There's so much hesitancy surrounding safety of EO use, but 8 years ago I decided to see them for what they are -- plant derived tools in your medicine cabinet to serve your family in countless situations. They are not a cure all, but simply a piece of a well rounded wellness puzzle. What's your favorite essential oil?
ARE THEY TOXIC?
The essential oil industry is not FDA regulated, so it’s extremely important to get your oils from a trusted source. Many oils that you see at the store are adulterated and contain artificial fragrance, fillers, and other ingredients that CAN be toxic.
This is one of the instances where you get what you pay for.
CPTG (certified pure therapeutic grade)
CPTG certified is something unique to dōTERRA. Some people may look down on a certification system instituted by a company that produces the product, but since there are no regulating standards set in place by a governing body, they choose instead to hold themselves accountable with this quality control process. dōTERRA tests every batch of oil using their own rigorous standards while also employing third-party testing to guarantee transparency.
If you’re interested in the constituent profile of your bottle of dōTERRA essential oil you can visit www.sourcetoyou.com and enter your bottle’s specific quality ID (found on the bottom of each bottle) to find your batch report.
WHY AREN’T THERE MORE STUDIES SURROUNDING THE SAFETY OF ESSENTIAL OILS?
There are great studies out there, and I encourage you to seek them out, but it’s important to remember that the FDA doesn’t regulate oils & they can’t be patented since they’re pure plant derivatives. Because of this, the incentive to fund and facilitate a wide variety of peer reviewed studies isn’t of great importance for the normal funders of these studies (pharmaceutical companies) being that they would never be able to market, sell, and profit from the oils used in the studies.
Visit aromaticscience.com for a database of dōTERRA studies and more.
SUSTAINABILITY/ RESPONSIBLE SOURCING
This is where your choice of brand matters. When you understand agriculture and what the cultivation of plants looks like, you’ll have increased clarity on the fact that dōTERRA is an extremely sustainable company. The production of EOs can actually avail the communities through which they are cooperatively harvested. It is a beautiful example of how God created the earth with the intended purpose of cultivation through responsible husbandry leading to continued bounty and benefit.
Some examples of this are dōTERRA’s arborvitae – this oil is a byproduct of the lumber industry in the pacific northwest. Rather than the utilized wood pulp being their end product, they’re able to distill this pulp to reap the arborvitae essential oil, which then expedites the decomposition process of the distilled pulp as it takes on new life as a nourishing organic in the region’s soils.
Another example, Douglas Fir, is an oil that we harvest from New Zealand where it is considered an invasive species due to the way it crowds out the other indigenous vegetation. The harvesting of this oil has provided a responsible way for the environmentalists of the area to utilize the trees in a beneficial way while also culling the problematic invasion that has congested the area’s ability to thrive.
dōTERRA is in a unique position to not only produce the highest quality essential oils, but also to make a positive difference in communities and native environments all over the world. Focusing on ethically and environmentally beneficial sourcing methods, dōTERRA Co-Impact Sourcing model ensures that we will have essential oil sources for the foreseeable future while acting as stewards of good for our planet.
PROPER USE
As with all things, the manner and respect with which we employ them can lend to or take away from their safety and efficiency. Even though they are not regulated by the FDA, they have to go through a certification process to be granted GRAS status (similar to a cooking extract or over the counter vitamins.)
The therapeutic value of an EO lies within its specific components. For example, lavender is known for its calming property because of a component called linalool. Because essential oils are volatile - meaning their components jump into the air - when we smell lavender, we know that within that scent we are also utilizing the therapeutic aspect of the linalool on a biological level. To simplify: if you're smelling it, you know it’s working.
WHY I chose doTERRA
They’re certified pure therapeutic grade. Every batch is third part tested and every oil is held to the highest possible level of purity.
They source their oils indigenously. In order to produce the best growing conditions, doTERRA sources EOs from across the globe. This includes over 140 origin EO’s from over 45 nations! While the temptation for a company as large as doTERRA may be to buy large plots of land and mass produce oils, doTERRA places great value on the expert knowledge of the local farmers - many of whom have nurtured essential oil plants for generations. This in turn supports thousands of jobs around the world.
They give back. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation offers resources and tools to communities and organizations to raise self reliance, increase access to healthcare, advance sanitation, promote education, and fight sex trafficking.
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