No, they’re better.
Don’t get me wrong, this post is not intended to be a CPTG vs. certified organic debate. Certified organic is good. We support organic practices from any organization that seeks to produce pure, quality products, but the certified organic standard is not the only standard of purity.
dōTERRA‘s quality standard for essential oils, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® (CPTG), exceeds industry standards. Because organic certification varies from country to country, province to province, and in the US, from state to state, it is not currently possible to acquire all oils under certified organic status.
However, through the GC/MS analysis process, we are able to determine if any chemical residue exists in the essential oil, such as pesticides, herbicides, extenders, and solvents. With this rigorous analysis process, we are able to ensure that all CPTG essential oils offered by dōTERRA are absolutely pure as nature intended and a step above organic.
"Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils mean something very different. It means we protect the chemical compound of the plant just as it was produced from the earth. We don’t need to improve upon that. If we have the care, the scientific knowledge, the commitment and the integrity, we can preserve that.” - Dr. David K. Hill (doTERRA's Chief Medical Officer)
Why Sourcing of Oils Matters
We source our essential oils from a number of growers and distillers from around the world. Each location has its own specific laws and rules governing agriculture and collecting wild crafted botanicals. We look for plant materials that are grown in specific environments, but we cannot say that our oils are all “organic” as that requires specific certification that we simply cannot produce for some of our oils.
Our CPTG testing standard requires that our oil extracts be both free of pesticides and other foreign materials, which is one of the main reasons for people seeking organic botanicals, and it tests for certain compounds at certain levels so that our oils meet the performance criteria for each lot of oil. If an oil fails the purity test, specifically pesticides, there is no secondary process for removing the pesticides or foreign matter. The oils failing the test would simply be rejected. Other than the careful distillation of the oils from the plant material, there is no other processing that takes place.
They are 100% pure aromatic extracts, nothing added, and nothing removed—they either meet our standard or they don’t. We partner with experts that have a lot of experience in this field, and their long history of tested purity is part of the art of producing such beautiful oils. They are farmers and collectors and chemists, but they are committed to distilling essential oils as artisans and we believe are mindful of their environments and are committed to sustainable practices.
How Growers Impact Quality of Essential Oils
Our network is vast and our suppliers’ methods are diverse. If we were to learn of any actions of a supplier causing harm to either the environment or to the local people of their community we would certainly seek other and more appropriate sources. Our long-term hope is as we grow the demand for essential oils, we can help develop clean industry for local economies around the production of plants and extracts.Steam distillation is a very clean process. No solvents are used in the process, the left over plant material can make good compost, and the water waste stream is clean but for a hint of beautiful-smelling aromatics.
