Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Lavender Essential Oil

1. Purity 35% of the rating 4 of 5

   One organic ingredient, Lavandula angustifolia flowers, steam distilled, from Bulgaria; no GC/MS report is posted, so “nothing added” rests on the maker and the organic listing.

2. Batch testing 25% of the rating 3 of 5

   No lot report is posted (GC/MS only on request); the one independent result is Mamavation’s phthalate test, 616 ppb, in its “best” group but not clean.

3. Sourcing 15% of the rating 4 of 5

   USDA organic handler listing, certified since 2002, and Bulgaria named; no farm or distiller is named.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   Plain copy, clear cautions and independent ownership; points off for three terminated Class I Salmonella recalls of dried herbs (2018 to 2020, none involving essential oils), a 2012 Prop 65 lead notice on a supplement and a paid affiliate program.

5. Value 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   $16.25 for 1/2 oz is about $1.10 a mL; 1 oz is about $0.76 a mL, 4 oz about $0.60 and 16 oz about $0.46.

The rating, 3.5 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank essential oils and our standard.

1. Organic lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil, steam distilled from the flowers

• Independent Mamavation with Environmental Health News (Mamavation earns affiliate income) February 2025

  Sent 22 lavender and peppermint oils from 11 brands to an EPA-certified lab (not named) and tested them for 15 phthalates. All 22 had traces, from 40 to 13,029 ppb in total. Mountain Rose Herbs Lavender had 616 ppb, in the “best” group (under 1,000 ppb) but not among the two oils under 100 ppb. Bottles were bought from November 2023 to December 2024. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Paid certification USDA Organic Integrity Database (certifier: Oregon Tilth) October 16, 2026

  Lists Mountain Rose Herbs (NOP ID 8150001085) as a certified organic handler since October 2002, with “Lavender Essential Oil” among its certified products. It is a company-level listing about organic handling, not a test for purity or contaminants; the profile was updated 2026-10-16. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where is the GC/MS report?

Not posted. The company says its oils are “rigorously tested for purity and quality” and that customers may contact customer service for GC/MS analysis. We do not contact makers, so we did not ask and cannot say what a report shows or whether it would be for your lot.

Does it contain phthalates?

Mamavation’s lab found traces in every one of the 22 lavender and peppermint oils it tested. This oil had 616 ppb in total, in the lower half of the range (40 to 13,029 ppb) and under the 1,000 ppb line Mamavation used for its “best” group. We found no limit for phthalates in essential oils.

Is it really organic?

USDA’s database lists Mountain Rose Herbs as a certified organic handler, certified by Oregon Tilth since 2002, with “Lavender Essential Oil” in its scope. It is a company listing, not a certificate for a lot, and we did not see which farm grows the lavender.

Does lavender oil sensitize skin?

Yes, and the product page says so: “This oil can cause skin sensitization. Never use essential oils undiluted.” That fits the research: lavender oil lacks natural protection against oxidation (opens in a new tab) and the oxidized oil is a known contact allergen (opens in a new tab). Buy only what you will use within a year or two, and see our safety guide.

Any recalls, Prop 65 notices or lawsuits?

FDA’s database holds three Class I recalls (opens in a new tab) of dried herbs for possible Salmonella (prickly ash bark powder in 2018, fennel seed in 2019, kudzu root in 2020), all terminated and none involving essential oils. California’s Prop 65 list has a 2012 notice (opens in a new tab) about lead in a dietary supplement. We found nothing about this oil, and could not search court dockets.

Does anyone get paid to recommend it?

Mountain Rose Herbs runs an affiliate program (opens in a new tab) that pays bloggers and creators 10% of referred sales. It says it is independently owned and not driven by shareholder demands. Mamavation, which ran the phthalate test above, also promotes its beeswax candles with a discount code on its deals page (opens in a new tab). We did not check how any particular promoter discloses the link.

• USDA’s Organic Integrity Database lists Mountain Rose Herbs (NOP ID 8150001085) as certified since October 2002 by Oregon Tilth, with “Lavender Essential Oil” in its handling scope. The profile was updated October 16, 2026.
• The page names the plant (Lavandula angustifolia), the part (flowers), the method (steam distilled) and the origin (Bulgaria). It makes no disease or treatment claims.
• The precautions are specific: the oil can cause skin sensitization, never use it undiluted, do not take it internally unless working with a qualified practitioner, and keep it away from children. It tells you to patch test a diluted drop on the inner forearm or back for 48 hours.
• The 1/2 oz and 1 oz bottles are amber glass with drop reducers. The company says it is independently owned, free of shareholder demands.

• No lot report is published. The company’s essential oils page says customers may contact customer service for GC/MS analysis. We did not request one, so we cannot say what it shows or whether it is for your lot.
• The USDA listing covers the company as a handler and names the product. It does not show a certificate for a specific lot or bottle, and we did not see which farm the lavender comes from.
• The smallest bottle costs about $1.10 a mL, more than Plant Therapy’s plain or organic oils. Larger bottles cost less per mL, but oxidized oil is more likely to cause allergic skin reactions, so buy only what you will use.
• The site files this oil under “Stress Support”, a benefit claim in the navigation, though not in the product text.

Tested by

None published; GC/MS available from customer service on request

Certificate of analysis

No

1. Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Lavender Essential Oil product page. Maker’s page. Sizes and prices read on 2026-10-23 from the store’s price lookup for each size. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. USDA Organic Integrity Database: Mountain Rose Herbs (NOP ID 8150001085). Certifier or regulator listing. Certified by Oregon Tilth since 10/11/2002; handling scope includes Lavender Essential Oil; profile updated 10/16/2026. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils category page. Maker’s page. Says oils are tested for purity and that GC/MS analysis is available from customer service on request; says the company is independently owned. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Mamavation: essential oils tested for toxic phthalates. Test report. February 2025. 22 lavender and peppermint oils, 11 brands; Mountain Rose Herbs Lavender 616 ppb total phthalates. Full raw data is behind a free account. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. openFDA food enforcement reports: Mountain Rose recalls. Certifier or regulator listing. Three Class I Salmonella recalls of dried herbs, 2018 to 2020, all terminated. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search for “Mountain Rose Herbs”. Certifier or regulator listing. One notice, 2012, for lead in a dietary supplement. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Mountain Rose Herbs affiliate program. Maker’s page. States a 10% commission and a 1,000 follower minimum. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Hagvall et al., 2008, Contact Dermatitis: Lavender oil lacks natural protection against autoxidation, forming strong contact allergens on air exposure. Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Hagvall and Christensson, 2016, Acta Dermato-Venereologica: Patch testing with main sensitizers does not detect all cases of contact allergy to oxidized lavender oil. Independent source. Positive reactions to oxidized lavender oil in 2.8% of consecutively patch-tested patients. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. Mamavation: sales, deals and discounts from its favorite brands. Independent source. Lists discount codes for Mountain Rose Herbs (its beeswax candles), which shows a commercial tie between the brand and a site that reviews it. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Plant Therapy Organic Lavender Essential Oil Also USDA organic, with two outside-lab lot reports and 40 ppb in the same phthalate test, at about $11.99 for 10 mL; it makes softer health claims.
• Plant Therapy Lavender Essential Oil Posts outside-lab lot reports, at about $9.99 for 10 mL, but is not labeled organic and makes softer health claims.

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