Fractional distillation is when essential oils are distilled to remove unwanted molecules. When the plant is distilled you get the essential oil – a pure, unadulterated, true botanical essential oil. It smells like the actual plant does. After the original processing of the plant material, either the original distillery or often times the buying company will take the raw oil and distill the oil 1-3 times to take out the heavier, dirtier smelling (earthier) molecules.
Plainly speaking, a fractionally distilled oil, while still considered pure, is something completely different. It will still have therapeutic qualities, but those qualities will not have an action that is as deep or that lasts as long as its true botanical un-fractionated counterpart. When a company decides to remove the heavier molecules, they are removing the earthier aroma, but they are also removing the very nature of the oils ability to stay on and in your body longer. These essential oils are altered. They are not the true botanical.
How can you know if your company does this? It is quite simple really. Smell them. Bring a few of your oils to a nursery such as your Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, and Spearmint.
Once you find the plants, open your bottle, take out a drop, rub it in your left hand, then gently crush some of the leaves or flowers between your fingers of your right hand and smell your fingers and then smell your other palm with the oil. If the oil smells sweeter or different, you have a fractionally distilled oil. If the oil smells the same as the plant you most likely have a true botanical oil.
Young Living is one of a very few companies that do not use fractionated essential oils. All of their direct competitors use fractional distillation and it’s obvious through a simple organoleptic smell test.
Check out my full talk on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/jenosullivan/fractionational-ditillation-and-essential-oils-by-jen-osullivan