Start checking an essential oil claim by choosing one precise statement. Finding a source and showing that it supports that statement are different outcomes. Keep the wording, open the original material and check which product, study and conditions its conclusion concerns.
Separate the claim from the surrounding description
Select one sentence to investigate. "This product has these ingredients" and "this product helps with a disease" need different evidence. Product information addresses the first question. The second requires assessment of research. A sales listing is not clinical evidence simply because it describes the product.
Record the link, author or organization, date and location of the claim. If the reference is only a general book list, ask for the relevant page or study.
The eoASSIST oil reference
Search for oils by name and open their reference entries.
A record for one claim
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Statement | The precise claim without expanding it |
| Source | Author, title, address and date |
| Object | The plant, product or group actually studied |
| Conditions | How and in which context the finding was obtained |
| Boundary | What the source does not establish |
This note helps prevent transferring a finding between different objects. A substance study, botanical record and purchased bottle's batch report answer different questions.
Check where the page comes from
NCCIH's guide includes checks on information origin, accuracy, expert review, currency and website ownership. For your note, add the publication's purpose and whether the author sells the product being discussed. That does not automatically invalidate information, but helps you understand the page's role.
Find the original material when an article cites a retelling. Compare its conclusion with the words you actually read. Do not turn a tentative possibility into a promised result for every person.
Read a reference entry with a question in mind
When exploring an oil in eoASSIST, keep the question you want to clarify and any available source link. The project's sources page introduces its general bibliography. Checking a particular claim still requires material relevant to that statement.
Discuss symptoms, treatment or changes to prescribed care with an appropriate healthcare professional. This worksheet organizes reading. It does not replace medical-evidence assessment.
Source
NCCIH: Finding Health Information Online, checked on 11 November 2026. The table is our own editorial worksheet, rather than a quotation or official NCCIH questionnaire.
The eoASSIST oil reference
Search for oils by name and open their reference entries.