what Majestic Pure offers. It comes with basics like eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint. But there are also more exotic oils like clove, cinnamon leaf, and frankincense.
The company packages the pure, undiluted oils in amber bottles. They advise using these for aromatherapy or blending them with carrier oils for topical use.
8. Young Living
Young Living Essential Oils is a multi-level marketer (2). They were one of the first companies whose products we used. Although they have had complaints about the purity of their oils (3) and had to clarify their claims under FDA pressure, they continue to be one of the biggest names in the market.
One of the advantages of Young Living is that they have their own ingredient farms worldwide. In some cases, it’s possible to take a tour of a farm. They also promote sustainable practices.
They use Seed to Seal-certified suppliers and manage the entire chain of production. During production, a quality control team and scientists run a variety of tests from the typical gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and combustibility. Third-party laboratories confirm the results.
Young Living, Golden Touch 1 – Essential Oil Collection Set
While many companies sell simple essential oils, Young Living has branched out into blends. Some of their blends, like Thieves Oil, are well-known and very popular.
This collection includes seven oil blends featuring Vitality oils. They cover digestion, the immune system, respiratory support, pain relief, and more. What’s interesting about the Vitality oils is that they are food-grade to be used as supplements or flavorings.
9. doTerra
doTerra started in 2008 when former employees of Young Living decided to start their own multi-level marketing company (4). As recently as 2015, they were making over 1 billion in sales worldwide. Although their headquarters are in Utah, they have overseas offices and warehouses, too.
The company promotes its intensive testing that ensures the purity of their essential oils. They call it CPTG, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade quality testing.
Their protocols include typical techniques like gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and organoleptic review. But they go further and test for heavy metals and microbial contamination, among other things.
doTERRA Family Essential Kit
doTerra’s oils are not cheap, but you can get a solid introduction to them with this kit. It contains 5ml amber glass bottles of lemon, peppermint, lavender, oregano, frankincense, and melaleuca (tea tree oil). But there’s also four of their best-selling blends: Deep Blue, Breathe, On Guard, and DigestZen.
10. Lagunamoon
Lagunamoon offers more than 30 essential oils derived from ingredients sourced worldwide. Each oil’s description explains from which plant (and what part) it comes, the country of origin, and the distillation method.
None of their oils are for internal use but can be applied topically to the skin or diffused. They are tested by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to be free of fillers. Plus, they follow Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics.
Lagunamoon Essential Oils Top 6 Gift Set
The six oil set from Lagunamoon includes tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, orange, lavender, and lemongrass. The 10ml bottles are packaged in a gift box with a printed guide.
Some of the recipes they suggest include mixes for a relaxing bath, bed linen sprays, and cleaning formulas.
11. ArtNaturals
ArtNaturals focuses on the sense of smell as a tool to promote well-being. Their products include unadulterated essential oils that are tested by GC and MS to be pure. They offer the analysis reports on their website.
Moreover, each oil’s description includes the country of origin, the extraction method, the color, the consistency, and what oils with which it blends well. They are bottled in amber-colored glass with leak-proof caps.
Each set comes in a foam-lined box with a magnetic closure, so you have a convenient place to store the oils and protect them from light.
ArtNaturals Therapeutic-Grade Aromatherapy Essential Oil Set
The Aromatherapy Oil Set features favorites like peppermint, sweet orange, lemongrass, lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary. But it also has frankincense oil, which makes it an economical option for the value it provides.
ArtNaturals counsels using the oils in a diffuser or in a carrier oil for massage. They are also appropriate for treating your skin, nails, and hair. If they are stored in a dark, cool environment, their shelf life is approximately two years after opening.
12. Artizen
Artizen came into being to offer an alternative to multi-level marketing companies. They sell straight to the public at reasonable prices. Furthermore, they provide a lifetime refund guarantee. Their literature says they have a full-time team of doctors testing each batch of oils for purity and quality.
Artizen Aromatherapy Top 14 Essential Oil Set
Get maximum value for the money with this fourteen bottle set. You can experience a wide variety of essential oils and blends with this one package. Although the bottles are only 5ml in size, they come with a lifetime warranty and guarantee.
This extensive collection includes frankincense, lavender, eucalyptus, cedarwood, sweet orange, rosemary, tea tree, lemon, peppermint, plus blends. The blends include a knockoff of Thieves Oil called Robbers, Good Sleep, Stress Relief, and Muscle Relief.
13. Healing Solutions
Healing Solutions has a customer support team to answer questions about their products. They provide a refund if you’re not completely satisfied.
They source their oils from around the world, and they have over 170 different kinds. Third-party providers verify their purity with GC and MS testing. If you follow the link on their site’s FAQ page, you can see the results.
Another bonus is that the distillation facility is kosher-certified, FDA-registered, and compliant with ISO 9001 standards.
One note: as we researched this company’s products, we discovered something unfortunate. The website Fakespot reported that many of the online reviews were not reliable.
In fact, Amazon had removed or altered many of the reviews. To this we say, caveat emptor—buyer beware. The company may have worthwhile products, but it’s hard to trust them with this kind of deception involved.
Healing Solutions Best Blends Essential Oil Set
If you’re anxious to try a variety of essential oils without paying a lot of money, this set of blends may be a good bet. They are comparable to big brand products like doTerra’s Serenity, Deep Blue, and On Guard and Young Living’s Thieves Oil.
14. Radha Beauty
Radha Beauty proclaims that they are the number one beauty and essential oil brand on Amazon. They began in 2014 and have steadily increased their catalog since then.
They import pure oils from all around the world and bottle them in an FDA-approved facility in the United States. The glass bottles come with a separate dropper applicator. But there is no indication of what sort of testing they run.
Regrettably, this is another company that Fakespot has flagged as having a large number of unreliable reviews.
Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils
If you’d like to get an assortment of this companies’ oils to compare with another brand, try this set. It includes eucalyptus, lemongrass, orange, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, frankincense, and rosemary. They are recommended for use in aromatherapy, massage and body oils, blends, and diffusers.
15. Natrogix
Natrogix says their specialist visited each country where their oils originate. This person searched for the highest quality products to purchase. Instead of focusing on only oils with a pleasant fragrance, they also sell less aromatic options that benefit well-being.
Then the oils are tested by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry by third-party laboratories where possible. Next, they are packaged in amber glass bottles with droppers at a GMP facility in the USA. Any available test results are open to the public.
Disappointingly, this is another essential oil company found to have some deceptive reviews online. Overall, they currently have a C rating on Fakespot. Keep in mind this is not necessarily a reflection of the quality of their product.
Natrogix Bliss Essential Oils – Top 9 Therapeutic Grade 100% Pure Essential Oil Set
Natrogix offers a free e-book with custom recipes that include the oils in this set. That way you can create your own blends for healing and relaxation. Should you feel unhappy with your purchase, contact their customer service for resolution.
Wrap Up
Did our guide to the top essential oil brands help answer your questions today? Let us know in the comments below.
We also love to know which brands you tried and what you thought about their products.
Resources:
- http://aromatherapycouncil.org accessed 16 April 2019
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Living accessed 16 April 2019
- https://utahstories.com/2014/08/damning-evidence-that-young-living-and-doterras-essential-oils-are-adulterated/ by Arvid Keeson, 15 August 2014, accessed 16 April 2019
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoTerra accessed 16 April 2019
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