English Lavender Essential Oil Laboratory Guidance Document

Lavender oil obtained from the flowers of English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Lamiaceae) is widely used in the production of fragrances, cosmetics, food, beverage products, and pharmaceuticals. The essential oil (EO) is used orally, by inhalation as a sleep aid, and can be applied topically for skin treatment. Adulteration of lavender oil is considered to be widespread due to high product demand and lower prices for chemically similar EOs and compounded fragrances. Some of the known adulterants are EOs from spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia Medik.) or lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel, syn. Lavandula angustifolia Mill. ×Lavandula latifolia Medik.), vegetable oils, glycols, and naturally occurring volatile compounds from lower-cost sources (linalool, linalyl acetate, lavandulyl acetate).1 This Laboratory Guidance Document (LGD) presents a review of various analytical methods used to detect adulteration of EO of English lavender with lavandin, spike lavender, linalool and linalyl acetate-rich EOs, terpenes, and other chemicals. This document can be used in conjunction with the “Adulteration of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) EO Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletin” published by the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program in 2020.