Why Your Essential Oils May Be Harming You

The essential oils industry is currently thriving. I won't call it a passing trend because, in truth, plants have been used in wellness for centuries now - we are just going through a re-awakening about how amazing they are.

Why an explosion of interest now? - because people are starting to hear more and more from their friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances about how effective essential oils are for a multitude of wellness issues, and their success stories.

But what happens if you go out and buy oils from the store, try them yourself, and you just aren't getting those same results that everyone else seems to be raving on about. Well, it's likely not you, but the essential oil brand that you are using.

You are purchasing essential oils in good faith thinking that what is says on the label is actually what's inside the bottle. But sorry to say this, if you are choosing a cheap brand of essential oil, it may actually be harming you rather than providing any health benefits. Here's why...

An Unregulated Industry

Despite what we know, Essential oils are not currently recognised as having health benefits - instead they are classed as "cosmetics". And Cosmetics is a unregulated industry.

What that means is that there is no party regulating the essential oil industry - no one has set a standard for what is actually considered to be an "essential oil", "pure essential oil" nor "therapeutic essential oil". So guess what - companies can say what they want on their labels and no one is stopping them from making potentially outright false claims....and so we are none the wiser about what we are actually purchasing.

Companies can put what they want on a label because no one is monitoring the actual contents. And there is so much adulteration that goes on in this industry... so read on to see what could be in your bottle of essential oil, and heed caution.

The types of adulterations and mis-labelling that goes on includes:-

Are you oils really "Pure"?

Independent studies showed that 75% of essential oils in the marketplace today are adulterated in some way, including those you can buy from reputable health stores. Types of common adulterations include:-

* Adulteration #1 The oil may contain a small amount of pure oil and the rest filled with a cheap carrier oil

I once had a bottle of essential oil from a health store that stated in big letters on the label "100% Pure". But when I looked at the label more closely, it disclosed in tiny writing that only 17% of the bottle actually contained pure essential oil. The rest was filled with a cheap carrier oil. Did I feel ripped off - you bet!

* Adulteration #2 Your "pure" oil may contain synthetics.

How about adding man-made synthetics? This is a common practice that can only be revealed through chemical analysis called GC/MS test reports (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry). This is why you NEVER want to use essential oils unless you can verify what is in them through the GC/MS chemical analyses.

These oils will provide little to no therapeutic benefits and can be harsh on the upper respiratory system when inhaled, not to mention that you may now be applying synthetics to your loved ones bodies instead of something natural.

* Adulteration #3 You "Pure" oil may contain Pesticides and Herbicides, potentially even if they are labelled Organic

What about it I told you that your oils could contain herbicides or pesticides - even if they are certified as organic? Being certified organic is a step up over the synthetics, however all it guarantees is that farmers and growers are following organic farming practices. This is of course great, however what about their neighbouring farmers - are they using herbicides and pesticides? So now we have the possibility of cross-contamination, leaching of water onto the organic soil. Once again the only way to tell that there has been no such contamination is through the GC/MS reports - so ask for those before you buy.

You definitely do not want to be using these kinds of essential oils topically, aromatically or internally.

Quick Summary

So in summary, this is what your cheap brand of essential oil may be costing you:-

1) Paying money for only a small percentage of pure essential oil.

2) Using essential oils that may contain synthetics, herbicides or pesticides .

3) Breathing in, applying to your skin or ingesting oils with impurities is potentially hazardous to your health.

What brand should you use?

There are many good essential oil brands out there, however for many reasons that go beyond just the purity of an oil, I would recommend Doterra. This is for the following reasons:-

1) They are trusted by healthcare professionals. In fact many health coaches, holistic health practitioners, nurses and other healthcare providers are Doterra Wellness advocates.

2) Doterra sources their oils from indigenous regions where nature intended them to grow. In my opinion, the weather systems, climates, seasons, soil, native insects and neighbouring vegetation that nature intended for the plant all play a role in a better plant right from the outset. Put it this way, would you rather drink coffee grown in Costa Rica, or coffee grown in a greenhouse in Illinois?

3) Sustainable Farming Practices.

While others in the essential oil industry cut corners during the planting, growing, and harvesting process, or even try to “extend” pure oils by adding less expensive ingredients, doTERRA is uncompromisingly selective, ensuring that farmers are treated and paid fairly, and that plants are not over-harvested.

Click below to see a short video for the Doterra Difference