What They Are, How We Use Them, and What That Means For You
Let’s not tiptoe around the truth: there are a lot of facets about aromatherapy that can cause some contention – even among the most respected professionals of the industry. It could be ingestion of oils, topical dilution rates, standardization of oils, use around pets, contraindications…really the list goes on and on (if you want to learn more about where Plant Therapy stands on some of these controversial topics, follow the link listed near the end of this blog). But today we want to focus on a topic that may not be so familiar, and that is the use of isolates. Because if you trust us enough to bring our products into your home, then it’s up to us to make sure you know the what, how, and why of each ingredient we use.
What Are Isolates?
So what the heck are isolates anyways? In the simplest terms, isolates are naturally occurring single chemicals that have been isolated from their natural sources. Isolates are the single constituents that make up all essential oils. You probably even know a few of them! Linalool is one of the most well-known isolates, thanks partly due to Lavender Essential Oil’s popularity. Geraniol (found in Geranium oils), citronellal (found in – you guessed it – Citronella), and limonene (a major component of citrus oils) are just a few of the isolates with name recognition. But there are hundreds of isolates that may not sound so familiar — or friendly. 2,3-pentanedione, delta-dodecalactone, and p-anisyl acetate are isolates too, each with their unique characteristics and each isolated from their botanical source.
How are Isolates Extracted?
Plants are like little chemical factories. If you’ve ever checked out a GC/MS report, you know what we’re talking about. Plants often have dozens of different constituents that make up their essential oil, and each constituent is a chemical molecule with varying sizes and weights. So how are those compounds isolated from their source?
Isolates are often taken from essential oils using fractional distillation. This method involves the separation of a liquid into fractions using differing boiling points. As the oil heats up, the vapor rises into a long column above the still. The vapor is repeatedly condensed and re-evaporated as it moves toward the top, which distills the vapor many times. Because of this, the column can be tapped at various levels to draw off different fractions. This isolates different parts of the oil with different scent notes!
This process of isolation is also useful for some carrier oils. For example, Fractionated Coconut Oil is an isolate, which is why it stays liquid at room temperature.
Why does Plant Therapy Use Isolates?
At Plant Therapy, we love creating beautiful, unique blends you can’t find anywhere else. We also love to try new things and introduce our customers to new scent profiles and all of the amazing naturally occurring compounds in botanicals. When we use isolates, rest assured that we never hide them. If it isn’t listed directly on the label (and instead referred to as “natural fragrance”), you can always find a full ingredient breakdown PDF on a specific product’s website page. Isolates, often paired with essential oils, make incredible fragrances that not only smell amazing but also often have a longer-lasting scent that can push through waxes and butters better than essential oils alone. This is because a natural fragrance can be made to include heavier compounds and fewer lighter, volatile compounds. You’ll notice isolates present in our candles, bath bombs, and even some seasonal blends (like our popular Apple Orchard Blend).
Only the Highest Quality – Every Time
Before we add an isolate to any product it goes through the same rigorous quality standards as all of our essential oils. We purchase from reputable and carefully vetted suppliers and have each isolate third-party tested for purity. We follow this up with internal testing to ensure each isolate meets our standards. Like every ingredient we use for any product, we do not compromise on quality. We hope that through our transparency and integrity you’ll continue to choose us for your natural product needs – whether or not that includes isolates. And if you’re not a fan of isolates, that’s no problem! We have hundreds of essential oils and essential oil blends to choose from that do not include additional isolated compounds.
It is our hope that we can continue to delight you with fun, unique scents that you’ll absolutely love — be that with or without isolates. We have a few more blogs highlighting our use of isolates and how they compare with other natural ingredients, so take a look if you’re interested!
Isolates: What You Need to Know
Isolates vs. Essences vs. Essential Oils: Everything You Need to Know
Oleoresins, CO2 Extracts, Essences and Isolates: Differences & Benefits
Thank you so much for caring about your community and your Plant Therapy friends and family both young and furry too! This article was extremely informative, well written and easy to follow and understand.
Thank you for explaining this so clearly. I didn’t know what isolates were, so this was very helpful.
So informative.
Great information! Thank you
Thank you for all the informative details. This is helpful for everyone who would like to learn more about your products.
Not only do I love your products, but I love that you continuously educate your audience. ThNk you for keeping us informed and educated!
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Never doubted with what PT uses. Isolates would be much lighter I gather but same natural oil extracted just in different temperature resulting in different scents for DIY or mixing with EOs.
Thank you for the content. A very easy read.
Educational! Love what your company and what it stands for! Love your oils! Thank you!
This information is great and it does help me appreciate some Isolates and likewise appreciate preference of some well blended ratio done by PT!
Great info!
Good to know!
Helpful for a newbie!
OOOHHH this was a great read, lots of helpful information i love learning about products i already loved!
Thank you for providing helpful and interesting information.
Informational, thank you
Explained very well! Thank you!!
Very informative. Thank you for making wonderful products!
Thanks so much for your dedication to provide great quality products!
I love the way you explain everything so clearly.
Thank you so very much PT.
Amazing
Really helpful! I was wondering about those “chemically” sounding ingredients listed in “natural” products. Good to know what they are and what they do. Thanks for the easily understood presentation.
Very informational and absolutely needed to know. Thank you!
Interesting information – I didn’t realize the difference between essence oils and essential oils.
Very interesting, I didn’t know any of this.
Very informative and helpful! Thank you!
I am familiar with the term “isolates” seeing it bandied about so much in the EO world. This does help me understand it better. Thank you!
Thanks for providing awesome information about your products! Very helpful!
Good Information.
You can really smell the quality of these products. I heard about this company through a chiropractor on Instagram. She was raving about plant therapy! She raved about the Germ Fighter and the Defender essential oils. After I purchased these products, I see that you guys truly have quality products, and I will definitely continue buying your products. Thanks so much for your dedication to provide High quality products at affordable prices! <3
Gracias por siempre mantenernos informados. De esta manera no nos desinformamos con personas que dicen saber las cosas
Always informing your customers with valuable content 24/7!
You guys provide wonderful information! I love Plant Therapy!
Very useful information. Thank you for your dedication!
Wow, love that you guys care so much. It’s one of my fav things about plant therapy!
Thank you for the education you provide…so much to learn!
Thank you for that explanation. It has helped me understand the terms I often see in the lists of many ingredients for many products. I often wondered if they were actually “naturally scented” or “made with essential oils” as they are often referred to.
Informational! Thanks!