Living Magazine English Living Magazine V4 | Page 4

DR. DAVID K. HILL, DC
Executive Vice President, Chief
Medical Officer/Chairman, Scientific
Advisory Committee
Does temperature
affect my oils? Once opened, excessive or increasing heat is known to intensify the reaction rate leading
to oxidation and polymerisation of essential oils. Oxidation alters the chemical make-up of
essential oils, converting the chemical constituents into different substances, changing the
aroma, diminishing the beneficial properties, and possibly even increasing the
risk for sensitivities. Essential oils are all chemically unique, so the oxidation
process begins at different temperatures, occurs at varying rates, and affects
each oil distinctly, but never are the effects positive. Cold temperatures, on the
other hand, generally do not induce chemical changes in the oil, even at freezing
temperatures. Properly storing essential oils can prolong their useful life. For
best results, I recommend that all essential oils be kept away from direct sources
of heat and under 25 degrees Celsius.
What resources
are available for
me to learn how I
can expand my use
of essential oils for
self-care? There are two distinct components to expanding your functional knowledge
of essential oils: research and experience. We are all distinct in how we react to exogenous
input. Despite the science, you may have better (or worse, or simply different) experiences
with specific oils than others. So use them and develop your own model of daily use based
upon your experiences. At dōTERRA, we are proud to be the science leaders in the essential
oil industry and we’ve created some amazing educational and usage tools, such as the Oil
Chemistry Wheel. Soon we will be releasing a major expansion of the wheel, which will be the
ultimate essential oil user’s guide. Keep checking the dōTERRA Science Blog (doterra.com/
US/en/blog-science) for further information.
What is the
process of creating
an essential oil
blend? The process of bringing an essential oil blend from an idea to market is a long and complex one.
The backbone of dōTERRA essential oil blends is chemistry and the synergism of the chemical
constituents that provide the wonderful benefits. Blends are first imagined based
on meeting a precise chemical profile to address a specific concern. Since
dōTERRA only works with whole oils and does not isolate chemical constituents,
that initial profile is met by selecting individual oils and then deciding on the
overall composition. Then tests can be conducted to ensure that the chemical
constituents and their proportions are not altered by the blending process. Once
the desired chemical composition has been established, other considerations
such as scent can be addressed through further revision. Only after several
stages of testing and revision, making sure that it meets CPTG standards, does a
blend idea become a dōTERRA essential oil.
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