Essential oils are produced by extracting plant oils. They are used in aromatherapy for health, wellness, and beauty. The processes of extracting these oils can be pretty laborious and expensive, and various extraction and distilling methods are used.
Given the essential oil market is unregulated, how do you know where the essential oils are made and if they are pure and of good quality?
Plant Therapy sources its essential oils from many different countries. The company itself is based in Twin Falls, Idaho, where they produce and package the final products. Their oils are third-party tested for quality standards and purity, and most of their products show the ingredient origins.
Each Plant Therapy product comes with a batch number and product information. Consumers can search the batch number on the Plant Therapy website to learn more about the product, its origins, and the lab test results.
Where Does Plant Therapy Make Their Essential Oils?
Plant Therapy does not grow its own plants or distill its own essential oils. Instead, they source their ingredients from essential oil distilleries worldwide.
Buying already-distilled oil is cheaper than growing, harvesting, and refining the vast number of crops they would need for their wide product range.
Where Does Plant Therapy Get Its Distilled Essential Oil?
Since different plants grow better in certain areas and climates, the distilled oil comes from local and international suppliers. Chris Jones, the founder and President of Plant Therapy, writes about some of these suppliers in his blogs.
Some Plant Therapy Essential Oils Are Made In France
Some of the essential oils used in Plant Therapy products are produced in France, in Valence. About 8 tons of plant material is needed to make 2.2 lbs. of distilled essential oil. The plants and oils they source from France include:
- Clary Sage
- Juniper
- Lavandin
- Lavender
- Melissa (Lemon Balm)
- Thyme (thymol)
Plant Therapy Essential Oils Made In Morocco
Plant Therapy sources its Argan oil from Morocco. This oil is certified organic. The interesting harvesting and distillation process can be read in another blog by Chris Jones after he and the vice President of Plant Therapy visited Morocco in June 2016.
The oil extraction process is done mainly by hand, from harvesting to extracting the oil.
One Argan tree can yield up to 8.8 lbs. Argan oil annually.
Other essential oil Plant Therapy sources from Morocco include Blue Tansy, Juniper Berry, and Atlas Cedarwood.
Where Are Other Plant Therapy Essential Oils Made?
Plant Therapy sources essential oils from many other countries. One needs to look at the product on their website to see where the oil was initially made, although not all products state this. Their oils are listed under Singles, Blends, Organic, Kidsafe, Pup & Pony, and their CBD range, amongst others.
A few of their essential oils and origins are shown below.
Plant Therapy Essential Oil | Country of Origin |
All Spice | Jamaica |
Amyris | Haiti |
Balm Mint Bush | Australia |
Balsam Fir | Canada |
Basil Linalool | Hungary |
Bergamot | Italy |
Black Pepper | Sri Lanka |
Blood Orange | Italy |
Bourbon Geranium | Madagascar and Reunion Island |
Cananga | Indonesia and Madagascar |
Frankincense Carterii | Somalia |
Ginger Root CO2 Extract | Germany, Indonesia, and Nigeria |
Helichrysum Italicum | Bosnia, Croatia, and France |
Indian Sandalwood | Australia |
Juniper Berry | Hungary and Morocco |
Organic Palmarosa | Nepal |
Organic Patchouli | Indonesia |
Organic Turmeric CO2 Extract | Germany, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam |
Organic Ylang-Ylang Complete | Madagascar |
Pink Carnation Absolute | Egypt |
Pink Grapefruit | South Africa and the United States |
Rhododendron | Nepal |
Star Anise | China |
Sweet Fennel | Hungary and Tanzania |
Texas Cedarwood | United States |
White Camphor | Taiwan |
For the purposes of company transparency, each product sold by Plant Therapy has a batch number and detailed Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
However, according to the Consumer’s Advocate independent review of the Best Essential Oil Brands in the U.S., the ingredient origin is not specific enough on certain Plant Therapy products, especially those listing more than one origin.
Conclusion
Plant Therapy sources its essential oils made locally and internationally. They try to source pure, organic, and unadulterated essential oils as far as possible. Plant Therapy has its headquarters in Idaho, where the company began. From there, they produce, package, and market their products.