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Differing properties of the same plant oil between different sellers: is it normal?
Hello,
I have recently been ordering and using pomegranate oil.
I ordered from one seller and the oil smells extremely fruity (to the point of smelling almost artificial, though the seller insists there is no adulteration), is bright golden (almost like jojoba oil), and is slightly thinner than other pomegranate oils I’ve tried in the past. It also feels “drier” on the skin (ie: it soaks in faster with less oily residue).
I then ordered another brand and the smell is barely fruity and has a more “earthy”, “oily” smell, the colour is slightly more subdued golden, and it feels thicker. It also sinks in much slower and feels heavier on the skin.
Both are cold-pressed, unrefined, and certified organic. One is sourced from Turkey and the other is from the Netherlands.
Is it normal to have this much variation between oils from different sources?
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7 Replies
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The oil comes from the seeds, not the fruit, so I don’t understand the fruity one.
The unrefined, cold pressed Pomegranate Seed Oil I’ve had (from Gustav Heess, with good results on the CoA) was amber coloured and also had an ‘earthy’ and ‘nutty’ smell.
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Yes, it is normal to observe differences in the same oil from different suppliers, particularly unrefined oils. The different suppliers source the fruit from different farmers and the fruit are grown in different areas of the world under different conditions of soil, rainfall and other environmental factors. You will also see lot-to-lot differences from the same supplier … same factors at play
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@MarkBroussard
But ‘extremely fruity, to the point of almost artificial’?
I’ve never had any unrefined oil smell like that. -
That would be quite unusual as most oils actually do not smell very good, nor much like the source fruit
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Some ‘organic’, ‘natural’, ‘cold pressed’ etc oils are not suitable really. For instance I have some mamey oil here. It is a relative of argan oil. The profile actually seems superior. However, it has such a high percentage of unsaponifiables that, kept in the refri, it solidifies, and it’s really too ‘rich’ to use in a skin cream.
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Thank you @Doreen, @MarkBroussard, and @Belassi very much for your comments!
@Doreen, I agree I am very suspicious of the overtly fruity smell of the one seller. My other one was much like yours, with a more typical (I would say) ‘earthy’/‘nutty’ smell. I might have to investigate more with the seller who has that fruity one and see if there is something they aren’t telling me!
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You’re welcome and good luck with your investigation.
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