This was one of my first questions as I learned about essential oils years ago. The first thing I noticed was there is a wide spectrum of prices for essential oils out there. You could pay $5 for one kind of oil by one brand or $100 for a bottle by another brand. What’s the difference?
I am currently taking an aromatherapy course through Dr Christopher’s School of Natural Healing, and one thing I’m learning is that the same plant can have different compounds and constituents depending upon what variety it is, where it’s grown, how it’s processed and what parts of the plant are used.
Usually, there is one specific part of a plant that contains essential oil of the highest medicinal value. Many producers use additional parts of the plant because they smell the same, but they don’t have the same amount of compounds or potency.
Many essential oils are extracted with chemical solvents. It’s hard to remove these solvents completely and makes the production process more expensive. As a result, most companies in the past have not been willing to pay the extra expense to do this extra step or buy more expensive oils extracted a different way. And some companies dilute or adulterate their oils to make more money.
In fact, the FDA requires that only 10% of an actual oil be present for a company to claim it as being 100% pure. Don’t be fooled!
This is why it’s traditionally taught that essential oils should not be taken internally. And it’s true that many brands of essential oils are unsafe to take internally.
I’ve been asked many times why I recommend one company in particular. It’s because I’ve never found another organization at all like them. The company is Doterra, and they are absolutely committed to having the purest oils possible. They go to great lengths and spend the money it takes to do so. Not only do they outside-test all batches of oils to make sure they are pure, they also measure the oils to verify they have the correct amount of medicinal compounds. They call their oils CPTG: Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils.
As a result, their products are safe to take internally within recommended guidelines, which is the same as herb and drug usage. I’ve used Doterra’s products for a year and a half, and have been amazed at the power and purity of their essential oils. My nose has gotten better at detecting differences in quality between brands. Some are so obvious when you have something really pure with which to compare.
Doterra is definitely a pioneer in the field of essential oils. They promote scientific research, and have already had success in the areas of cancer and diabetes. It’s exciting stuff, and I’ll be learning more at their convention this September.
There are other reasons why I love Doterra. They offer things I couldn’t find from other companies.
- Beautifully printed educational materials (even their catalog has usage charts)
- Free videos and webinars
- A generous rewards program for monthly auto-ship ordering
- An opportunity to pay for my oils by sharing them with other people
- A wellness philosophy I heartily support
This is why I am so loyal to the Doterra brand. They’ve raised the bar of quality for essential oils to a very high level.
Go ahead. Try some. You’ll be able to tell a difference too!
Brittiny asked: I’ve been ready your blog for a couple months now and I have a question about the essential oils. I’ve been researching and it seems like Doterra is saying you can apply these directly to you skin. Is that true? I’ve always heard you had to dilute essential oils into a carrier oil.
Jenni’s answer: Because Doterra’s oils are so pure, many of them can be applied directly on the skin (called NEAT). It just depends on the oil and where you’re putting it. If you click on the catalog link and browse their catalog, they have charts that tell which ones are safe to apply straight, and which ones definitely need dilution. But I can’t vouch for the safety of NEAT application of oils from any other company.
Thank you for this post! I’ve been trying to decide if I want to commit to Doterra, and every time you post about them, it nudges me closer.
I originally heard about Doterra from my midwife. She gave me a bottle of lemon oil to put in my water and I’ve been hooked since! I ran out of the lemon a few weeks ago, switched to the peppermint bottle and been thinking of signing up for the AutoShip program. Gotta have my lemon oil!
My midwife put Frankincense on my baby’s head, myrrh oil on his cord and Balance on his feet when he was born. My mother-in-law commented that Caleb smelled like Christmas.
I’m so glad to hear it! I will have those oils handy when I have my baby! I love Doterra’s AutoShip program because the rewards are so good the longer you do it. Let me know if you have any questions about it.
Thanks for reading!
So well put! Thanks for sharing this. It is so empowering as a mother to know we have the best right hear in our cupboards to care for our families.
I have to say, we use the cuts and bruises and the muscle relief oils. We also use the complete tissue rub. From doterra we use, lavender, clove, rosemary, and meleluca the most. I have a supply of other oils just in case we need it for something. I would have to say that if I could only have a few things in my cabinet that would be my list. Maybe add peppermint for congestion and headaches. I have found that those oils take care of all of my needs. I do not think we could be without Vicki’s Cuts and Bruises!
I must say, I love those formulas by Vickie too, which is why I offer them on this site. The work really well and are not very expensive. I’m glad you’re using the oils so much. Thanks for your comments!
I ordered a Doterra starter kit and the Modern Essentials book from you about 6 weeks ago before I went to England with my family. Its been invaluable! We used the Lavendar on the flight and upon arrival to cut down on stress and jet lag. I used the lemon for the water and the peppermint for car sickness. And the cuts and bruises oil for, well, my kids cuts and bruises. =) Thanks!
Hi Jenni,
I just wanted to write and thank you so much for recommending Doterra on your blog. I had previously only purchased essential oils for the natural foods store and I just got my first Doterra order (and signed up as a member under your store) and it’s AMAZING! They smell SO much better than the other oils I have purchased. I’m very excited about eventually replacing all the oils I have and learning more about how to use essential oils.
I’m so glad you love the Doterra oils you received! I was in a health food store today and grabbed a tester bottle of Lavender and almost gagged when I smelled it. I made my kids smell it too and they looked at me puzzled and asked, “Is that lavender?” There really is a difference!
It’s so funny that you mention the lavender. That was one of the oils I had that I noticed the biggest difference with. When I first bought my natural food store brand lavender I thought it smelled like that because it was so concentrated, but then when I smelled Doterra I realized why there was such a difference! Crazy!
Hey Jenni,
Do you know if there are any oils to use to help with yeast infections?
Yes, yes and yes! The oils are the BEST thing for getting yeast under control. For the last infection I had, I douched with diluted Melaleuca essential oil or just applied it with my fingers in the shower every day for a week or so. This is an internal environment issue. The best tools I’ve found for getting your internal environment back into balance are Doterra’s GX Assist, a 10 day cleanse with enteric coated oil caps, followed by a course of PB Assist, their probiotics to help the good bacteria flourish. My sister, Emili, covers this in her post on Slim & Sassy.