Healthy Home
Guest post by Lea of Learning About EOs
There are many strong statements floating around in aromatherapy circles, and it can be hard for the untrained eye to distinguish the myths from the truth. This post aims to bust some myths and help you see through them…
Myth #1 – Only some essential oils are “pure”
Some multi-level-marketing companies claim to have pure oils. Heck, I haven’t seen any company out there who doesn’t claim theirs are pure! However, some companies will have you believe they have the only pure oils – and this simply isn’t true.
You can have a bottle of “100% Pure Tea Tree Oil” and it can be 90% vegetable oil and 10% Tea Tree essential oil. Although most companies do not dilute their essential oils in this manner, it proves that the term “pure” is not a label that carries much weight.
Myth #2 – XYZ oil is “therapeutic grade”
OMGeranium! There are actually therapeutic grade essential oils!!
Seriously, though. When a company is quick to tell you their essential oils are “therapeutic grade” they make you feel as if there is something special about that company.
The fact is, all essential oils are therapeutic grade.
That’s right! Simply by definition, therapeutic is defined as “of or pertaining to the treating or curing of disease,” or “to treat medically.” Another definition is “serving or performed to maintain health.”
There is no board of advisers who give any official certification for therapeutic grade essential oils. Any “certified” oils are certified by the company only…which is very clever marketing. Don’t fall for it.
Myth #3 – EO bottles with a “for external use only” label must be avoided
Sorry to break it to you, but it’s actually the companies that are concerned for your safety that are the ones printing this label. They realize the serious consequences that can arise from misuse.
Most essential oils are not intended for internal use unless under medical supervision. When you do use them internally, they are generally taken 1-3 drops mixed with a fat and placed in a capsule to protect your mucous membranes from coming in direct contact with a concentrated substance.
Myth #4 – Essential oils are “natural” and therefore not harmful
Uh huh. Say that to the mother who’s child died from ingesting a bottle of Wintergreen. There actually are reported deaths from accidental overdose from essential oils, as well as phototoxicity, burns, ulcers, and other negative reactions.
Remember, essential oils are highly concentrated substances. One drop is, on average, 100 times more potent than the herbal counterpart. Just because you can drink several cups of Peppermint tea a day does not make it safe to put drops of Peppermint essential oil in your water every day.
Essential oils do not contain the exact same components that their herb counterpart contains. For example, I was sitting in on an all-day lecture by Robert Tisserand a few days ago, and he pointed out this: the Basil plant contains estragole, which is something we want to stay away from due to it latching on to DNA and staying there – but it also contains two or more constituents that counteract the negative effects of estragole.
Once the plant is steam distilled, the constituents that make it safe are no longer available in the essential oil, making the essential oil more risky to use than the herb. That said, there are various types of Basil essential oils, and some have more estragole than others.
Robert Tisserand’s new book, Essential Oil Safety, is full of this kind of fascinating information.
Myth #5 – Essential oils only need to be diluted if you have sensitive skin
Again, essential oils are highly concentrated substances, and concentrated substances are rarely used “as is.” Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, you should dilute essential oils before applying them topically. Although sensitive skin might react right away to an undiluted oil, sensitization can still occur over time, and is irreversible.
The best rule of thumb for children is 1 drop of essential oil per 1 teaspoon carrier oil (such as coconut, almond, etc.). The average adult can use 2 drops essential oil per 1 teaspoon carrier oil.
Read: Properly Diluting Essential Oils for thorough dilution guidelines.
Come back tomorrow for 5 more “mythstakes” about essential oils!
Have you explored using essential oils in your home? What would you like to learn about them?
Lea Harris is a Certified Aromatherapist who blogs at LearningAboutEOs.com. Get her FREE ebook, “Using Essential Oils Safely” by subscribing to the newsletter.
Dena Norton
I’ve recently taken an interest in EOs, but have been a bit overwhelmed sorting through the various brands and qualities of each. I have a lot to learn and it sounds like your site might be a helpful resource. Thanks!
Marie
Remember that essential oils that come from multilevel marketing companies h to charge more to support all the uplines.
juliet
Do you buy groceries from the grocery store? Guess what. That grocery store marks up the price of that box of cereal you are buying to pay their shipper, supplier and maybe another middle man. People always use this “argument” as though it somehow it invalidates the virtue of the company or product. Unless you purchase a product from the individual who makes it who has no employees and doesn’t have to buy any outside supplies (does that even exist?), they have to mark up the price to accommodate costs. It’s just the way business works.
Jill's Home Remedies
Thank you for writing about this subject, Erin. You are exactly correct about companies pushing their oils as the only good oil out there. I purchase my oils for 1/3 of the price of some of the bigger companies, and they are just as pure and effective. Excellent article – sharing!
L Nood
Please share what brand oils you purchase at 1/3 the price of bigger company oils.
Tara
I hope this is okay to post. I started using EO from one of the major companies and I absolutely loved them. However, the price was hard to swallow. Then I found Planttherapy.com and I love their oils. Soooo much less expensive and in my (unprofessional) opinion, they are just as good. I’m not in any way associated with Plant Therapy, I just really like their oils and I’ve had several good experiences with their customer service. Thought I’d share! 🙂
Jill's Home Remedies
I use oils from Beeyoutiful. www.beeyoutiful.com
Wendy
I have been using oils from http://www.edensgarden.com/ Their customer service has been excellent and their prices are also very affordable. I initially found them as a seller on Amazon (I liked reading the reviews and suggestions by other customers). It was also a great starting point for me to determine what I wanted to purchase. They have several kits and one that you can even mix and match what you want dropping the price per 10ml bottle to $4.00-5.00 each. I have no experience with other companies and therefore have no basis of comparison, but I am happy so far. Hope this helps.
Erin
Thanks for the tip!
Sharon P
I think you have been misinformed, that is simply not true. Why would they be so much cheaper if they did not have man made chemical fillers in them? I agree that all companies try to make people believe their oils are the most “pure,” but there are companies that truely care about the quality of their product.
Debra
And these are the exact reasons I stick with herbal infusions, there are many benefits to the herbs that are destroyed when they are heated to make essential oils, I have a jar of healing salve on my dresser that if ingested while not tasty will not kill you, it is made with beeswax and olive oil infused with basil and sesame, infusions are generally safer and carry all of the natural health benefits of the original herb.
Fran
Heat and essential oils should not be in the same sentence 🙂 Proper distillation technique is SO important or the components or constituents of the oil become useless for health and wellness. I wouldn’t use any oil without understanding how it was grown (organic), harvested, distilled, tested to assure high quality and then bottled. This type of Quality control only exists with with a handful of producers. Definitely take great care and do your research.
Laura
I really want to stock up on EO for use with my large family however I’m feeling defeated by the high cost of the one company’s class I went to. Can you share with me where you find your good quality oils at a more affordable price?
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
You can find the master list of companies we have tested here —> http://www.learningabouteos.com/testresults
As you can see, there are many companies who tested well. Although the expensive ones passed, there are other, much less expensive companies who have also passed. There is no need to pay $80 for a bottle when a $15 bottle of the same stuff will do 🙂
Jenn
Try Plant Therapy! Their oils are great in my experience and the prices are affordable. Probably a third or more cheaper than the company whose class you attended. 🙂
lyss
I’ve always figured all those companies that claim their oils to be superior aren’t all that superior.
And “food grade”? I’m a little leary of putting lemon oil in my water…what’s wrong with squeezing a real lemon?!
One thing…I’ve always diluted essential oils, with the exception of tea tree oil. Is that bad??? We use it only for bug bites, applying drops directly on the skin. I’ve read that’s ok, but now I’m wondering if it’s not a good idea…
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Essential oils should never be added to water. Don’t take my word for it – this is a quote from Robert Tisserand, who literally wrote the book Essential Oil Safety.
Tea Tree can cause allergic reactions in about 5% of people. Even if you don’t react right away to an essential oil when used undiluted, this doesn’t guarantee that your body still isn’t going to react down the road. For decades, vintage aromatherapists were using Lavender essential oil undiluted, at first with no reactions. Now, many of them have developed a sensitivity to this long-term undiluted use.
It can never hurt to dilute. Many are very effective at a 1-2%, and they last so much longer as well 🙂
Valerie
Lea, why should EO never be added to water? What is the danger?
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Oil and water do not mix. So when you add them to water and drink them, they are hitting your mucous membranes at a full concentration. This can eventually lead to burns, scarring, ulcers, or cancer, if done daily for a long period of time.
Robert Tisserand, who literally wrote the book Essential Oil Safety, has stated “never add essential oils to water” as well.
Valerie
Got it. What about adding to a teaspoon of coconut oil? I use fractionated coconut oil externally to dilute EO. I occasionally take coconut oil intended for cooking/consuming internally, eg a teaspoon full swallowed. My inclination would be to add EO to the solid coconut oil that I normally take internally but I’m wondering if I should mix the oil in, so it won’t be sitting on top and burn. Therefore I would think maybe adding to the liquid FCO and mixing it would work better. Any ideas on this? Is FCO ok for internal use?
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Valerie – it wouldn’t let me reply under your last comment, so I’ll reply just above it 🙂
Yes, you can mix the EOs into either FCO or regular coconut oil, or even almond oil, jojoba, avocado, or a dozen others 🙂 The purpose is to have the EO diluted into the “carrier” oil, so as it sits on the surface of the bath water and comes into contact with your skin, that it will do so in a diluted state.
I personally do no use FCO internally. In fact I don’t use it at all! I love regular coconut oil, and something about it being permanently liquid makes me not trust it. But that is just me, totally not based on science 🙂
Jessica
What about adding an oil to water to disinfect a countertop of other surface. I added a few drops of lemon oil to a bottle of water and have been spraying it on the counters or floors to disinfect them when we have something messy spill. It’s not an internal use, but is that also bad??
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Just be sure and shake real well, so it comes out as mixed as possible. Also know the lemon essential oil can eventually eat away at the plastic and cause the sprayer not to work (or to gum up). Solubol is a product sold by Aromatics International that helps essential oils to stay mixed in the water.
Tracey
I’m a little confused as the oil & water issue? Essential oils are not an oil? From what I’ve read…however I’m new so I’m asking
Peggy
What a neat aritelc. I had no inkling.
[email protected]
This is an excellent article. I recently attended a small informal session on EOs and came home a little upset and frustrated with what appeared to me to be false claims and big areas of concern. A little googling showed me I was right, but in natural circles, few people seem to want to tackle this issue at all. You addressed every area that I was concerned about. Thanks!
Hilary
Thank you so much for this post! I recently attended an EO educational session but wondered how one particular brand could have “superior” products. During the session I suspected something wasn’t quite right when I was asked to rub undiluted peppermint oil on my hands and neck … but they burned for quite a while afterwards. (I’ve only diluted my supposedly inferior EOs with carrier oils in the past.) Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Lea!
Alisha
Oh my goodness! Who on God’s green earth let you rub PEPPERMINT onto your hands and arms undiluted??? That’s one of the “hot” oils! Holy moly!
Tina
I keep hearing a lot about Thieves oil yet I’ve only found one distributor for it. I even checked my local health food store and they do not carry it. Supposedly it helps with a lot of different things and even comes in other items such as beauty and household products. I’m wondering if it’s as good as they say or a money waster. Any input would be appreciated! I’m very new to EO’s and haven’t purchased any because of all the conflicting information. Thank you got you help!
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
There are several brands who sell Thieves oil under different names 🙂
Tina
So what are the other names so I know what I’m looking for? Thanks again!
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
On Guard is the doTERRA version. There are others as well 🙂
Diana
Isn’t it a mix of oils? You could probably get pretty close by buying them separately and mixing your own. Don’t take my word for it though 🙂
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Yes, you certainly can make your own! There is a recipe in our forum here —> http://www.learningabouteos.com/forums/showthread.php/959-DIY-Thieves-OnGuard-Recipe?p=5884#post5884
Carrie
“Thieves” is the name of the blend of oils from Young Living. “On Guard” is the name with Doterra. “Four theves” if you order from Edens Garden. and “Germ Fighter” from Plant Therapy. They are the same blend of oils, just under different names depending who you are purchasing from.
Penny Crooks
I want to share with you a company who has essential oil blends comparable to many of the YL blends at a fraction of the cost. It is Rocky Mountain Oils and I have been a very happy customer of theirs for ten years. Perhaps you may consider looking at them and reading the reviews.
Kindly,
Penny Crooks
Bev
DoTerra has onguard, instead of thieves
Lisa Bertolini
My family uses both herbal infusions and EOs in our family health care. I think people who do so need to do their due diligence in understanding home remedies. We need to be as informed as possible when it comes to our health care.
I have tried different companies and personally found one of the larger companies to be better suited for our needs and for the pure pleasure of my nose 😉
I also think people who represent said companies should be careful not to make claims their companies simply don’t make. Just because a rep says something, doesn’t mean the company has. Again..due diligence on our part as consumers.
Therapeutic grade… the difference I’ve seen in myself and my family is substantially different depending on the company. There are different levels of therapeutic grade. For ex: with teas… Sleepytime tea doesn’t even compare to other sleep aid teas on the market. Is Sleepytime therapeutic? For some people, but the strength of other product lines is telling. When I compared two different companies (Lemon EO), my whole family agreed on which one was more potent, aromatically. We use them for aromatherapy so it was an easy decision on which one would be stronger and thus last longer.
Using EOs for aromatherapy..I go for the stronger fragrance. That’s my preference. I have smelled different oils next to one another and there’s a huge difference.
Each person’s body is going to respond differently, because we’re all unique. So what works for some, might not work as well for others. I say try different brands and find what works for you.
“Pure” or even “100% pure”… funny thing is, you have a Google ad on the top right of your blog right now that claims to be 100% pure lavender oil.
The term certified.. that’s always debatable in any field, imo. However, if a company says their oils are from farms whose plants are certified organic and as such is certified by a reputable certifying agency then that’s really the best anyone can hope for.
As far as the potency of straight oils or consuming them internally… always use caution no matter what the company says you can do with their oils.
I’m glad you took the time to write this, as we all need to be more vigilant in what we use on and in our bodies.
🙂
N
Thank you Lisa for saying this. It’s certainly up to us as the consumer, and even rep’s for those “bigger companies” to do our research, learn and gain knowledge. While I do use on of those bigger companies it is not at all for the claims they make that they are the only pure EO out there. I’ve heard that from enough companies to look right past it. Same for the therapeutic grade claim. I look past it and don’t make a big deal about it when I’m trying to help others convert to EO use. I am more than willing to use many different EO’s. I feel like while this post was good in intention it came off as anti-doTerra, anti-YoungLiving instead of informative.
Nicole
Agreed!!
Lori Jessen
I often add EO’s to my bath water along with Epsom salts and cider vinegar. Are you saying thus is a no no? ss
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
That would depend on the oil you are adding. Oil and water do not mix, so they will sit on the surface of your bath and be directly on your skin – not diluted at all. I would mix them with a carrier oil first, and then add to the bath. EOs like Lemongrass can be skin irritating, whereas Lavender is not.
Lynette
They are just fine used in water! Essential oils are not really oils! They do not contain the fatty acids that constitute what we would consider an actual oil. Remember you are diluting them with an oil.
Jenn
Essential oils are oils and do not mix with water. Add some drops of your chosen EO to a cup of milk (Whole milk or 2% are the better options) the fat in the milk with help the EO’s mix in the bath water and prevent undiluted oils from sitting on your skin potentially causing irritation.
Donna Harris
Hi, really new to EO and I am learning a ton, I do have a questions though. If EO ‘s do not mix with water, how do the mix when diffusing ? You put water in then add the EO’s, so what does it sit on TP and all diffuse right off the bat? Then you are left with water and diffuse nothing but water? Please help
Jenn
No need to dilute oils to diffuse them, just add them to the water in the diffuser based on the instructions that come with your diffuser. No need to worry, you will be diffusing oils with the water at all times. 🙂
ElleB
Excellent article, Lea!
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Thank you, Elle!
Sarah
I just purchased doTerra’s On Guard foaming hand soap. This may be a silly question but I’m going to ask anyway. Are the EOs in it diluted enough to be safe or would it be best to dilute it with Castile soap?
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
That is a great question! Does it say on the bottle what the dilution is? If not, contact the company and try and find out. Sometimes a company won’t tell you, though 🙁
Sarah
I have sent a message to doTerra regarding the On Guard soap and will see what they say. This also got me thinking about the On Guard toothpaste I just started using. I know they would never suggest diluting it or say it is an unsafe concentration so I’m asking on here. Does anyone know if the amount of essential oil contained in the On Guard toothpaste is stronger than recommended? I just started going “all-natural” and truly don’t want to do more harm than good.
Rachel
I’m wondering this too! And I wonder about the dilution of the peppermint oil beadlets, I don’t want anything above a 2% dilution. Did you ever find out?
Marcy
Thanks so much for this. I became interested in EO’s this spring and a few months ago started talking to a rep from one of the big expensive companies to learn more about them. I was immediately turned off by the multilevel marketing thing – I just want to buy a few oils, not sell them! But I became alarmed at the way they were saying to use them.
In my travels online doing research, I read in many places how you should never take the oils internally unless told to by a healthcare provider under certain circumstances, and how you should almost never use them undiluted. The big company’s literature that the rep mailed to me said you could use most of the oils neat or swallow in capsules. When you read online what people were telling others to do I became alarmed. They are ingesting the oils in capsules, drinking it in water, putting it neat on their skin – all the time – and giving it to their kids. They are doing it every day, for every little ailment or recommending the oils for serious medical conditions, like cancer.
I was concerned and mentioned it on a reps Facebook page what I had read. Both the rep and others said that the oils of the big company were extremely pure and using it undiluted or internally was fine because the oils were not mixed with any other substances. It was the impurities that would cause problems, not the oils themselves. I was really taken aback.
I posted some of the info I had, and told them I was really concerned. I told them I was sure their oils were extra pure, but it was the oils themselves you had to be careful with because they were so powerful. They assured me it was just fine to ingest the oils (they did it all the time and they all were fine) or use them neat, but that if I were really concerned I could certainly use them any way I wanted. They just completely dismissed my concerns and reiterated the same lines about how their oils were super pure and therefore safe.
I decided to drop their Facebook pages and other contacts with the company since the whole reason I became connected to them was to get accurate information. I just couldn’t trust them to give me the correct unbiased info. Only THEIR oil was pure and you may be spending $$$$$, but it was worth it they said. And hey – if you become a rep you only spend $$$ amount of money.
So I’m glad to find this place, among a few others, that seem to be interested in real unbiased info, not pushing a certain brand and concerned about safety. Thanks!
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Marcy,
And did you see our 3rd party test results came back and showed 9 brands to be Not in Compliance, and 2 of them include a synthetic called ethyl vanillin??? Might want to pass that on to your friends 😉
http://www.learningabouteos.com/PMtest
Fran
Interesting that you dropped those Facebook sites because you thought they were biased; I totally feel that way about your site. You add much “opinion” to your entries and to your responses and from reviewing your education you are certainly not an expert. Please understand that I’m not mocking you for I respect that you have garnered these certifications (and fairly recently) and I applaud you. But I am a CNHP and know that certification only tips the iceberg regarding all the information that is taught. I have been
a faithful “oiler” for about 10 years – and I have done much research to
become educated about them and about health and wellness In general. Yes, I take them as recommended by YL and honestly the proof is in the pudding – I am a much healthier individual since using them and I am seldom sick – no colds for two years prior to this past December when I succumbed to a terrible bug – I think my stress level had much to do with that 🙂 In general there are various traditional schools of thought regarding use and application of essential oils(French, German, etc.) and in all fairness you should post about all of them – – and then reveal which one you “agree” with and let your readers choose.
I will keep following your site. Even though I don’t believe in everything you post it serves as a test of discernment and I am interesting in what others have to say.
Christi k
So good to see someone NOT promoting doterra! Great info. Exactly why I started Essential Lotions. Affordable and safe! Get the benefit of many oils in each lotion. No messing around with carriers. Pain lotion has 31 EOs! Www.essentiallotions.com
Holan Nakata
XYZ has therapeutic grade.
You are correct in a sense that each company gives oils for a purported health benefit.
However, not all essential oils will have similar effects.
Take oregano from two different companies.
One company’s oregano may have high thymol, low cavracol and another company’s oregano may have low cavracol and high thymol. Both may be therapeutic but may work differently.
That was a simple example but other essential oils may have more chemotypes that are significantly different.
Line up several peppermints, rosemary or any other eo. If they smell different than each other, than they have different levels of natural compounds in each. If they are different chemically, to say they produce the same effect has little basis. In fact they should affect the body differently biochemically.
Carolyn
Wow. Thank you so much for this information. My mother and father in law were so into EOs that they were taking them internally daily. Father in law became very ill last December so they increased his daily intake of oils, desperately trying to cure him. He was drinking a whole bottle of Francincense daily. He died two months ago, undiagnosed, because they don’t believe in doctors. He had all the symptoms of Lymphoma though. Mother in law still ingests copious amounts of oils daily and is now in the hospital. They are killing themselves! I can’t wait to order that book. Thank you, thank you!
Kristina
Great article. Great info. Ameo is a new brand that is clinical grade and safe for taking internally. Check them out here, I think you will be impressed. I always feel apprehensive that other oils do not specify that they are safe for ingestion. www.jbconyer.myameo.com
Brooke
Since you went to a class lecture taught by Robert Tisserand maybe you can answer the question that I have. What qualifications does Robert Tisserand have since he is not an Certified Aromatherapist, not a doctor, and (as far as I could find when studying up on him) only has his bachelors degree? I know he’s written books and taught a lot . . . but what are his actual qualifications to tell people about the safety of essential oils? How is he qualified to interpret research done by medical professionals?
I am genuinely interested and would love to understand his background and grow in my understanding of his teachings. Thanks!
Brooke
I received an e-mail when Flipper posted below and I stopped back by your post to see if you had answered my question. I’m very surprised that you took the time to write to the other person without answering my very legit question.
– disappointed follower
Erin
Hi Brooke, I’m sorry but this was actually a guest post that was written a long time ago, so I do not know the answer to your question nor did I see it when you first commented several weeks ago. I do not get emails when I get a new comments and only see them if I have time to go through all of them. I get hundreds of comments per day and, unfortunately, do not get to answer all of them. I happened upon Flipper’s comment when I was trying to answer condolences to my most recent post on my grandma, who is currently on her deathbed: https://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2015/01/legacy-homemaker.html
This and the holidays have put blogging on the back burner.
I will email the author of this post and ask her to check in on the comments to see if she has an answer to your question. I’m sorry I missed it when you posted it a couple weeks back.
Brooke
I must admit, it seems my request was ill timed.
I keep having to remind myself that you never know what is going on in someone else’s life. Even when it seems so black and white, it normally isn’t. I’m sorry for your situation and I have lost a dear-to-me grandparent as well. I pray that you are able to treasure the past with her well and that those memories forever bring your future special moments.
If your guest post gal has time, I’d love to hear more information. If she doesn’t, I may be curious for all time, but I’ll be fine 😉
Erin
Thanks for replying, Brooke. I hate that I miss so many comments. A goal of mine for 2015 is to check them more often because I perpetually feel behind on them. I’ve emailed Lea and have asked her to check the comments on the post. You can also check out her site and forum at http://www.learningabouteos.com. Thanks so much for your prayers and kind response. Happy New Year!
Teresa
For what it’s worth – I DO know that he has a line of EOs on the market…
Flipper
First of all there are no standards for essential oils. Physicians are prosecuted for their mistakes. Pharmaceutical companies can be brought to court for their mistakes unless out of the country. Gary Young insulates himself from lawsuits by claiming that his independent contractors have falsely misrepresented his products. The independent contractors are like the stepford distributors spewing forth the Essential Oil handbook which is authored by Gary Young. The FDA does not examine essential oils but the FDA approved aspartame which has been tied to cancer cases. In FDA trial tests aspartame did produce cancer and was initially rejected but when a high ranking politician demanded political favors the FDA passed this product despite objections from the PHDs who tested the product on lab animals. Google rense.com and aspartame. It gives the whole sordid story. Go to Flouride alert.org. Flouride was tested in Europe in the 60s and was found to suppress the normal thyroid gland. Yet it is in our water. WHO says that countries that do not flourinate water do not have higher cavity rates than countries that do because flouride is in our toothpaste. What agency is above corruption that will actually protect the consumer? None. The essential oil business does not carry malpractice insurance and pretends to provide natural healthy medical care without any standards what so ever. They claim to be above the greed and corruption of traditional medicine. I have found they will promise the moon in order to sell a product which may work, may not work, and may actually harm you without any real threat of a legal repercussion.
I have taken YLO peppermint oil purchased directly purchased through YLO orally and it gave me reflux. I was in pain. I stopped using it internally immediately. Guess what the side effect is not in YLO handbook. I informed my sponspor and in 15 years of selling YLO they had never heard of any side effect like that. YLO products are all natural and 100 % pure. They do not cause side effects according to my sponsors. No YLO distributor will ever admit to any side effects. Every natural product contains chemicals and they do produce side effects with your own physiology and with your medications. You won’t learn anything about that from YLO. According to them I must be hallucinating. I felt betrayed by my friends. In Tisserand peppermint oil taken orally can produce reflux as a side effect. According to Tisserand people with biliary obstruction should never take peppermint oil internally. Where is that in YLO essential desk reference? It isn’t there. Tisserand is a massage therapist who has done an admirable job of correlating scienfic articles and outcomes with essential oils. Physicians can not do this or risk losing their medical license. This man has stepped up to the plate and done what no one else has done. I highly recommend that anyone using essential oils purchase his essential oil safety book. It’s a real winner. I never consult my YLO essential oil handbook anymore. Compared to Tisserand’s book it is absolutely worthless.
I am a YLO distributor. I order from YLO and for the last couple of months they have screwed up my orders. What is the point of paying for a product if you never receive it? It is standard operational procedure for YLO to oversell their products not deliver on time and when you want to reorder the product you have already ordered, paid for and should have received it is unavailable. They will refund your credit card. They don’t supply return postage for their errors but lie to you about sending you postage when they haven’t. I have spend my own money for their error and waste my time sending their products back to them. i still do not have the product and have a better chance of receiving it from Amazon who do not sell products they do not have in stock rather than obtaining it from YLO directly. How’s that for customer service?
If you pay more from Amazon and get it on time and Amazon pays for return postage for their mistakes why order through a YLO independent contractor at all? I am one and I can t even get what I order from YLO. YLO is always right. The customer is always wrong. They have good products and terrible terrible untrustworthy unreliable customer service. I’m buying through Amazon now because I am tired of 2 months of ordering and paying for products through YLO that I never receive. They will credit your card but you won’t receive a product. If you expect to earn money through selling these oils good luck. My family refused and my friends refused to join a ponzi scheme and I couldn’t get anyone to come to free lectures about the product. But it’s my own damned fault according to my sponsors. I don’t really have a problem with YLO products. I like the products. I won’t take them internally anymore without consulting Tisserand first since YLO can not be trusted to provide accurate information about internal consumption of essential oils. If your physician operated like this he could be sued. So much for “healthy organic no side effects” at all marketing. I’ve experienced otherwise for myself.
My dad refused to pay for YLO products. they were too expensive for some one on social security. I found Rocky Mountain oils. They were cheaper. It works for his arthritis. I use it now for mine. They may not be as good but they are not as expensive and I haven’t had any side effects. It makes no difference whether I order through Amazon or RMO and I pay the same for product and shipping and it guess what it comes on time! Hurrah! I actually get what I pay for! Wow! And the shipping costs are less than YLO. Do I really care if it is therapeutic grade or not if it works, delivers in a timely and does not have side effects? No. I’d pay much more for Pancoast from YLO, order it, pay for it, not get the product and then be told they are out of stock when I want to reorder it and I’d still be in pain. I don’t know how this organization can make so much money. Together YLO, DoTerra and all the alternative health industries in Utah outearn the skiing industry in Utah and Utah has a fabulous skiing industry. How can a multimillion dollar corporation operate with such appalling customer service and lack of safety information about internal consumption of their products when another researcher has found that pure essential oils do have side effects published in academic scientific publications?
Caveat emptor.
There was a drought in France. Lavender production dropped. According to the French sources in the industry much more lavender oil was sold from French produced lavender fields than the fields actually provided which means the oils sold were sold for big money with diluents and less expensive ingredients. When you take these products you do so at your own risk and without any assurance you actually get what you order. The country of origin is not usually supplied on the products. You have no idea where what you are purchasing comes from. You have no idea if there is internal testing on products are not. YLO says they use gas chromatography for internal testing in France but Dr Pappas ,the DoTerra paid consultant chemist ,says that gas chromatography alone can not catch all diluents. Who is speaking the truth? Some individuals paid for Pappas to test several essential oils before he became s a consultant to Do Terra. 2 big essential oil companies were caught with the same diluent in their pure essential oils which means they purchased from the same source. It was not YLO. Look it up it is on the internet. No essential oil company can meet demand including Young Living the biggest and most progressive essential oil company. Young Living does produce alot of their own plants but even they have to purchase from private suppliers to meet demand. Ylo does test and they do reject diluted essential oils according to the workshop I attended.
Erin
Wow, Flipper! Thanks for this insight! I have always been wary of internal usage.
Grammyprepper
I personally can’t advocate internal usage even though my company says its safe…and in reply to flipper, I’ve heard Tisserand is the ultimate reference as far as EO use…
Glad we can discuss this maturely, representing different EO companies…I refer ppl here all the time
Erin
I love your maturity in this!
Julie
Flipper – I am with Young Living, and do know that peppermint oil can contribute to reflux in some people as it can relax the sphincter over the stomach. It is in the Essential Oil Reference Guide.
Regarding YL customer service, there have been some serious growing pains over the last couple of years as there has been exponential growth. YL has gone to great lengths to hire and train hundreds of new customer service reps to handle the huge influx. Things have settled down a lot now and are much improved.
Anyways, all the best to you!
Julie =)
Grammyprepper
I am affiliated with one of the ‘big’ EO companies…BUT I encourage folks to explore EOs within their budget…I often refer folks to a competitor company through a blogger I trust…I started out with her particular brand of oils…the point being, get folks into EOs, period…there are brands out there I wouldn’t trust, but I won’t trash a company in the more reputable categories…so yeah, I’m a poor salesperson…but my overall goal is to get folks interested in and using EOs!
Erin
You sound like just the type of salesperson I LOVE! Good for you for getting people into EOs, period!
Katie
Loved this post! People are so interested in EO but they don’t see them as medicine. I love using my essential oils. I took the course from Vintage Remedies and loved it!
Erin
I’m so glad you loved the course!
J
I wish your article had more links to back up your claims. You say there have been documented cases of death from overdose of EO’s but you don’t show where you got that info. I would very much like to read those documented cases myself to decide if they are verifiable. I don’t just take a blog posts word for things. It’s interesting to me that all the safety articles being circulated recently about EO’s only reference one person as their source – Robert Tisserand. If you do a little research on him you find out that he’s on the payroll for a certain company that more than compromises him from giving accurate info on EO’s. In other words, he’s a little bias and has his own agenda for why he would claim certain “safety” guidelines. Then people who honestly do want to find out how to use them start circulating his agenda as truth. It’s a mess.
Pat
Hmmm, maybe you should reveal your sources as well.
Jenn
Do a little more research… on Robert Tisserand.
Ellie
I researched RT and still haven’t found what company he’s on the payroll if you’re referring to? Plant Therapy? They give accurate, howbeit on the conservative safe side. I wish you would have explained your why you loathe RT.
RamonaQ
Does this apply to sniffing and/or diffusing, or just topical application??
Quote: “Essential oils do not contain the exact same components that their herb counterpart contains. For example, I was sitting in on an all-day lecture by Robert Tisserand a few days ago, and he pointed out this: the Basil plant contains estragole, which is something we want to stay away from due to it latching on to DNA and staying there – but it also contains two or more constituents that counteract the negative effects of estragole.
Once the plant is steam distilled, the constituents that make it safe are no longer available in the essential oil, making the essential oil more risky to use than the herb. That said, there are various types of Basil essential oil, and some have more estragole than others.
– See more at: https://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2013/09/essential-oil-mistakes.html#sthash.LTFJW4j1.dpuf”
Erin
I would ask this at learningabouteos.com!
RamonaQ
Thank you very kindly.
Brittany
Great article. There are a lot of myths out there about essential oils for sure. On the one hand I can see the benefit of creating a governing agency or set of standards for essential oils. On the other hand, I worry this would open the door for restrictions on availability to the average joe. Hhmmmm.
Hannah
Now that you use and sell DoTerra oils (who claim some of these things) do you still question all of these statements? I realized that this is a two year-old article and I was wondering if you still agreed with it. I do understand that it is a guest post, so maybe you never agreed with all of it anyway?
Will O
Hannah, I don’t see DoTerra.
Heather Siani
thank you so much For this post. I have been slowly exploring EOs and I have asked many questions you answer on here and no one else could answer. I so appreciate it.
Alicia
I have been using DoTerra for years and I recently changed to a company called http://www.betteressentials.com as my mom has been using them for quite some time. I am really liking their oils and blends. Their Best Friend blend is just like On-Guard except it has lemon oil and not orange. Is there a difference, because the price of Better Essentials is much more affordable???
Sue
Just some critical thinking involved here so don’t take it personal….I didn’t check your credintials but when I read this I was wondering what you know that the rest of the world doesn’t and what qualifiys you as the expert for these “myths” to be passed off as “truth?” The only thing I’m seeing is a way for you to market and make some income from an e-book you wrote. There is nothing wrong with that – it’s a free market and that’s a wonderful thing! My concern is the article itself.
Jenn
I am studying aromatherapy and what she has indicated in her article is true.
Will Odom
She’s has some aromatherapy training. Everything she has said checks out with the top people in the field.
Kara
You mention on part 2 using less oil to be safe. I wouldn’t ever do internal but how much is too much for diffusing and applying diluted? I want to be careful while getting the benefits.
Will Odom
Kara, It kind of depends on the oil Usually 2-5 drops is enough for diffusing. Dilution depends on the oil and who is using it (like a child or an adult). Plant therapy has a good diffusion guide. You can find it in this post:
https://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2017/02/safely-using-essential-oils-with-babies