5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Using Essential Oils
Cost Does Not Equal Value
Let me save you some money here.
When I first heard of essential oils for treating things like head tension, I was curious. I went to the local health food store and bought the cheapest Peppermint oil I could find. Then I went to the grocery store and bought Tea Tree oil. The Peppermint oil actually gave me a headache. I couldn’t get rid of the nauseating smell. What I didn’t know then that I know now from years of education and experience, is that likely the oil I purchased was synthetically created in a lab to smell like peppermint. Not only did I not receive the therapeutic benefits I was seeking, the oil caused an adverse reaction and led me to question the claim that Peppermint essential oil relieves head tension. Let’s just assume a product labeled “Pure” contains at least a couple of drops of pure essential oil. We have no way of knowing unless we can access the purity testing reports. Sourcetoyou.com provides a report based on the lot number on the bottom of doTERRA bottles. This is peace of mind.
You should also know that the timing of the harvest and whether or not an oil was obtained sustainably affects quality and potency. Not all companies choose quality over quantity in production. It’s important to do your research.
Another thing to pay attention to is the container the oil is in. As for the Tea Tree oil, what I purchased was in a clear plastic bottle. Essential oils should be contained in amber or dark glass to keep light out. In addition, essential oils should never be put in a plastic container due to their potency and ability to break down the plastic. Why would this company do this? Well, if an oil is not pure or potent what’s to protect? Cost cutting measures like plastic containers, carrier oils to dilute the product, and added synthetics can be indicative of what lengths the company is willing to go to for profit. doTERRA does not cut costs on obtaining the purest, most potent oil and backing it up with extensive testing to offer the consumer the best available product on the market today. DoTERRA is a billion dollar debt free company with no shareholders to appease. This is what makes the difference in being able to purse their dream of offering the purest, most potent essential oils available in the world today. No other company can afford to offer this level of transparency. The bottom line is, when I did a price per drop cost comparison of what I paid for the cheaper oil diluted with a carrier oil vs. what I paid for 250 drops of the real deal, I realized peppermint oil is merely .088 cents per drop. The perception of saving a few bucks really blew up when I realized I was actually overcharged when I received synthetic/inferior quality oil in a plastic container filled to the brim with carrier oil. For just a couple of bucks more I would’ve had 250 applications of the purest, highest quality oil on the market. Lesson learned.
Pursue What’s Pure
If you’ve ever wondered if essential oils really work, all you need to do is to invest in one oil from doTERRA. Ask any wellness advocate for a sample before you buy. We are committed to finding the right essential oil for your unique body chemistry. This will actually save you money on the trial and error side. If I had received a sample of Peppermint and Tea Tree from the first two random companies I purchased from, I absolutely would not have purchased their products. They know this. This is how they get you, and this damages the reputation of essential oils. This is money wasted.
Your Skin is Your Largest Organ
Oof, I never considered how what I was applying to my skin was being absorbed into my entire body. I just never thought too much about it! What took me years to figure out on my wellness journey, I like to share up front with those who cross my path on their own pursuit of wellness. Specifically, our detoxification pathways are our skin, lungs, kidneys, colon and liver, with skin being the largest organ. Whether you are applying lotion, deodorant, body wash, skin serum, essential oil, etc., it matters what you put on your skin. It takes just over 20 seconds for it to be absorbed and mere minutes for it to circulate in the bloodstream; the good as well as the bad ingredients.
Choose Someone Who Will Advocate for You
When I went looking for the pure, I feel like I did everything I could to avoid an MLM. What I didn’t realize at the time was the amount of fear based thinking that went into that decision. I guess I was afraid of sales pressure? (Incidentally, I’ve never once had an upline pressure me for sales). So when I decided that doTERRA was the best source of oils, I went searching on Instagram for the best deal and the most obscure wellness advocate to enroll with. Mistake #4. I chose someone who I knew nothing about. I thought I didn’t want anyone bothering me, but I didn’t realize what I was missing out on in terms of community and education. Without the resources I didn’t know I needed, I didn’t grow and my membership lapsed. When I faced an emergency during which modern medicine failed me, I knew I needed to partner with someone who had resources and could support me through the healing process. This is the benefit of doTERRA. I found a doTERRA holistic health coach who could walk me through next steps as I worked with my doctor to get my situation under control. I will forever be grateful for this decision and for the support I received. I now have access to all of my mentor’s resources in addition to my own, to share with my community members. I never knew how much I would value the relationship and I honor it every day by loving on my own community with every gift and resource I have. I sustain them with intentional daily devotion and loving supportive action. It’s the most beautiful thing. Please be thoughtful in who you choose to accompany you on this journey. You truly want someone whose values you align with, someone you feel you can trust, and someone committed to walking out this healing journey with you.
There are Ways to Get Pure Essential Oils at Even Deeper Discounts And There’s an even better way to invest in your health than oils alone
If I had chosen to align myself with someone I trusted to begin with and not closed myself off from the community like I did, I would’ve learned some amazing cost saving hacks for affordably keeping my big family supplied in oils. I’ve learned the insider tips and tricks and I share these cost saving measures with my community members. From deals on oils, to how to maximize free oils, to selecting oils with the most bang for the buck, I have learned the inside scoop and know how to help educate community members in how to maximize their benefits from these oils.
Perhaps the most important thing I fortunately learned early on was to reimagine the way I looked at healing. Based on our current medical model, we tend to want to take something to fix a problem, without going to the root of the problem. I call this the “bandaid” approach. With essential oils, this approach is only temporary; a bridge to take you from problem to relief. What we really need is to get to the source of the problem and repair that. We all know the importance of a healthy diet, but even the most organic diet contains nutrient gaps due the modern farming practices of today. A person would need to eat 21 oranges today for the equivalent vitamin A found in one orange in the 1950’s. Similarly, it would take 100 apples for the same amount of vitamin C an apple contained in 1950* (*doTERRA Essential Oil Specialist Training). In order to feed our cells on the cellular level, a good system of supplementation will support healing at the root and promote the true vitality people are seeking. Synthetic vitamins won’t do. I discovered that Lifelong Vitality supplements wrap vitamins and minerals in a glycoprotein matrix to promote bioavailability. Better absorption of vitamins, minerals, and the whole food complex found in the Lifelong Vitality supplements, combined with essential oils, work synergistically in the body to support bone health, fight free radicals, support healthy metabolism and cellular energy, promote healthy digestion and immune function; all essential in the pursuit of healthier living. Healthy supplementation changed everything for me. Combined with targeted essential oils, I am experiencing the results I desire.
I had no idea all those years ago where that one drop of synthetic peppermint would lead me, but one thing I know for sure is that I was meant to learn these lessons. I am happy to share them with you insofar as they will help you begin to feel more comfortable incorporating pure plant wisdom into your everyday life. For more information on how to get started please hop over here. Value, purity, safety, savings, and guidance are the five things I wish I had known more about when I started dabbling in essential oils. That being said, let’s get to the work of getting healthy together! The Natural Healing Project free Starter Guide has your first steps.