Either Mountian Rose Herb Co. or Plant Therapy (ships free). My friend who used both YL & DT said she is VERY happy with Plant Therapy. I’m placing my first order this week. They have lots of organic options, much more affordable and they are not an MLM co.
@Karen, MLM stands for Multi-Level Marketing….like Avon, or Tupperware, or Mary Kay, and I think both doTerra and Young Living (two of the essential oil purveyors mentioned in this thread) are all examples of MLM’s.
Since MissusLeata mentioned Beeyoutiful.com, here is a good article she linked on this forum maybe a year ago that was helpful to me in explaining terms connected with essential oils.
I have oils from Plant Therapy, Heritage, and Mountain Rose Herbs. I’ve used samples from DoTerra, only because I have a friend who sells it and if I want something right away or just to try, I’ll buy a sample from her. Otherwise I prefer not to support DoTerra because I think their prices are hugely inflated (I figured once that they must close to double their prices to make up for all the “freebies” and discounts they offer consultants…I purchased peppermint oil from Heritage that is exactly the same peppermint as the one DoTerra sells, and it was $10.75 when I purchased it vs. around $23 for the DoTerra one), and I think many of their recommendations on neat (undiluted) and internal usage are unsafe and I don’t care to support that.
I agree w/ you caedmyn about the internal usage of oils. I’m nearly finished with an online class about essential oil safety, usage, dosage, and general info, and I was surprised to learn that there actually have been reputable scientific studies on the safety and efficacy of internal use of some essential oils.
In fact, a 2009 study documented the impact of lavender and peppermint oils and their antibacterial abilities internally. It was found that lavender oil had the capability to destroy harmful gut bacteria and leave the beneficial bacteria alone. But peppermint did not distinguish between the types of gut flora, and destroyed both. Yet, DT and YL (and lots of blogs too) advocate for regular internal use of peppermint oil.
I am not against internal use of oils at all, but I don’t think it should be a regular occurence by any means. These companies promote the usage of something for lay people that most of them won’t take the time to study so they can make educated choices for themselves. No matter which company of EOs you choose, I hope everyone takes the time to educate themselves about the properties of each oil, how it is safe and recommended to use them, and dosage and dilution. There are sources for third-party information and studies. You have to dig for it (or enroll in a class like I did) to find it, but it’s worth the effort. I should mention that the class I’m taking is not affiliated with any oil company.
Thanks, ladies. Great info, especially for those of us who are new to oils (just bought my first set from Sparks Naturals, and used the coupon code…yeah, me!!)
I do know that you have to be careful with the dosages. I don’t want to waste them by not using enough or become sick (a friend of mine did) by using too much.
1-2 drops of most oils is plenty for adults. Some oils require carriers, and Spark tells you which oils do if you click on the particular oil in question and read the info on it. When it says “can be applied NEAT”, that means it doesn’t need a carrier and can go straight on your skin. I recommend investing in a diffuser so your whole family can benefit from inhaling the oils. We have 3 diffusers in our house going pretty much all the time we are home. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I’m learning everyday. I encourage you to use oils everyday. Don’t just use them when there’s something wrong. Oils are wonderful at improving or maintaining good health. I wear oils exclusively as my perfume even!