COA, SDS and GC/MS answer different questions. When requesting essential oil documents, identify the product, manufacturer and batch. A similarly named file may concern a different item or sample.
Start with the document's purpose
COA usually means Certificate of Analysis, recording parameters and analysis results. An SDS describes hazards, handling, storage and emergency measures. HSE explains that an SDS supports a risk assessment but is not itself that assessment. This is UK guidance, not a universal statement about document-supply obligations in every country.
GC/MS means gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. For an oil, the report helps describe the tested sample's chemical profile. It does not automatically validate every package claim.
The eoASSIST oil reference
Search for oils by name and open their reference entries.
Check each file for its own purpose
| Document | Look for |
|---|---|
| COA | Batch, parameters, specification ranges and actual results |
| SDS | Product identifier, revision and hazard information |
| GC/MS | Sample, date, method and profile explanations |
A document-reading example
The Eden Botanicals Lavender Absolute COA, lot 21 identifies the product and lot and presents ranges with results. The refractive index at 20 degrees C is 1.4798; some other fields say na. Do not convert na to zero or guess its meaning without the issuer's explanation. This absolute document illustrates the structure.
A supplier request you can adapt
"Please provide documents for product ... , item ... , batch ... . Which parameters were tested, by which method, and which sample do the results cover? Please identify any document that is general rather than batch-specific."
Do not fill gaps with another batch's results. A matching number still requires checking the file's origin. Documents do not replace assessment of a particular use or establish treatment effects.
See matching batch reports and checking sources. Sources were read on 11 November 2026.
The eoASSIST oil reference
Search for oils by name and open their reference entries.