Where to Buy the Best Essential Oils
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I used to think that essential oils were a scam, but I ended up finding out that they are a great resource for your natural medicine cabinet for issues such as headaches, ear infections, tummy aches, viruses and bacterial infections, and more. But I eventually felt I needed to figure out where to buy essential oils that I could trust and that I could reasonably afford.
I spent a ton of time calling companies, asking questions, sampling oils. Literally, it was a ton. And it was very exhausting.
I’ve learned a lot with all the time I’ve spent researching oils companies and I’ve covered a lot of what I learned here in this essential oils series, some of which I wrote while I was still trying to figure out which company I was going to be using and recommending.
In this post, I’ll talk about the company that I decided to purchase our oils from.
It’s also the one that I recommend to you as having the best essential oils for the money, with natural healing qualities and no additives or adulterating.
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How I Chose Where to Buy Essential Oils for My Family
This all started with my not being happy with the way questions were (or were not) answered by Young Living and doTERRA. So I started contacting a bunch of other essential oils companies and asked a lot of questions.
If you remember, when I started trying to figure out where to buy essential oils, I mentioned the following about Native American Nutritionals (now Rocky Mountain Oils) in Part One of the series.
“Looks like they carry good products, but they are a bit expensive. Their prices, for a number of oils, in fact, are almost identical to the MLMs in this group, Young Living and DoTerra. And I don’t see any difference on the surface in the quality department.”
In this post, you can see that I ended up recommending them, but this was really a surprise for me. After thinking that I was writing them off, I got a call back from the owner of Native American Nutritionals, and I talked with him for a few hours, which turned into many hours after that, and I felt that he really knew his stuff.
I was intrigued by what he had to say about his company and the oils industry in general.
We had countless conversations from March 2012 – January 2013, and I literally grilled him about his company and others to figure out which company I wanted to recommend, and if his, was in fact, good enough for my family and for all of you.
I now can say that I feel very comfortable recommending this company to you and am now using their oils almost exclusively (only because I have a few bottles of other brands left over).
I hope you check them out and I’d love to hear about your experience.
(Disclaimer. I did not choose this company because I was able to become an affiliate for them, but I am one. I decided to work with them and then we made an partnership agreement. I was the first affiliate for the company.)
Why I Chose Rocky Mountain Oils
Please note: since this series was written, Rocky Mountain Oils purchased Native American Nutritionals. Native American Nutritionals was the original company, then the two companies had a partnership. Then Rocky Mountain Oils (RMO) purchased NAN. I am even more confident in the quality of oils now that this all has taken place.
Here are some of the qualities that make Rocky Mountain Oils a solid place to buy your essential oils from.
1. Experience
The owner of Native American Nutritionals Paul Dean, was in the oils industry since 1997, being first introduced to essential oils about 30 years ago. He started his first full-time essential oils business in 1998.
Rocky Mountain Oils was founded in 2004 by two essential oil enthusiasts, Michael and Leah Vincent. With years of experience in essential oils, the acquisition of Native American Nutritionals, and 14 years of company growth, RMO has become one of the leading direct-to-consumer essential oil companies in the world.
2. Purity
Quality Oils – all oils have been third party GC/MS tested.
Certificates are available upon request by easily entering in the batch number from any bottle.
Almost all of the oils come from plants grown in remote locations where no pesticides, herbicides, or harmful chemicals are used and only natural fertilizers are used.
3. Indigenous Plants
All oils come from plants grown in their indigenous locations (where they grow naturally).
4. Oils from Small Farms
Almost all oils from NAN were sourced directly from small farms (many are from third-world countries). Mr. Dean contracted with locals in the countries from where he sourced the oils, finds a quality farm, sets up a distiller, and extracts the oils. The oils are then sent to Native American, then sent for testing, and bottled. The only oils at NAN that are not from small farms are mainly the organic citrus oils.
Since Rocky Mountain Oils purchased Native American Nutritionals, some of the sourcing has changed as the company felt they had to make some changes to put a higher priority on the purity and quality of the oils sold. They source from small farms and also from leading experts in the industry.
5. No Solvents
They use no solvents for distillation except when necessary, as in the case of absolutes like vanilla and jasmine (since the cost of those essential oils is otherwise prohibitive.) Update 2015: they now sell a vanilla extracted with CO2.
6. Affordable Pricing
They have affordable prices (not as expensive as the multi-level marketing companies, but not “too good to be true” either.)
7. Quality Pure Oils
I have a lot of standards for quality and making sure that you are purchasing quality oils. See this post on pure essential oils for that information.
In addition, I prefer buying organic whenever I can, and that includes essential oils. Recently (Nov 2017), Rocky Mountain Oils has included an organic line of oils in their lineup and should be expanding it soon.
8. Transparency
Details for oils are listed clearly on their site (including the Latin name and country of origin).
The company is working on how to indicate the growing method now that they sometimes have a variety of sources for some oils.
9. Reasonable Shipping Costs
Rocky Mountain Oils offers Free Shipping domestically in the U.S. and reasonable shipping internationally, with free shipping over $199.
10. No Adulterating
Oils are not heated, mixed with anything else, or adulterated in any way.
Unless declared on the label, the oils are pure. The only things added would be a carrier oil to make the oil or blend easier to use right out of the bottle.
What About Other Companies?
I often receive inquiries asking me what I think about other essential oils companies.
Please read this post on Essential Oils Testing and Quality and this report on 10 Things You Need to Know About Essential Oils to see if a brand measures up.
There are more and more companies out there on a daily basis. It truly seems that every day there is a new company selling essential oils and many are making claims that they are the only pure oils out there, which is not true.
My standards are high. I don’t just want a company that says they are pure. When deciding where to buy essential oils, I want to make SURE I’m getting pure and not just a song and dance.
More Essential Oils Posts
Here are other posts that you might want to check out in this series on essential oils.
I have been following your posts and I have some questions regarding your selection. Does NAN claim to be superior to all other essential oil companies or is that your finding? If so, why? If NAN is superior to all other essential oil companies, why do they provide customers with a list that cross references YL and DT essential oils? Do they guarantee that the essential oils on this list are equivalent? Do they have permission from YL and DT to use their company name and product names? If not, the list is unprofessional and may be illegal. Also, organic and certified organic doesn’t mean much when it comes to essential oils, as it says nothing about how the plants are grown, harvested and distilled. Did you visit the farms and tour the distilleries to ensure that the plants are being grown without chemicals, harvested at the peak time and distilled with the proper equipment, at the right temperature, without solvents or other manipulation? If NAN values quality, what is their criteria for offering “conventional” essential oils? How can they be the best when they offer different grades of essential oil? Since NAN does not grow its own plants, how does it have control over the seeds which determines the quality of the final product? It is good that the owner is okay with ingestion of essential oils but does he provide proof on the bottle that the oils are safe for ingestion? Does NAN’s oils have a supplement box on the label? How does this company rank in sales compared to YL and DT? Since NAN compares its products to others, it should provide this information as well. Do they have AFNOR or ICH third party testing of their essential oils? I’ll look forward to hearing your response to these questions. Thank you.
Hello Faye,
Sorry, but these comments are taking awhile to get through and I likely am going to have to stop soon :).
Here are my answers:
1. NAN doesn’t claim to be superior to all other oils companies. In fact, Mr. Dean said the opposite – that there are other oils available that are higher quality that are just out of reach for most folks to purchase. Kind of like how I would never buy a Jaguar :).
2. He provides that list so folks who wish to use his oils, but were familiar w/ DT and YL oils can easily find a comparable blend. This is pretty common in the oils industry.
3. I am not sure what you mean by a guarantee, sorry.
4. Using a company’s name and saying something is similar is not illegal. I see it on grocery store packaging all the time. Well, I don’t shop at grocery stores anymore, but I used to :). You know, like on generic product labels “compare to Jif” or something like that.
5. Organic of course means something about how the oils were grown. Harvesting and distilling are another matter and that’s why I think it’s important to know your oils company and “know the farmer” in that way.
6. Of course I didn’t visit the farms and distilleries. I have a comment in moderation from Robert Pappas asking the same thing. If I were to do that I would have to have a bunch of my readers buy a bunch of stuff from my affiliates by clicking through my blog so I could afford to do so :-). And if I were going to go to all of the countries where NAN gets their oils it would be a really long trip :-). Also, I wouldn’t leave my family at home for that long :). But seriously, that’s a little bit of a stretch, I think you can agree.
7. I mentioned that NAN offers conventional oils when the OG alternative is too expensive.
8. I think NAN offering differing grades and clarifying them in an up front manner really distinguishes them. They are completely up front w/ what they offer instead of lumping all of the oils together for the buyer to try to sort through.
9. I can’t answer the seed question. Sorry :).
10. NAN says that their oils are safe for ingestion b/c they meet or exceed the quality of YL and DT who have certified that their oils are safe.
11. There is no supplement box on their label. That is something put on by the FDA.
12. I have no idea of sales ranking but that isn’t an indication of qualify, in my opinion. There is a ton of cheap stuff sold in our country and just b/c it sells more in quantity doesn’t mean it’s good. I am not insinuating YL or DT are junk. I am just making a point.
13. NAN does do 3rd party testing of their oils. I will find out what kind. They have also tested other companies’ oils and found them to have propylene glycol and other contaminants in them, though they were labeled as “pure.”
Thanks. Of course, you don’t need to be convinced. Sounds like you are purchasing from YL and are happy and I am glad you are. Hope to see you around again!
Some of these questions are ridiculous and I am SO impressed, Adrienne, how you are handling yourself. Always professional, always kind, always with integrity. You have earned my utmost respect! However, why I said the questions are ridiculous…she (Adrienne) has done a ton of research as is evident by her blog posts. If there are further questions that are not answered within her posts to someone’s satisfaction, there is nt reason the commentor cannot call the company themselves and dig deeper. She has supplied us with much information already and this is her opinion based on what she has found. We all can agree, we can disagree, we can take it with a grain of salt, we can dig deeper, we can ignore it…the point is, it’s up to US. She does not need to convince us of anything nor should she be expected to answer every question as an “expert”, which she is not. She has taken time to learn and grow in this area, just like we all are capable of doing as well. Never should we just take what someone “tells us” without educating ourselves and getting our doubts answered…but that is when we have to take responsibility and find the answers we are looking for in order to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families.
What a great comment – thank you so much. You expressed my thoughts exactly. I do have more to share but I am swamped and need to watch my health and my family :).
Hello again, Faye. Here is the owner of NAN’s response to your inquiry about 3rd party testing:
Faye, here is more from the owner of NAN:
One your comment about the supplement label:
Regarding your question about the FDA giving approval to their kits:
Regarding your comment about his negative experiences at other companies:
Adrienne, thanks for your reply. The more I learn about NAN, the more questions I have. What does Mr. Dean means by Medicine Men and Women? What are their qualifications? Are mothers part of this group?
I have questions about Mr. Dean’s marketing strategy. He is piggy backing YL by comparing his products to theirs. He uses YL for promotional purposes but implies he is better than they are. How can this be good marketing strategy as most people can see that he is coveting YL’s reputation and product quality?
If Mr. Dean does not have written approval from YL to use the company name and product names, he should stop doing so. He would be wise to study FDA requirements and comply with them. He needs to provide regulatory proof of the purity of his product. Why should I take Mr. Dean’s word that it is okay to take his oils internally if he has no third party proof of purity? Why should I do so when he admits that he sells extended oils? If I have a problem with his product, I have to deal with it. Since he does not affiliate with the FDA, what rights do I have to seek legal help if I have suffered harmed from taking his products?
Since you did not know about this company before you started this project, what happened that made you change your mind? Did any money change hands? Did Mr. Dean promise you anything in return for your promotion of his company? I have no problem with your writing about what you like but I question your judging the whole industry, based on your own criteria. No one has the ability to judge an essential oil without education and training in aromatherapy. It takes years of study to learn the basics of this discipline. I would not take on the task without visiting the facilities and seeing how the oils are processed and tested. You haven’t done this, even for the one you say is best. There are ways to fool even the most sophisticated analysis. Since Mr. Dean worked for a company that was not up to his standards, did he learn some of these tricks so he could sell a less expensive oil?
Most people do not have enough knowledge and experience to judge the efficacy and safety of an essential oil. They have to rely on the reputation of the company. If you are the least bit wrong in your selection, you are misleading people. The Bible says judge not, lest you be judged. It also has a commandment about coveting that which belongs to others.
Hi Faye.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I had so many comments to my oils posts and yours was more complex and after awhile it was buried under other work.
I will try my best to address you.
1. The term medicine man, from what I understand, is someone who is authorized to practice medicine by the Native Americans. You can, of course, feel free to contact Mr. Dean yourself and ask him. Yes, there are Medicine Women as well. The Native Americans have a long history of using natural elements to heal illness and disease and some like to keep doing that as opposed to taking part in allopathic medicine. Again, this is my understanding.
2. There are many companies that show what YL blends their blends are similar to. They are doing this b/c they have customers coming to them asking for this. I have readers asking me for this information regularly. I can assure you that Mr. Dean does not want YL’s reputation. He is trying to do things differently and is proud of how he is doing them.
3. He is using the names to show clients what his blends are similar to. You see this all the time in stores that sell generic items “Compare to Nilla Wafers” or “Compare to Tide”. This is nothing different. One does not need permission to say that their product is similar to a brand name. If he put “Valor” on his blend and called it the same thing then you would be correct.
4. My understanding is that YL does their own testing so there is no 3rd party proof of their purity. As for Mr. Dean’s oils, I think it is very much like knowing your farmer. Even w all the labels on foods saying they are organic, there are loopholes and you need to really know and trust where you are getting things from. I have spent hours and hours talking w/ Mr. Dean and I trust him. If that ever changes, my readers will know that.
5. Regarding the FDA, there is some good there, but there are concerns as well.
6. I think I outlined very carefully how things progressed in my evaluation and frankly, I am a little (more than a little) frustrated that you would insinuate that my opinion was bought. I think I have gone out of my way to show that I am not “for sale” and I never will be. I chose NAN b/c I like what they do and I think their oils are very high quality. Clearly anyone promoting doTERRA or YL has “money in the game” and it is odd that folks are upset that I have an affiliate relationship w/ NAN as if that is appalling. Does that make sense?
7. I did not set myself up as an expert but it is clear, from some of the sources that other readers have mentioned, that my criteria is good and solid. I think what I came up with is a great way to evaluate a company and I stand by that.
8. I don’t think it is at all reasonable to say that I should visit all the 3rd world countries where NAN gets their oils in order to evaluate oils companies. Does that mean I should visit all the companies that the FDA has tried to shut down in order to write that post? However, Mr. Dean is going to visit the countries and take videos so you can stay tuned to find out more and hopefully that will give you more insight into his company.
9. Mr. Dean wasn’t happy w/ how things were done in the company where he worked so he set out to do things differently.
10. Yes, it is always possible that my recommendation could be off. That is true for all of us. I take my posts seriously and I correct mistakes when I have made them. I felt I was making a mistake recommending YL and doTERRA so that is why this whole series went where it did. So, in effect, what you are concerned about it quite accurate. I had posted about YL and DT and had to go back and correct it even though I had about 19 folks signed up under me at YL and a good number later at DT. It was a risk but I did what I thought was right. I was told that I could make $8,000 per month with doTERRA and I passed it up. I hope you can see that I tried to have integrity with what I was doing.
11. I am confused about your references to “judge not” and to coveting. If you mean that I am not to judge other companies, that is not what Jesus meant. He was saying we should not judge others unfairly w/o a view to our own shortcomings. I assure you that that is not what I am doing. And we are told over and over to judge things. Please explain what you are getting at here.
12. About coveting, please explain here as well. Are you talking about Mr. Dean and YL? I think it’s pretty clear that coveting is one of the sins we all struggle with so I will be the first to admit that I deal with that. Please explain what you are getting at here.
I hope that helps and if I have misrepresented you or you have more questions, please respond. :).
Interesting you say that, as you judge…and it also says love your enemies. Even more specifically, it says anyone can love those who love them, but we are commanded to love those who don’t love us back. Careful about standing on the Christian pedestal while looking down on the rest of Gods children. If you are guilty of one sin, you are guilty of them all. I doubt you are sinless, so please don’t express your opinions, which is all they are, as if you are better than anyone else. If you don’t like what Adrienne has to say here, the easiest thing you can do is not read it. Some of us totally get where she is coming from and love what she does and says. She is not misleading, she is helpful. Please stop being a Debbie Downer on a very good blog. I’m sure there are plenty of other places for you to flex your cynical muscles. I dont know how she keeps her composure with all this nit-picking unproductive commenting. Thank you Adrienne. I just found your blog today, only for this EO info. It was perfectly timely and very informative for me. You have gained another fan 😉
Hi Cathryn. I really appreciate your kind words. I can see how some are concerned about my integrity but I suspect most of them are upset MLM reps who aren’t happy to see that their brand doesn’t have enough merit and that I am willing to say so. Welcome!!! I hope you subscribe and I hope to see you around again!
If you don’t trust NAN and don’t want to use their oils, please don’t. It is not up to anybody else to convince you. Do your own research.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading these posts on EO. I enjoy all the posts but have been especially interested in oils. I wish I had waited for the end of the series before buying some oils. I think it will take a long time to get through those bottles first before buying more of that particular oil. But I can now go and feel confident about what I am buying and have the source for it. Thank you so very much for all your time – it is greatly appreciated.
You’re welcome!
You really didn’t say much about Be Young. Did you dig up anything more about them?
I did hear more about them but I am not ready to share it at this point. I don’t care for how some reps tout the E.O.B.B.D. certification but at least it is something that they didn’t make up themselves. NAN oils have much more “quality control” in that there aren’t even pesticides used where their plants are grown for most of them. One thing Mr. Dean said is that most of the farms don’t even have trucks driving on them so you don’t have exhaust residue to deal with–I thought that was pretty impressive.
That is impressive. Will there be a point where you are comfortable?
I don’t know. Sorry.
As I understand, the E.O.B.B.D. (H.E.B.B.D) is a certification that comes from the Scientific Institute of Aromatology (INSA), in France. These oils are a superior quality and very expensive. (oils from other sources could be equal in quality and a lower price, without going through this lab, but they shouldn’t be labeled as EOBBD.) https://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/aromatherapy.htm
Only oils that go through the INSA lab are given this certification. Not every oil available goes through this lab, so a company that puts this label on all their oils should raise some eyebrows.
If you have heard differently, I would love to know what you learned.
I just commented on EOBBD. On this post’s comments I think. Hope that helps.
I too would love to know more of what you learned about Be Young, full disclosure I am a sharing partner with that company, but I signed up to buy wholesale for my personal use and have signed up some friends and family so they could do the same. I think I’ve made a sum total of $20 off of that, lol
Anyway I know they give regular classes on the process of purity, and the E.O. B.B.D guarantee isn’t a made up term. Every single batch is tested before it is sold and many have been returned because they didn’t meet the purity standards Be Young has, I do believe and agree with your assessment of DoTerra, and Young Living, and I also understand that the Owner of Be YOung LEFT young living to start his own company because he wanted to offer the most pure, high quality oils possible and that wasn’t being done at Young Living. I appreciate your efforts and sharing your research, this is topic I’m most interested in, and I certainly am interested in the most pure oils I can get. The laws that allow oils to be labled pure are so misleading, and can get very confusing. I hope you don’t find my comments derogatory, I am sincerely interested in your research of Be YOung. I know that the majority of their oils are also harvested from plants grown in their native habitats and that the owner travels extensively to where they are harvested. They do distill some of the oils themselves I know. I am still a veritable “newbie” when it comes to oils and I’ve tried to do a lot of my own research too. Please do consider sharing what you learned in your research of Be YOung. Thanks
The EOBBD is a European term that is pretty similar to the GC/MS. I talked w/ the owner of NAN about it and he said it isn’t as strict as what he does w/ his oils. You can see more in this post:
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
I hope that helps
Never heard of them, thanks so much for all your hard work!
Thanks! I hadn’t either. I think I came upon them by chance or from a reader’s recommendation. That’s what it was, actually. See how helpful you all are :-)!
You have posted misleading information re: doTERRA pricing… ” in order to get the best discounts on their oils as a rep, you need to order monthly over $100 of products.” This is NOT true. You can have a wholesale membership where you get products at 25% below retail and there is NO requirement to order any amount on a monthly basis to maintain that membership. If you want additional benefits, free products, then yes, there is a monthly minimum. 25% is the maximum discount on product pricing and there is NO monthly minimum order to obtain that discount.
I didn’t think it was misleading at all. You get much better pricing for signing up as a rep and then taking advantage of the freebies and getting the monthly order credit. That’s what I meant since those are the best discounts.
Wow, this is neat. 🙂
Can you tell me what you thought of Bulk Apothecary?
Thank you a ton for all your work and perseverance!
I am actually looking at them for something else. I don’t believe they had any wild crafted or organic oils, did they? As I’ve said to other readers, almost all companies buy from “experts” so you need to see oils from different countries, WC and OG oils and decent prices or else it likely isn’t what you want…or at least not what I want.
OOPS! Could you please explain your abbreviations for those of us not in the know?
What is WC and OG? Also, in articles and comments, abbreviations are no help to those just beginning in researching or use of certain things. I think I know most of them, but every now and then, something appears that I have no idea what it means, and then….. well, I have just read up to here in the comments and only JUST figured out what MLM means!
Maybe a box at the top or bottom of the comments that explains every abbreviation used??? Just a thought!
Sorry – wild crafted and organic. Sorry :)!
Hmm. I have some Native American Nutritionals oils in my arsenal. I have all of the companies mentioned except DoTerra. I do not really like how the MLM distributors have only bad things to say about their competition. That really turned me off.
There is a simple test where you hold the object (in this case, the essential oil bottle) clasped in your hands against your chest, and stand with your eyes closed. If you lean forward, it is good for you, if you lean backward, it is bad for you. I do this with foods and supplements, etc. and it helps me to put things into my body that are GOOD for it. Every person is different.
So, I won’t use oils that aren’t good for me, even though they may be good for others.
You should try this trick. I learned it from my chiropractor, he does a lot of kinesiology. Your body won’t lie to you. (but also know that one day something may not be good for your body but the next day your body wants it).
This totally works!!!!!! I thought it was super hokey and creepy, and didn’t want to believe it…. but it works!!! My cousin introduced me to trying this a few months ago when we were trying to figure out what was best for my bone spur problem. Definitely works!
Really?! Because with ALL my YL I leaned back. NOW Brand I leaned forward. Hmmm…
What are your thoughts on Aura Cacia oils?
I think most companies buy from large oils “experts” who distribute oils to almost all of the companies. I prefer this method of working with small farmers. I think they didn’t smell as potent when I tested them in my home. They do have good prices, though.
I love Native American Nutritionals! One thing you didn’t mention is that all of their oils come in two different sizes. You definitely save money buying the 15ml size (which is the typical size that other oil companies sell) but you can get a little 5ml bottle for about half the price of the 15ml. When I know I’m going to use the oil I go with the larger size, but I love being able to try out oils I wouldn’t have purchased otherwise at the lower cost. It’s also a bonus for expensive oils that you might not use a ton of anyway.
Just wanted to put it out there for people starting out with oils on a limited budget so they could buy several small bottles to try instead of one or two large bottles. 🙂
Great tip, Tiff! Thanks!
I used to sell essential oils from Young Living, and then I did a lot of research and did NOT find Native American to be inferior. In fact, they cost less but ARE essential oils like Young Living. While other companies state they are essential oils check to find out if that is in deed a fact. I purchased what was told me was an essential oil in lavender from another company and discovered that they had put something in their oil to make it last longer and it was in fact not a “pure” essential like Young Living and Native American. I wanted to put that out there. FOOD FOR THOUGHT I.e. you can drink Young living Essential Oils and as well from Native American while other companies cannot claim that because they are not pure like these two companies. As a matter of fact I plan on purchasing from one of the companies tonight to help me with sinus problems.
Thank you for this!
Please share your findings on the other companies. I am especially interested in Aura Cacia because it is local to where I live and the company seems great. Also did you look into NOW essential oils. That company’s prices seem way too good to be true but they claim they are 100% pure and some of their oils like clove say they are safe for internal use.
I looked at them. I think perhaps we should deal with this in a conference call maybe? I don’t believe AC shares their sourcing, do they? Almost all oils companies buy from “the experts”. I much prefer dealing with someone who works directly with the farmers. What do you think? I like NOW and I use a lot of their products but I don’t think they can match this quality. You are saying NOW says you can use their oils internally?
Aura Cacia has one expert (Tim Blakely) who travels to the source to make sure the quality is good and the harvesting is sustainable. I really like to support local business in a small rural community so I use their oils a lot. I really appreciate the locking lids so they do not open accidentally and spill.
I have NOW clove oil and it says clearly that it is fine for internal use. Their website makes their oils sound high quality but their prices are so much lower that I have to wonder.
I have heard of him as I buy quite a bit from Frontier. I am concerned about their pricing too. You can call them directly and ask. I just thought they were too low to be that good. I didn’t know that abt the internal use – interesting. AC says not to use any oils internally so I feel a little funny using theirs that way, do you agree?
I, too, checked out Aura Cacia oils – mostly because I was mystified by their very low prices. I never even bought one though, because I started checking out their Frankincense first and read everything printed on the label. It took a good pair of glasses because a lot of it is in such small print that its nearly impossible to read with the naked eye. Finally – at the very bottle of the label and in tiny print, the label said “Jojoba oil with Frankincense.” That told me everything I needed to know. What people are buying is a carrier oil with an undisclosed amount of essential oil added to it. I am sure their expert does a fine job in the field, but he probably has no control over what ends up in the bottle.
Thanks for sharing. Native American has 2 categories of oil blends–some mixed w/ a carrier and others not. They said their customers were asking for them to be blended for a cheaper bottle of oil and so that they didn’t need to self-mix. But it is clearly disclosed on the site and on the bottles. You are the first person to tell me this. Thanks!
Also, NAN is considering not offering the blends anymore if they get enough feedback that they should stop.
Sorry NAN is considering not offering the blends with carrier oils in them? I was a bit confused about that. When I went to their site I didn’t like that some were mixed with fractionated coconut oil.
Yes, they are but they do have all of them NEAT right now as well.
Just FYI, Aura Cacia sells some essential oils that are mixed with jojoba oil…..and this is clearly marked on their site. Frankincense is one such blend. But they also have a 100% pure, no oil added frankincense. It’s a bit more expensive than the one with jojoba oil. I have this one, and there is nothing on the label that mentions jojoba oil. You were probably looking at their jojoba blends.
Great info – I appreciate it so much!
You are welcome!!
Glad to see your final recommendation, I’ve been excited to hear what it was- definitely not as long of a wait as The Lord of the Rings! 🙂
Very funny, Chara! Let me know what you think if you happen to check them out!
Thanks for all your work. Will definitely check out the products; however being new to essential oils what is a good starting place for what to have on hand? I know you will be addressing this but since the promo runs through next week I’d like to make a couple of wise choices.
Thanks again.
Hi Mitzi. I think they have nice Copal (EO) kits on their site. I personally would try the Emergency Kit to start since I am mainly looking to oils to help with medical issues. I like using them to help with moods and such, as well, but this is the main reason I wanted to get involved with them. Tell me what you think!
I’ve been lurking around here for two days now laughing that you were probably feverishing preparing this eagerly anticipated post!!!!
Thank you so much for all of your hard work in bringing this resource to us. As I am of a similar nature and just not satisfied until I’m satisfied, I know that you wouldn’t announce until you were proud of your choice (and as sure as you could be). So without further ado, I’m going to the Native American Naturals website….if I’m not back, I got captured by native americans…..it’s easy for me to get lost…LOL.
Yes, it was a flurry of work considering I had my big raw almond group buy came in this week as well and I have been dealing with that….and personal stuff too! Thanks! I did have more questions for NAN over the past month as well, while dealing with all of the questions of readers, etc., in order to make sure I really felt good about my decision!
You’re too funny! I hope you like it with the natives :).
Oh I am captured for sure, and checking the prices just randomly against doTERRA (with my discount) NAN is mostly cheaper, i.e., 15ml Thyme $19.00 vs. Thyme 27.50, Basil $20 v. $16, plus what’s so nice is that you get a choice of sizes and retailers can buy bulk too…
Other than the website being a little lacking technically (some links don’t work), it seems like a really good company…did you check out the free massage videos? How cool is that?
without even knowing anything other than what you said and my own observations from being on the site for a couple of minutes is that native american cultures and paul dean specifically have a tradition of natural healing which feels more authentic to me than an MLM.
Back to the reservation….oh, Adrienne, would it be okay to ask you a couple of business-y questions off-line from here?? What’s your email address?
They would love to know what links aren’t working. I have told Mr. Dean that his site is clunky. Gradually I think they will change that.
I didn’t see the massage videos – thanks! I have been swamped with so much that I haven’t been on his site much recently.
You can email me at wholenewmom at gmail :).
I was on the NAN site several months ago when purchasing a couple of oils to try, and I thought it was hard to get around the site, not visually appealing, and looked like something that was commonly found in the 1990s.
…but their oils are excellent, at least those which we have tried! 🙂
I do hope, however, that they can upgrade their website to 2013 standards with the ease of use, wider screen option, and more visual appeal. I always feel a bit uncertain about buying something online when I can’t see a photo of it. 🙂
I think their site needs work as well. Let them know that. I would love to see it work better. I will pass your comments along but you could make some nice noise as well :).
Well, I just visited the site again, and it has been improved here and there. 🙂 Nice!
Great!!
I wasn’t on their website back in January but I LOVE the NAN website now! It gives so much info about each oil. I have learned so much just hanging out there. I have been soooo disappointed in YL’s website and actually ordered YL oils from Amazon a couple times because I knew it would be so much faster, less frustrating, and the same price. I had a prob with NAN’s website once and emailed them. They were in the process of changing things and info wasn’t showing up. They got back to me right away, as they have several other times when I’ve had questions. I love them! Thank you for finding them!!
Unfortunately for me the links that are not working happen to be the “checkout” portion of their website:-( I contacted them and was told it would be fixed…..still not:-(
Hope this gets straightened out since I needed the oils and ended up by from MRH before reading about them here…not am worried about using what I purchased:-(
Are you having trouble ordering from Native American?
it’s Chrome, not their website..I always forget that…I don’t know why Chrome can be so problematic for so many sites as it’s a very popular browser, but whatever.. when I used it in Firefox it was fine…
And add my voice to the ones who couldn’t care LESS whether you make money or not from a company you recommend..one can feel your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) for products you talk about and so if there’s a business relationship as well, good for you.
Affiliate marketing is only sleazy if that’s it’s only purpose…This is an entirely different animal, a content-rich blog on so many topics and levels and you give away so much free information and of yourself, how could anyone even go there.
There, I said it and I don’t care…
Glad to hear it. I haven’t had issues w/ their links and I use Chrome. I LOVE Chrome and wish there were never issue w/ it.
I love how you put that, Janice. Honestly, that means so much. I hope you like their products!!
Yes, my husband won’t let me use Chrome, because it screws up some websites. Thanks for letting me know that’s part of the problem.
Hmmm…what happens when you use Chrome? I love it for speed and security but I have having issues with it right now.
Seriously, I don’t know how you do it…I read through all these comments. I am so impressed by your professionalism and research in your replies. It was quite enlightening. I look forward to receiving your posts and appreciate your personal replies.
Now on to the specific discussion…I had just asked my husband recently about Chrome, and how he is constantly having to ask our boss (when something doesn’t look quite right to her on our website) “Are you on Chrome?” to remind her that if something doesn’t look right to check the same page through FireFox. My husband is an IT Consultant. However, just now, when I asked about about the challenges with Chrome, he said it’s much better now than when it first started, and that I could start using it if I like. Go figure! So…there we are…not a clue whether to try it or not, but I guess I will, because the people who love it, really love it!
Thanks!!! I had to clear my whole history and turn the computer off and now it’s working fine. I thought I had done all that but….well, thankfully it’s all better :). I really appreciate your coming back to tell me!
Have you used these oils? I cant seem to find where you explained how they work?
Yes, I have. Can you tell me what you mean by “how they work?” Are you interested in knowing about essential oils in general, or this company in specific?
Sorry for that. I meant have you had success using the oils for treatment.I have so much info in my head concerning oils and everything about them I am some what rattled… I have been looking at their site and LOVE the fact he talks about the Holy Spirit! I am trying to figure out what Copal Oils are? Cant seem to find that either. Could you help with that and also, I have Auria Cascia and Ananada oils that I haven’t used because I have been waiting to see your review on them. Could you give me any info you found on them? Btw…. If you have found me a trustable oil company then I sure don’t mind you making some money from that. Thanks A lot! I will enjoy being able to talk with Paul Dean myself.
Copal is just another name for essential oils. That confused me at first as well. I can’t go into everything right now but most companies are buying their oils from “experts” and I don’t like what I have heard about their practices personally.
Thanks for saying that about the money. I would have recommended him without the money anyway. I’ve honestly represented what I found and thankfully, I am able to make something doing it. The income from this blog has helped our family with our natural health treatments that were really getting to be a problem before and I am very thankful for it. I am coming out of adrenal burnout and it is sure not a fun place to be.
You are very welcome and you have NOT in anyway lead me to believe that you chose American Native Nutritionals for the money you could get. As far as the other companies I asked about. Just needed that last bit of info to confirm what I was thinking. Thanks again.
You are so welcome!!
Copal is from several evergreen trees, mainly in central Mexico. The primary one is Bursera bipinnata. and is referred to as ‘spiritual food of the gods’. It is used in Meso-American ceremonies. Beware of copal resin now coming from Indonesia. It is NOT even close to the fragrant sweetness of good Mexican copal. I have sold this copal for years but now have trouble obtaining it because US customs is making it hard to bring across the border…might be drugs. I know Mexicans who bring it across for ceremony.
Native American uses the term copal for this reason:
I hope that helps. Sorry for the delay – just now weeding through old comments.
I may have just missed it in your post (so much great info!) but was wondering is their oil is Therapeutic grade? Any recommendations for someone like myself who’s completely new to essential oils on what to start with first from Native American Nutritional? So excited to try these – I’ve been waiting for your post all week!!!
Hi Kimberly. Therapeutic Grade is a made up term. Native American’s oils are just as good as, if not better than, the “therapeutic grades” of the other companies. I would think you could try one of their kits to start…..but I really like peppermint, eucalyptus, spice traders, oregano, serenity, lavender, orange. They have nice kit offerings listed on the left side of their home page. Hope that helps!
Thank you so so much for all your hard work 🙂 I currently use DoTERRA, because that was what I found to work so well for us but I am going to check out NAN. I might just like them better 🙂
You’re welcome! I’d like to hear what you think!
Thanks so much for all of your research. I will most definitely look at your selected company. Just for my own personal curiosity … did you do any research on the Mountain Rose Herbs company? I don’t even need specifics, but was hoping to gain an overall “good” or “bad” opinion from you if you might be able to provide one?
Yes, I did. I couldn’t get enough satisfactory info from them. One person told me that they didn’t recommend using their oils internally b/c their oils weren’t produced in a food grade facility. Other readers were told differently. My last correspondence with them was a bit confusing. I asked them for clarification but couldn’t get it. I was asking more about their sourcing. I really like them as a company but I think I like the continuity of information and expertise at NAN better. Additionally, Mr. Dean is fine recommending internal usage of his oil—within reason. Does that help?
It does. There are so many details to wade through ….. it just boggles the mind. I was definitely hoping to see you choose a NON-MLM company; I’m happy to see that you have. Mountain Rose Herbs has better prices, but I do know that we get what we pay for. As much as I dislike paying more for oils, I most certainly prefer quality to quantity. Thanks again.
I know, MRH has better pricing, but I really like how NAN does their sourcing and his connection with all of his farmers. It’s really a great way to do business, in my opinion.
Yes, Adrienne chose a NON-MLM company, but it is still a company that is paying her commission on affiliate sales (which is not clearly disclosed in this post). Not much different, in my opinion.
Hi Alyssa. I did disclose that in the post – right at the bottom. There is a link in the last sentence. And that has in now way affected my decision. I liked this company and chose them and then made this arrangement. I recommend other things on my blog that I don’t get paid anything for (like Theresa Vernon, my Nutritional Balancing practitioner). I recommend her because I really like her and want to share what I like with my readers.
I don’t have a problem with MLM’s per se, but I do not like the pressure to over buy and I don’t like it when reps make faulty statements and when devotion to a particular company becomes such that someone will admit no wrong. I have already made it clear to Mr. Dean that if something happens down the road where I cannot, in good conscience, recommend his company anymore, then I won’t do so.
Can you explain why you think it’s wrong for a blogger to get reimbursed for advertising? I see why readers might think so, and there are bloggers who recommend things merely to get paid, but I assure you that I don’t do that. I have passed up many money-making opportunities because I didn’t believe in the product, or just plain didn’t have enough time to spend on the recommendation.
I hope that clears up your perception of my reasons for recommending this company. I really think NAN is a great company.
Yes, I saw your standard blogging disclosure at the very bottom, in small font. Easy for the average reader to miss, which is why in my opinion the relationship was not clearly disclosed within the post.
I am part of an essential oils MLM. For me, there is no pressure to over buy. There are no monthly minimums. I buy the oils I want at wholesale. I think your statement about the minimums was misleading and makes NAN look much more attractive. The company I am part of is by no means perfect, but their oils work well for my family. However, you do indeed have to purchase a minimum amount each month to earn a paycheck, which is not the case for a simple online affiliate relationship…
I don’t at all think it is wrong for bloggers to earn money, and never said that. What does not sit right with me is that you have readers who are turned off my MLM’s (like Melody above), but they may not realize you still have financial ties to your declared “winner”.
I greatly respect the hours of work you put into this series and I don’t doubt that you have done your research. But after you pointed out all the flaws about NAN’s biggest competitors (YL and DT), you then gave your seal of approval to NAN. Obviously that will work out in your favor financially when your devoted readers follow your recommendation. There is no where to sign up as an affiliate on NAN’s website, so I am guessing you made a special arrangement with the owner to recommend his products and receive commissions.
Aside from all this, it does not appear that NAN has any of their own farms, is that correct? All of their oils are outsourced? It’s great that they are supporting small farmers in third world countries, but how do they ensure that their farming practices are organic every step of the way? You said that your favorite thing about NAN is that their “Oils are not heated, mixed with anything else, or adulterated in any way”. Well, DT and YL say the same thing about their oils.
I believe that you think NAN is a great company, and would not recommend it to your readers without careful research. But this post does leave me with some questions and concerns about NAN.
Hello Alyssa.
Here are my responses to your comment:
1. There is a really fine line to walk about disclosures on blogs. I have looked at many blogs to decide what to do. I decided to make mine small not to hide it but to have it not detract from the rest of my writing. I use ads to make money, but I try not to have so many that they impede with the readability of my blog, as I feel ads within a post do. However, I could make a lot more money if I put them there.
With the disclosure, if you notice I have the one in small print at the end of my post and also at the end of each post again. I might just remove that 2nd one. I feel what I have done is sufficient and some of my favorite bloggers do it that way.
Sorry if that bothers you but I don’t think I will be changing it.
2. I am glad you don’t feel pressure to buy, but I think a lot of folks do. I have to do other things to make money from my affiliate relationships and some of that is to provide quality information for my readers. I work very hard at what I do and I assure you, for many many months I made almost nothing from blogging at all. Many, many bloggers make very little money though they work very hard. If my content is lousy then I will make less. I think that makes sense. Do you think the affiliate relationships aren’t fair? If so I would be happy to hear that.
3. I addressed the disclosure. I think anyone who follow blogs knows that we often link to sites where we have an affiliate relationship.
4. Yes, I did establish a relationship with NAN. However, that is not unheard of in the blogging world. I was just in touch with another company this week that doesn’t have an affiliate program but they hope to start one and they asked if I would help them pilot their program. So no one else would be able to be an affiliate while I was one, but that wouldn’t be an unethical relationship at all. NAN has different situations, but to my knowledge they hadn’t worked with bloggers until me so this is a new situation for them. I am glad that they have a way to get the word out to others about their oils. And I am glad we were able to work something out. Even if we hadn’t, I would be happy to tell people that they have good quality oils. Again, I have made it very clear that my opinions are honest ones, regardless of my relationship to the company. You and other readers need to decide if you believe me or not. I can’t control that. I can only control how I communication information to you. I think I have done a lot to earn yours and other readers’ trust.
5. NAN doesn’t have their own farms. You are free to ask Mr. Dean about how he performs quality control. I think, however, that Mr. Young and the owners of DT must have a tough time having quality control as well. doTERRA doesn’t own the farms where they get their oils from and clearly those at the highest level of that company don’t know what is happening with their peppermint oil–and they don’t have a wide variety of oils to know facts about. I have talked in great detail with Mr. Dean about his oils and believe me–he really knows his products. I hope to have the chance for you all to talk with him in the future so you can ask whatever questions you would like.
6. Regarding your statement about YL and doTERRA, yes doTERRA says that they don’t heat their oils, but the scientist who tests their oils stated in comments on my site that he thinks their peppermint is redistilled. In my mind, that is adulterated, but you need to decide what you think.
You are right that trust is involved. I feel that I have examined Mr. Dean in great detail about his company and his oils and I haven’t found any reason not to trust him. You are free to contact him as well.
I hope my answers have addressed your questions adequately. Thanks for commenting!
Just wondering if you spoke with the owners of doTERRA and Young Living as well as Mr. Dean?
I’m sure the owners of those companies would also know their products. Just wondering if you had the opportunity to do so, or not due to the size of their company.
I tried to contact them but got an assistant to Dr. Hill only. As for YL, I had a very hard time getting info out of them. One question took several months and another I never got a response back. Obviously, they are big and it’s tougher to get responses.
Hoping that you have changed your disclosure policy. I know this is an old post, but it’s an excellent idea to go back on all posts and put a disclosure at the top of your post in the same size as your main content. This is not only an FTC guide, but google will drop your page rank if you aren’t following this guideline. I’d hate that to happen to you.
Hi there Jana. My understanding is that the disclosures need to be changed going forward from the time of the new regs. Do you know anything different? Thank you!
Whew! This site has become a bit of a black hole for me lol. I am a bit obsessive when it comes to researching a product I have set my sights on and, as a newbie to the world of essential oils, this was another situation that rendered some serious computer time. I have spent hours on several blogs over the past few days while trying to land on the right EO company for my family and before finding your site I had been directed to look into two companies, My Butterfly Oils and NOW essential oils. Any chance you’ve heard anything on either of them? I had never heard of NAN before finding your blog but am currently checking them out as I trust much of what I’ve seen on your blog so far =) Thanks!
I haven’t heard of my Butterfly. If it’s B Express then I am not keen on them. I touched on it and am hoping to do a follow up post. Thanks. NOW the same. I have to spend more time and get more info together but they aren’t organic or wild crafted for one. Thanks!
Alyssa, I think anyone who reads blogs regularly will assume, with a post like this, that the blogger has an affiliate link. It’s a pretty common practice, so common that it is regulated now, hence her disclaimer at the bottom. She has been pretty transparent, especially compared to other blogs I have read. There is always a certain amount of buyer beware so it seems your post is a little unfair.
GeezLouise!
Stop looking for controversy where there is none. There is nothing wrong with getting an affiliate commission, only when that is the sole purpose for recommendation.
You have to agree that this blogger has provided thorough research, invested a humongous amount of time, and provided rich content. Just because someone comes to a conclusion and then chooses to go with that result for herself does not automatically taint results. If you recall, the writer had memberships with other companies in the list that she has been accused of bad-mouthing. That would not make sense if she is trying to make money through them, correct?
Seriously, let it go. Drop the jade-color glasses.
AMEN!!!
I love you, Adhis!
Amen twice!
Thanks much!
Just diving into EOs. Is there a book or website you recommend to learn which EOs work for what? Are you still loving NAN? I SO appreciate all of your research!!
Sorry for the delay. There is a book on my Thieves giveaway post and if you search Healing Intelligence on my blog you will find another. I need to do a post about this :)!
I also was taken off guard to see that the company recommended out of all the top oil companies is one where as a distributor you would make money. Especially a company that I am sure many have never heard of. I personally use Young Living. I appreciate the fact that they are the only essential oil company that actually owns their own farms. They also do all their own distillation. There are even countries that allow YL in to farm but won’t allow others. Also, there is no need to spend a minimum of $100.00 each month. That state is a lie and quite misleading. In order to receive a paycheck you would need to spend that but if you only want to buy the oils and not distribute then you can buy on your own schedule, not someone elses. I do buy each month and I never have an overstock of oils. If you have an overstock then perhaps you aren’t using them as much as very serious essential oil users who use them to treat most every healthcare need. Like myself.
HI Misty. I am happy to address any concerns anyone has w/ my choice of companies.
First, I chose the company before knowing any way that I could make money. I assume you are saying that you are taken aback b/c I am able to make money as an affiliate with Native American? I guess I continue to be puzzled by this. Bloggers spend a TON of time and money making their blog run. I pay hosting fees, domain fees, and now I am going to pay email delivery fees. I also spend a ton of money on my computer, internet, photography, and for this series I spent literally thousands on oils. I was making money with YL and doTERRA and was even told that I could likely make $8,000 per month with doTERRA but I chose to walk away from that to recommend a company that I think has better quality. And I assure you I have never made $8,000 in a month with them.
I am the first blogger to have an affiliate program with Native American and that is the way things go in blogging world. You can recommend a company without a way to make money (which I do) or you can sell a product yourself or become an affiliate. I do all 3 and I do them with integrity. I will never recommend something I don’t like. I used to sell insurance and I made it my business to not know commission structures so that I wouldn’t recommend what made me the most money–instead I recommended what I thought the client needed.
We all have to watch our hearts and I do that all the time.
You make some good points about YL, but could you tell me what country you are talking about re: YL being the only one in there? I am not meaning to be contentious, but if you mean Oman it is not true. That information is incorrect and Mr. Dean from NAN has Omani Frankincense now.
Regarding the $100 – I didn’t say you need to spend that – I was just making the point that it is easy to go overboard on spending to get discounts and commission and end up w/ a ton of extra oils. I did use my oils a lot but I was careful about internal use b/c I found out that it can be really dangerous to overuse.
I really appreciate your adding to the dialogue and I don’t want you to take any of this the wrong way but I do need to represent myself fairly when accused of something.
I’m glad you like YL and feel it is helping you but I think I have chosen a better company. Thanks again and I hope to see you around again.
I have just been going through these comments and I must agree with the fact that I have absolutely no problem with you making a profit from NAN after all of your work. In fact due to your blogs here I just put in a large order and made sure I used your name. Paul was very helpful to me and I am very anxiously awaiting my order.
I have never used any essential oils before and I live in pain every day. I had spent about a week looking into “Young Living” until I came across your blog. I just googled YL vs other oils and got your blog. After reading all of your information I went with your choice. I mean I was to the point where I had contacted somebody, they had contacted me back and we were going to go over everything tonight! I never gave them the chance! You want to know why? Because in one of your comments you said you had to PURCHASE $100 worth of product a month. Now you are saying no, you don’t have to do that and you didn’t say that. I promise you did because I have just read every one of your blogs and comments in the last 24 hours. NAN just may be the very best oils but Young Living might be too. I put my complete trust in you and I feel now as if I was deceived….I didn’t give the other lady a chance and just maybe I didn’t have to spend another $100 a month.
HI there.
I am a little confused about your comment. I believe what I said in my post is that you need to purchase $100 per month (approx) in order to get the freebies that they offer which is how most reps justify the high prices of YL. You buy at the wholesale price (rep price) but to get the real savings you need to do that. Does that help?
I am not trying to deceive anyone. I have other concerns about YL – some of which I shared in my posts. I would consider those as well.
Cherie…Adrienne is absolutely incorrect. You do NOT have to spend $100 a month to get “freebies”. If you want to get “rewards”, you have to spend a minimum of $50 per month. That is not even required tho. You do NOT have to business build with Young Living. Her comment was VERY misleading and has obviously swayed people, as yourself, to go with a company that she endorses. YL OWNS their own farms. They are the ONLY company allowed to legally source Sacred Frankincense from Oman. I think it’s very unfair to other companies when things are miscommunicated the way they have been in this blog. Very disappointed in this blog.
Hi there. I was not incorrect. I was stating that many reps bank on the discounts that they get in order to justify signing up and part of those discounts are the freebies that the company has each month. This is for YL and doTERRA both. I did not say it was required. I said it was a strong incentive. And I was not trying to “sway” people. I am giving my honest opinion.
Native American sources Sacred Frankincense from Oman and it is BOGO today. $65 for 15 ml so you can get 15 ml for $32.50 today. That really beats YL’s pricing of $69.76 wholesale, last I checked, but I do think that the price has gone up b/c I see the retail price is more expensive.
I am not trying to say too much here, but this is one of the things that bothers me about YL. They are not the only company that can get Sacred Omani Frankincense. It just isn’t true, but so many people think that. If anything is misleading, it is that. Not my statement about the ordering for reps. I hope that makes sense.
If you still think I have misrepresented something please let me know. I do the best I can to get good, honest information out to my readers. Thanks :).
To get the freebies each month on young living you have to spend a minimum of 190.00 and not all products are 1$ for 1 pv. so yes the reps want you to sign up for the rewards program so they can earn a monthly check on the rewards program you must spend 50$ each month it’s nearly impossible not going over by 10$ at least! and that’s before tax and shipping, I think it’s ridiculous. Also they won’t empty your cart after you order for that month so if you forget or don’t have time to change it before your date on the next month you will get the same stuff you ordered the previous month. I ask them why they do this and they said they are too large to go in the computer and empty each and every customers carts. I like the oils from young living but I think they are way to expensive and I get so tired of the reps pushing and pushing. for the first 3 months the reps get 40% of what you order then get 50$ every sign up.
That’s silly about the being too large. The system can be programmed to time out and empty after a certain amount of time.
Hello again, Thank you so much for getting back to me so soon. I really didn’t mean to come off sounding the way I did. When I read your response and reread what I had written I did not like the way I had verbalized myself and for that I apologize.
Anyway, my oils just came today and I am very excited to get started with them. I believe I will start with just one, “True Blue” for pain for a few days before I incorporate any others. Possibly the Peppermint oil if needed because I suffer with migraines too…but I want to take it slow so I know how my body reacts to each oil. I purchased a kit of 10 oils plus another 4 to get started. Since I am new to oils and it sounds like you have been using them for a while how long should I use an oil in between starting another one. I did also purchase “Bevonne’s” book to help me out.
Hi Cheri. I appreciate that. It’s hard to know how one comes across, you know? You’re very kind to come back and say that.
I would love to hear what you think after you try them – blessings!
@Cheri:
If you suffer with chronic pain as I do, I would highly suggest NAN’s “Soothing Relief” for muscular/sciatic and headache pain 🙂 It works amazingly well 🙂 Only use blends that contain “Wintergreen” essential oil (True blue, soothing relief, pain ease) a couple of times a week because of possible toxicity!! Even though it is not listed for pain relief on NAN’s website, the “Vision” (I-see-U) is excellent for all types of pain that can be used safely for chronic pain conditions 😉 The ingredients are very effective in reducing inflammation: “Helichrysum” (anti-inflammatory, nerve regteneration, analgesic, nervine, detoxifies liver, bruise relief, sore tense muscles, Super Arnica) “Frankincense” (calming, anti-inflammatory, deepens breathing, detoxes body, anxiety) “Lavender” (calming, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxing) “Cypress” (anti-inflammatory, circulation and lymphatic stimulant, relieves muscle tightness, detoxifier) “Eucalyptus” (cooling effect, anti-inflammatory, immune system) and “Lemongrass” (anti-inflammatory, muscle tightness, ligament repair, muscle repair, detoxifier) Hope this helps you on a pain free, aromatherapeutic lifestyle 😉
One of my favorite blends by NAN is “Soothing Relief” (Deep Relief) and “Aligning” (Valor) for chronic pain relief!! I usually use the “Aligning” on the bottom of my feet (on the spine vita-flex points) and apply the “Soothing Relief ” topically to my sore, tense muscles or areas of nerve/muscle pain !! Unfortunately I cannot use the “Soothing Relief everyday because of the prolonged toxicity of Wintergreen oil that it contains (it can be used infrequently with moderate safety though 😉 I really like the “Arthritis” blend that NAN has, because it smells wonderful, and the oils that it contains can be used safely for chronic pain conditions!! My only problem is that it makes me very tired/relaxed when I use it during the daytime for pain relief. Are there any blends (“First Aid” maybe?) or single oils that can be blended with “Arthritis” to offset the sedating nature?? Would you suggest any blends that can be used for chronic pain conditions (without: Marjoram, wintergreen, etc!) ? Any DIY recipes? I am trying to set up an aromatherapeutic chronic pain regimen that I can use to manage my pain, instead of resorting to pharmaceutical drugs!! I appreciate your continued support and assistance 😉
I just came across this blog and, although I have not read all your comments or replies, I did read that you said the story about YL being in Oman is not true? Is that what you meant to say. That is incorrect. Gary Young has a personal relationship with Oman and Young Living is the ONLY essential oil company that is allowed to grow and export from Oman. Why? Because Oman was experiencing a shortage of the species Boswellia Sacra (a/k/a Sacred Frankincense), and did not want outsiders to cause depletion of the plant. Gary Young offered to grow the plants and to REplant right there in Oman. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to validate this for yourself.
I mean to say that Gary’s claim that he has the only Omani Sacred Frankincense is not true. There are others including Native American Nutritionals. Plus, NAN’s is a ton cheaper.
I think there is some confusion on the wording here. T is saying that YL is the only company allowed to farm and grow their own Sacred Frankincense while Adrienne is stating that NAN *buys* SF from Onan.
Adrienne I have another question. I have heard that NAN only relies on testing done by the oil producers themselves, yet you have stated that they are retested by NAN. Can you give more info on this?
As for the testing, this is from the owner of NAN:
They have their oils retested themselves. They deal with the small farms that do not have testing equipment.
Well, first let me say I am so grateful for all your time & effort to research the various EO’s. I must say I’m very new to them & with a friends recent involvement in YL, I became interested & did sign up after she had shared some oils w/ me for osteoarthritis. Now I do not like MLM’s at all. I think that people I have met in YL so far have been nice & my friend did not pressure me at all. However, I have heard comments from others I have met that so ‘n so has so many signed up under her…thus the potential….it’s a turn off to me. Sometimes I feel MLM sellers develop a gray area between “helping others ” and “building” their business. Now I have no problems w/ salesmen…my husband is one but will not encourage anyone to buy his company’s product if not needed nor will he degrade a competitor if it’s a good product. He’ll just give the facts as far as differences, pros & cons & let the customer decide. He’s very sucessful cause he’s ethical & trusted. Thus there’s nothing wrong with some people who love the MLM Co. products, deciding to go w/ them. However, then why oh why is it wrong for you, Adrienne to receive compensation through blogging when you endorse a company that you have researched & spent time, money, etcetera… Seems very hypocritical to me. Girls…it’s just a different model to make a living. Do you really think that Adrienne would recommend NAN if she didn’t believe in them? Why is it ok for you at MLM’s ( now I recently signed w/ YL) to sign people up & make money off of them? I must say I’ve read several websites recently, including this one, where EO’s have been researched & the results by the person did not choose YL or Do terra….& it’s interesting that the negative people were MLM users. So disappointing. Guys, you should be glad that people are interested in EO’s & are just learning what’s best for them. Isn’t there room for more than one great company? It will make them all better…for me I’m willing to be open & try NAN too….I’m not married to YL! Adrienne you appear to be a kind, bright, gracious young lady. Bless you and your work!
You are so kind. I really appreciate it. I’ve mentioned this before, but I was told that I could make about $8 per month w/ doTERRA and I know others making more than that so this was not a money-making move for me. Quite the opposite. I had people under me with both companies and I let that go.
She mentioned at the beginning of this post that she was an affiliate. It’s is there plain as day. It is also listed at the bottom as you mentioned.
(Disclaimer. Just to be clear, I did not choose this company because I was able to become an affiliate for them, but I am one. I decided to work with them and then we made an arrangement where I could partner with them via my blog. If you make a purchase after clicking through to their site from mine, I will earn a commission, but your price remains that same. I so appreciate your support and hope you enjoy your oils!)
You also disclaimed it at the top of the page, quite clearly:
(Disclaimer. Just to be clear, I did not choose this company because I was able to become an affiliate for them, but I am one. I decided to work with them and then we made an arrangement where I could partner with them via my blog. If you make a purchase after clicking through to their site from mine, I will earn a commission, but your price remains that same. I so appreciate your support and hope you enjoy your oils!)
Thanks so very much for all the hours you put into this project! It was incredibly helpful to me and to my daughter as we are just learning (albeit pretty quickly) about EO’s and were in the process of deciding who we wanted to affiliate with. I plan to call NAN on Monday to see if we can arrange something. As a (part) Native American, myself, I always love to support my people and am so happy they are the company you ended up choosing!!! 🙂
Thanks for the kind comment!
Amen…..
Pretty obnoxious comment, Alyssa.
I agree. I know that Adrienne has spent hundreds of hours on this one post, doing so much research behind the scenes that many of us either don’t know how to do, or don’t have the time to do. I don’t mind at all if she receives a small commission based upon sales at NAN. And her disclosure was pretty obvious to me when I read through her email version of this post.
Thanks, Julieanne. You know, if I really wanted to make money I could have posted the recommendation without doing the sale with NAN. But I wanted you all to save money :). I’m glad it was obvious to you.
Adrienne,
We appreciate all your efforts. You did and still continue to put forth good hard honest work for the good of mankind….all while running your own house and being mom who faces challenges. I admire you and thank you so much! You even go out of your way to have the annual Group Buy for those who shop GreenSmoothieGirl. You rock girl!!!
Does GreenSmoothieGirl have any issue with you affiliating with NAN since I just read that all her coaches use and rep DT???
Can you imagine the number of HOURS Adrienne spent RESEARCHING for this series–for us to read for FREE? I think some compensation is in order. Bloggers work HARD and are often not paid a dime.
Thanks, Erin. I appreciate your mentioning this. And beyond our time, you know well that there are costs for having a blog, hosting it, paying for anti-spam software, etc. It definitely isn’t something that costs us nothing. :).
Very true. The only option other than what our blogger has done is to require you to pay a fee to read her site. Of course then the people who have been given a FREE platform to voice their opinions would think twice whether it was worth their time and money to be so critical on a public forum.
Thank you for your time an effort to research the essential oils. I for one love the fact you are able to be compensated for your time and effort. No complaints here!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.
I read it in there right off, and was only skimming the article with several distractions. I’m 51 and menopausal to boot. I think you doth protest too much.
I appreciate your support, Inez. Thanks. I appreciate the Hamlet reference too. Hubby is an English professor :).
I beg to differ! Adrienne CLEARLY states this in EVERY article she posts! You, perhaps are not LOOKING or reading far enough into her posts! Please, go back and ReREAD all of her posts where she recommends a product or gives a link and you will see.
Thank you so much for all your hard work! I’m excited to check out your recommendation of NAN, as I’ve been eagerly following your research this year. I really respect all of your hard work and research.
I’m sorry to hear about the discrepancy in information you received from Mountain Rose Herbs, and I’m hoping it was just a misunderstanding. I have ordered from them for years now (herbs, EOs, and other ingredients) with absolute satisfaction, and found them to be an outstanding company in both quality and philosophy.
As to internal use of their oils, I did want to point something out. When you click on the “Learn More” link for each individual oil at MRH, you will see a kind of general “Disclaimer” at the bottom of each page saying “Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner.” In the safety data specifically for that herb it will say if that herb is not recommended for internal use.
For example:
Tea Tree oil
“Safety Data: May cause skin irritation. Not for internal use.”
Rosemary oil
“Safety Data: Avoid in epilepsy, hypertension, and while pregnant. Avoid with homeopathics. ”
They are very specific in their recommendations because of the individual safety of the herb itself used in different ways. For example, the dried herb of Sage is fine used internally following some precautions, but because it concentrates the effects of the active constituents, which can be quite “strong” to put it mildly, the oil cannot be recommended for internal use. Even the dried herb itself should not be used long term.
I personally prefer this “individual” oil approach to safety, rather than a blanket statement that a company’s oils are safe for internal use, because, well, many just aren’t. I would like to urge everyone to always research the specific herb/oil itself, no matter which company they decide to purchase from.
Wow – that reply ended up much longer that I meant it to! Anyway, I am now off to NAN to check out their products.
Thanks again for all of your hard work!
Melissa
Thanks! NAN does give an individual approach (as YL and doTERRA did, as well) that some oils are not OK for internal use. I haven’t completely figured out MRH oils and I know many who use tea tree oil internally so I don’t know how to respond to that. Maybe someone else can chime in.
Sorry if I implied that NAN didn’t use an individual approach with regards to internal use of their oils. I wasn’t meaning to infer that at all. Please excuse my 8 month pregnant brain for not catching how my wording could be taken when I wrote them.
As for tea tree oil, a quick google search will bring up a lot of info regarding it’s toxicity if taken internally (meaning actually swallowed, not just used in a mouthwash or toothpaste, etc. and spit out). It can cause hallucinations, coma, vomiting, and blood cell abnormalities (according to the American Cancer Society) .
The info I can’t seem to find is at what level it reaches toxicity. A few drops? A milliliter? An ounce? I’m guessing it’s in larger amounts which is why some people have used it without bad effects. I imagine that it varies greatly by person (a child would reach a toxic level before a full grown adult for example).
My curiosity is piqued. I’ll have to do a bit of my own research now!
By the way, I am seriously considering an order from NAN and I will definitely use your link if I do. I feel you have more than earned any affiliate commissions you get 🙂
Oh, no worries. Let me see if I can find out for you :-).
I have been with Young Living essential oils since 2005. I was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer 3C the chemo stopped working and I at a week stage in the cancer game started to look for alternatives. I will be forever grateful to my wellness coach for directing me to the Young Living company. This company has the purist frankincense oil out there. I would never trust any oil company that can’t show you the land and on location distillers and laboratories for the intricate production of essential oils. Remote location doesn’t mean that the oils are pure only a lab test can tell you this. Did you go on site of all fields you researched or did you do your research from your computer at home?
Hi Kate. I am so glad to hear you are doing well. I am aware of YL’s special Frankincense from Oman, but interestingly, NAN is coming out with Frankincense from there as well. I didn’t know about that when I recommended them…that is a fairly recent development. And NAN is going to travel to the farms where they are getting their oils from and take films so that people can see where the plants are being grown. I think it is great that YL allows folks on their farms…is it on all of the farms? And I agree that remote location doesn’t mean that the oils are pure. In fact, even a lab can’t tell you that. The labs are being fooled all the time by “smart” people–much the same way that athletes fool the doping tests. You really need to know your company and the farmer. Much like is the case with farming.
Of course I didn’t go on site to do my research. I would have to be a very rich lady to do that. – I am sure you can understand what kind of money that would take. I spent hours and hours doing research and still do some as I can. I made it very clear to NAN that if there were a problem with something about their company in the future that I wouldn’t be able to recommend them any longer. And I will share that with my readers if that happens. So far they have proven themselves to be ethical in all of my dealing with them. And with my readers as well. Thanks for reading!
Can you share what you used? A person contacted me who has ovarian cancer as well and we are looking for what worked.
Here is the owner of NAN’s response regarding tea tree and other oils. Hope this helps!
Thank you, Adrienne! I was kind of thinking it was something along these lines, but it’s good to know for sure. That is pretty much in line with what I have been able to discover. I did find out that Tea Tree oil is very dangerous for cats. It turns out that their livers don’t process the oil properly. There have been many cases of owners applying Tea Tree oil to their cats coats to repel fleas (which it does very well). The cats then lick their coats, ingesting the oil, and they end up dying from liver failure 🙁 This has been mainly with undiluted Tea Tree oil, but even diluted can make your kitty very sick. There have been cases of dogs getting sick also, but it’s usually not so toxic to them.
Melissa
Most EO are bad for cats. It isn’t just tea tree that their livers can’t process. Cats lack the liver enzymes to process the terpenes in essential oils. Tea tree in any form is toxic, but peppermint, lavender, any citrus are also often recommended for use with cats but are also very dangerous for use around cats. And it isn’t just don’t use ON the cats – but don’t use in household cleaners or in diffusers around cats. There’s an easy to read article https://www.cat-lovers-only.com/essential-oils-kill-cats.html, if you want to really get into the science I recommend the pdf of the lavender cat site that was referred to in the cat lovers article.
WOW! He really does know his stuff. This is great information to have.
Thanks for clearing all this up.
De nada :).
Inhaling something absolutely will not pass it on to the bloodstream, this is bunk! Otherwise we’d probably die when filling up at the gas station.
Hi Katie. I appreciate your comment, but I respectfully disagree with you. This publication should prove to be interesting. When you small something, you are inhaling it which means it is entering into your lungs, which is one of your body organs. Substances can for sure enter your body via your lungs. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/hesis/Documents/introtoxsubstances.pdf
I’d love to hear what you think. I found this to be very eye opening.
Funny thing – my kneejerk reaction was to agree with Katie, but as soon as I looked at the link you gave, I remembered all those articles I’ve been reading recently about Hanford workers’ health being ruined by inhaling toxic/radioactive steam. Combine that with the kids I knew in high school that died or got very sick from huffing glue, and I realized that Of Course inhaling something can get it into your bloodstream quickly! For that matter, when I was in the restaurant industry, we were warned to nevernevernever mix bleach and ammonia because the fumes were toxic. Maybe there’s a difference between how toxic fumes get into the bloodstream and how EOs get there, but I don’t know what it is.
Very, very interesting reading. I was This Close to making an order through a friend, and setting up an account with an MLM; the only things holding me back were the “incentives” to overbuy (and I have a number of friends and family members that own way more oils than they’ll ever use because they “had to buy to keep the discounts going”), and the fact that every MLM I’ve ever researched – not just EOs – overpriced their products 20-60% in order to cover commissions and rewards.
Lots of “Hmmmmm” going on over here. Thanks!
You are so welcome! It’s hard to figure all of this out – and of course we can’t. But the glue analogy is perfect. I taught in Japan for a year and some of the kids in the fishing village were so messed up on that glue it was terrible.
Thank you, Adrienne, for all of the time and work that went into this series! I’ll go check out Native American Nutritionals and give them my business. Thank you for doing all of the leg work!
You’re so welcome! Hope you like it!!! Can’t wait to read your salt post :). I can’t stand looking at those store-bought salt labels.
I know you looked into Eden’s Garden and Heritage Essential Oils. If you don’t mind me asking, what were your findings on them? 🙂
I did look into both of them. Frankly, so many of the companies are selling oils from “the experts” and I don’t think, in my opinion, that they are as therapeutic or as pure (as in unadulterated in any form). If there are enough requests like this we could set up a time to look at a bunch of companies on a conference call, perhaps. I think, if you contact those companies, you will find that they are buying from middlemen as well.
Hi Adrienne,Im not a blogger and it is amazing how many opinions are out there.I enrolled with Doterra 4-5 months ago,and love using their oils.I also get 3 orders of the vitamins for my whole family,the vitamins are their number 1 seller.So,I like your site,there is a lot of good information.I hope that recommended essential oil company gets blessed by your recommendation.I’ve met many of the founders of Doterra and trust them to run an excellent company.Having competition is healthy,keeps every body wanting to do their best.I decided to share Doterra with friends,because,talking about something I like at Walmart,does not produce a financial reward.I get money from Doterra,if i enroll someone,and they like the product too.The founders have told their distributors,if they need to improve a product or add one they will.Continue the good work,I’m sorry you get attacked so much,I prefer to be kind,gentle and friendly.I have children with multiple food,and chemical allergies,and have been successful in keeping every one off meds,healthy,and thriving.I’m certain there are plenty of other wonderful companies out there,and I’m working for one of them.
Thanks for your comments and for being so charitable. I appreciate it.
Gourete Rothenbury, I was just wondering if your children ever received immunization shots? I have a friend who when she gets her the shots, they have (at least) some kind of food allergy, and her children who never received them do not.
I know I am not who you asked but I would like to address this. I agree that vaccinations cause an array of health problems. That having been said, neither of my children have had a single vacation. My DD is 4, she was born with a sever milk allergy, we found she was allergic to eggs by 2 weeks of age. At 2 1/2 she developed an allergy to cats, shell fish, and sage. My DS just turned 2 and started recently reacting to soy sauce. On top of no vaccines, I do my best to minimize their exposure to GMOs, chemicals and so forth. I use steam to clean because as good as vinegar is it is corn which is heavily GMO, though I do use vinegar for certain things. The dairy we have (DD excluded) is at the least hormon free, but generally organic. We by organic on anything we xan afford to. They eat and drink from stainless steel not plastic as a general rule. I use glass as much as I can for food storage. So it is clear to me that allergies can manifest withou vacations, and while trying to eat/live ckean.
What glassware do you use?
What if the top is plastic? Does that transfer toxins if it isn’t touching the food?
“That having been said, neither of my children have had a single vacation.” ????
I’m guessing it was an autocorrect error and should have been “vaccination” instead of “vacation.”
I am a nurse and I suffer from several severe health issues. After having been going to an extensive list of doctors and tried so many medication and feeling no way better even worst I decided to go onto more Eastern medecine and I saw a big improvement. Though as a
nurse and a mom of 3 one of my daughter suffer from Asperger syndrome she is a high functoning autistic i have done ton of research on vaccinations. I can tell you with certainty that it is extremely important for everybody to get vaccination. If you don’t the really bad and deadly viruses that have desappeared are going to come back stronger the ones that haven’t been vaccinated are going to be the ones infecting others. Please have your children vaccinated it will save you, then and others. As for antibiotics I think that they are bad for us because of the over use of them in our society. Chicken soup, essential oils is the best treatments. I believe in an healthy, organic, natural way of living but on what I have seen and know about vaccinations I am very adamant that is VERY IMPORTANT you could actually do a lot more harm by not vaccinating
Thanks for commenting! Hope to see you around again!
Baloney
I’m a nurse as well. I don’t have kids, but I do have food allergies myself and have done my fair share of research. I also do vaccinations for a nurse practitioner who does not push any of her patient’s parents into getting vaccinations and if they do want vaccinations she recommends following Dr. Sears’ schedule. This schedule recommends only 1-2 shots a visit (1 month to several months) so the child’s immune system isn’t overwhelmed and can learn to handle one strain at a time. I personally advocate for vaccines because I have personally witnessed the devastating effects of not getting them, but I have also seen what happens when someone has a bad reaction to them and those effects are just as devastating so I don’t tend to force my opinions on people. I do believe in discussion and finding out why certain parents feel one way or another towards vaccinations, but I learned long ago that trying to win the argument wins no one over to the other side. I’ll say this, everything can have a consequence. Don’t get a polio shot, you can risk getting polio and end up in the hospital and potentially expose others to it as well. Get the polio vaccine and end up with an autoimmune reaction. Eat that peanut and end up in anaphylaxis. Go outside and get hit by a car. Everything we do has risks but that shouldn’t stop someone from living life. Whatever you believe is the healthiest option for you and your family is probably the best one. (sorry for the lengthy reply, almost done) That being said, I believe in research from all sides because most sides (including research articles) are biased. That is why I have appreciated this series because it really seems like Adrienne has done her homework. Is it all correct? Perhaps not. But she has a life and wants to live it instead of doing research 24/7, which kind of defeats the purpose of using essential oils in the first place.
Thanks so much – great perspective.
Laura (8/21/14 reply) — AMEN! Great perspective.
I just wanted to comment quickly on the vaccinations. Apparently years ago when I entered 2nd grade a vaccine for a type of measles [I cannot remember which one] came out, but in the area where I was raised [and many others] pediatricians/other doctors just did not see a need to call parents or send word through the schools for its availability; so most of those of us born 1962 or before never received the vaccine. My 10th grade year I started getting sick, my grandparents took me to the ER and they said strep throat, gave antibiotics and I continued getting worse, by the time the rash broke out on my stomach and back I’d already missed over a week of school, they took me back to the ER, oh she’ll be fine now that she’s broken out. 2 days later unable to ever swallow water and so weak my grandfather had to carry me to the car, was admitted to the hospital so sick our family doctor who was on duty answered my question, “Dr. Sonner, am I going to die?”, with “Rhonda, I hope not.” I was so sick, so dehydrated that I screamed just to be touched. I was later told my scream when they put the IV in was heard in the furthest wing of the hospital from the ER. I can still remember feeling the fluids going into my body. I was in the hospital almost a week. The disease settled in my lungs, and an x-ray afterwards showed about 75% scar tissue on my lungs from it. When I had children, I did the research and considered not vaccinating, and then I remembered that almost 80% of the 10th-12th grade students in my high school and others in East Tennessee missed between 2 and 6 weeks of school, and a few died because it was just measles, no need to recall patients. I was one of those who missed 6 weeks. I wholly understand the thought process to not vaccinating, but I implore parents for the life of your child and others, vaccinate. The only reason not to, is if it has already been proven something in that vaccine is an allergen that will take your child’s life.
Thanks for commenting, Rhonda. It’s a murky subject to be sure. I appreciate your comment and sorry you went through all of that.
Agree, you can go use that justification the other way too! Both my kids have had all their vaccinations, and have no food allergies. My sister has not given her kids vaccinations and her kids have multiple allergies, and auto immune issues. I think there’s a lot more that we don’t understand yet. Everyone should just do what they feel is best for their family, with no judging on those who chose a different path.
Jocelyn (and anyone else dealing w food alleriges/sensitivites), please look into a “leaky gut” as a possible cause of the problem and the GAPS diet (or something similiar, like SCD or AIP) as a possible solution. Our gut flora is tremendously important and I unknowing severely compromised mine w the overuse of antibiotics, allergy meds, NSAIDS, and birth control pills as a teen. You can do an internet such for what hurts the gut flora, and that gut flora is what we pass on to our babies in birth. Even more trouble can arise for them if iv antibiotics used at the birth or after, or a NICU stay, as well as what they can pick up at the hospital. And it can be even worse if mom couldn’t/didn’t breastfeed (that’s where baby gets the all important probiotics). So a baby/child from a clean-eating family can still have a compromised gut that can manifest as allergies, asthma and any autoimmune disease, autism/ADHD, etc. My personal experience in a nutshell–after being allergic to things watermelon, honeydew, cashews, etc for as long as I can remember (like couldn’t even have things that had touched those things,etc) I started healing from those allergies within 3 weeks on the GAPS diet. I went on it for my son, who despite my best efforts, was not born under ideal circumstances and spent 5 days in the NICU started developing eczema w/i the first 6 months of life (and I knew that was a sign of compromised gut and higher chances of allergies and asthma as he got older). His eczema and my food allergies, seasonal/pet allergies, asthma, digestive problems all vanished w the GAPS diet. (It was extremely educational too–I was totally shocked at what foods I was sensitive to that I ate every day! And it was so neat to watch the body’s ability to heal as a food that I would react to, I could take out and continue the gut-healing protocol, and a week later–no longer sensitive! Neat!) I have also been able to help turn around these things (as well as reducing sickness, seizures, and behavioral issues) in children in my home daycare, using the principles from the GAPS diet that I could implement here, even if they were not followed in their homes–chiefly slowly and steadily increasing their probiotic, broth/gelatin, and cultured and gut-healing foods intake, as well as educating their parents on what to avoid. I say that to say that if this wonderful healing diet seems too hard to implement at the outset, you can implement what gut-healing principles you can and just keep adding them in as you get adjusted to the changes. It is easy and cheaper than store-bought to make your own yogurt, even dairy-free, for example. Kefir is even better. Make your own pickles, kraut, or dilly carrots, but lactoferment them instead of using vinegar. All these are examples of things you can add in, and build on as you get more comfortable (and kids love to help!:)). If you want to do the diet I recommend starting on Full GAPS and then do intro–helps you get adjusted and lessens the detox you go through–unless you have serious health issues that need addressing quickly. Just wanted to put that out there since it has been life-changing for my family and clients. My philosophy is research and do what you can, and as you learn more you can “do better when you know better”!:) For example as I prepare to kinda do a GAPS reboot to get my gut back on track, I am looking into how essential oils can help support me. I know some are great anti-inflammatories and other are great at supporting the detox you need. It’s all a learning process. Blessings for health and healing:)
I’m working on fermenting soon – thanks! Sorry for the delay – I got inundated here!
I’m just curious, what Young Living products use ingredients with 3 or higher rating on EWG? I use Young Living and am curious. Thanks so much for all the effort you put into getting info out!
I didn’t have time to check them all out again, but their day and night activators have phenoxyethanol which are #4 on EWG. Thanks again! Did you happen to see the EO guide I just came out with? https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
Take care!
Jocelyn, This may sound a little ‘dumb blonde’ but what does it mean when you say your 4yr old is DD and the other is DS?
DD is dear daughter and DS is dear son.
I can’t help but get more than a little frustrated when well meaning people are giving casual advice on vaccinations. I am a nurse as well, which, in itself, does not qualify me any more than it qualifies you to state the validity of vaccinations. I can say however, that have done extensive research on vaccinations, their additives, and risks vs. benefits due to the fact that I have 4 young children and also saw my young godson get lost to Autism, very shortly after receiving the MMR vaccination. To coldly say that just because people have food allergies that have not gotten vaccinations PROVES that all vaccinations do not cause allergies is illogical. Not everyone who gets vaccines will end up with an allergy, and not everyone with an allergy got it from a vaccination. Just because 2+2=4 does not mean that 4 can only be from adding 2 and 2 together. Most of what people don’t realize about vaccinations is that the incidence of numerous diseases was drastically improving BEFORE vaccinations. The rate of polio dropped the same as typhoid fever, which is statistically important, as typhoid fever does NOT have a vaccination! The fact is that in the 1950s there were huge advancements in water sanitation and hygiene standards that improved so many disease rates. As a medical practitioner, it is our job to review the risks vs. benefits of treatment. The facts are that Polio has not been in our country in decades, yet millions are still vaccinated and hundreds to thousands have serious reactions every year (hear about the young children paralyzed in Africa from Bill Gates’ vaccinations?) – you are at a tremendously higher risk of having a vaccination reaction than contracting the disease itself! Furthermore, the doctor who was on the study to disprove that the MMR caused Autism came out this year and AMITTED that they omitted data to skew the results. Our healthcare systems is dead last of all civilized countries, yet so many nurses rush to defend it. Vaccinations is just one part of the problem. Our health care industry has become just that, INDUSTRY, therefore, just out to make a buck. The cure for cancer has been out there for decades, yet it is ILLEGAL in the U.S., Dentistry is fraudulent in this country, a mere 27% of all cavities are actually legitimate, and even nearsightedness has a cure, but the optometrists back in 1920 lobbied to have the cure made illegal- and they won! We are backwards, we need to go back to a more holistic lifestyle- which is why I am thankful for blogs like this that focus on those things, and why I am even starting my own health & wellness blog.
Hi there. I am so sorry for not responding sooner. I have been inundated and am playing catch up. I really appreciate your comments and hope to hear from you again. Hope your blog is going well!
I too am a nurse. Here is an interesting article regarding vaccinations and autism. Research is sited and there is a list of medical articles at the end for those who want to research further or confirm what is stated in the following article.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/06/culprits-autism.aspx?e_cid=20141006Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20141006Z1&et_cid=DM57532&et_rid=682774829
Thanks for commenting!
My son had food allergies IN UTERO and into his childhood. His autism came on at around 18-22 months old the same way all the “vaccinated kids” do…. except, he wasn’t vaccinated. We ate healthy, no pets, happy home, educated allergy elimination mama, breastfed, he is the only one of me 5 kids who had a problem…
Bottom line: food allergies and autism can happen to even the most healthy, unvaccinated child.
Yes, of course that can happen. I have heard things about metals being passed from mom to baby and am doing more reading about that. I am sorry you have this struggle but I am confident you are caring well for him. May I ask if he was your first?
Tracey, did you by chance have preeclampsia/toxemia when pregnant with your son? I just recently read a report that links toxemia to autism. Found it quite interesting. I for one do not believe that vaccines have anything to do with autism.
Hi Tammy – fascinating information. I think that it is an insult to the immune system that some can’t handle and I do know that Temple Grandin said that none of the research has been done correctly re: immunizations and autism. Perhaps you have heard of her?
Question,how do I get your news letter,I’m interested in almonds,de tox product and gluten free recipes.I forgot to mention,I’m a nurse,and work in the NICU here in Colorado Springs.Just discovered a book you might like,Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.I’m sure your busy,but please e mail me,or say hi if you get a chance.
Hi. I will email you :).
I, too, would love this information!
Which info, Cheryl? Sorry, but I can’t see what you are responding to easily. Thanks!
Would you mind sending me your thoughts/info on vaccinations as well?
Thanks so much!
Jen
What are you wanting to know please? Thanks! I do have a post on it if you use the search box. Thanks!
I too would be interested in Gluten Free and almonds,de tox product recipes! Thanks for all the great research done on oils. I am just getting started and this was very helpful!
I’m sorry but could you explain your inquiry? Thanks!
Adrienne,
I went to Eden’s Garden website, and they say they have “taken out every middleman possible” in order to keep costs down. It does seem to leave the door open for some middlemen ‘oil experts’ as you state above. I’ve written to the company to inquire further.
From Edens Garden website: ” As far as possible, we source our products from organic growers and distillers. Certificate of analysis, specifications and MSDS are available on request. ”
And
“Edens Garden takes great pride in providing 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils…[snip] … They are steam distilled/ cold pressed directly from flowers, leaves, bark and wood without any adulteration or synthetic additives, as it was intended, directly from nature.”
In the meantime, I will be checking into Native American oils based on your extensive research and recommendation, and I want to thank you so much for sharing what you have learned. I’ve just started exploring EO and am not thrilled with the huge mark-up from MLM products.
I found you via my search for info on Essential Oil companies and plan to sign up for your newsletter / news feed. Looking forward to exploring your past posts in the weeks ahead!
Hi. Here is what I have heard about Edens. Only 6 of the oils that are easy to see are organic. I have heard from the owner at NAN that their birch is very low cost and that he knows of no one outside of the US selling pure birch and that with shipping and customs it would be a lot more expensive than that.
Also, rose absolute and vanilla solvent extracted is not desirable.
He also said that their oils are below cost for good quality. I hope that helps you.
The owner of NAN has been perfectly up front when he sees companies with good products so he is not just criticizing companies that aren’t his.
How can his oils be below cost and stay in business?
He said “for good quality” so that means he is stating that they can’t be the quality that he demands. Or he is assuming so.
“The owner of NAN has been perfectly up front when he sees companies with good products so he is not just criticizing companies that aren’t his.”
Could you tell me which companies he thought had good products other than his own?
Hi there. I don’t remember the companies we talked about. Some of it was hypothetical as in him saying that his wasn’t the only good company out there. There were companies that I ran by him that he responded by saying “that doesn’t look bad” but I don’t remember what they were. I really can’t talk about other companies in specifics due to legal issues. I hope you can understand. You can look at this post to see if other companies measure up. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
So far my essential oil source of choice would be Eden’s Garden, though I’m just now (through wholenewmom.com) am learning about Native American Nutritionals. I just want to know the best source so my comments/questions are for that reason. It seems like everyone has an answer ready to explain why theirs better. 🙁
Paula: I would love to hear what response you get from Eden’s Garden on your inquirey. 🙂
Adrienne: By stating that the “solvent extracted is not desirable” is that based on preference, or is there documentation that this is a bad practice and will not produce a good quality oil? From Eden’s Garden site, their oils are “steam distilled/ cold pressed directly from flowers, leaves, bark and wood without any adulteration or synthetic additives, as it was intended, directly from nature”
Carla: as far as the low cost rationale… It seems like offering no wholesale pricing or the ability for income-potential for some individuals would explain the savings offered to everyone across the board rather than some higher pricing that would allow profitability to either a retail store or through membership or MLM. Makes sense to me from what I know.
I just have a hard time with knowing who and what to believe when everyone is going to be touting their own product over anyone else’s but so far this site has provided the most indepth information I’ve found to date on various companies. Thanks!
It appears that NAN and Rocky Mountain Oils have now merged. Would your recommendation still stand with this new development? I had ordered some oils from them and the ones that had the NAN labels seemed to be better quality while the ones that had the RMO seemed to not be so great. Did you look into RMO when doing your research and if so were you as satisfied with them as you were with NAN?
Thanks.
They should be the same oils – what did you try? And why did you think they weren’t as good?
I had the same experience. The peppermint definitely smells sweeter than YL’s and doesn’t seem to work every time for nausea and headaches. I’m trying to remember when I switched to NAN/RMO from YL because healing from adrenal fatigue and Lyme disease doesn’t seem to be going as well (skin probs increased, feet are itching too now, PMS). It could always be something I’m eating though. My 2nd bottle of nutmeg had the RMO label. Maybe it’s all in my head cause it did make me a little nervous when I saw the labels. I don’t know anything about Rocky Mountain Oils.
They have merged so now their bottles are the same I think.
I recently started using YL after using Now oils and have seen a lot of difference. I haven’t used many doTERRA oils (only when a friend brought them over). I heard that they were in a lawsuit because the founders of doTERRA left YL and stole trade secrets and there was another lawsuit in which a judge forced doTERRA to admit they were not 100% pure after a few of their oils were tested that were not good quality? I am coming in on the tail end of this and wanting to make sure I don’t waste money on oils that won’t work… however, I can attest that the YL Lemon oil helped cure ringworm at my house, the YL Pan Away has helped my husband and son with muscle pain, and the Thieves is one I am not sure I could live without. I’d love to talk with you on the phone! I’m an all or nothing kind of girl, so I was surprised you didn’t name YL as the winner of your test when some of the oils have worked for me so well.
Hi there. They worked for me too. I was surprised at the chemical smell which really threw me off. And some of the other things I mentioned. I like supporting the small farmers and so many more things that NAN does. I am glad you are doing well w/ them though. I hope to write more – thanks!
The YL doTERRA lawsuits are all a muddle to me now.
We have a wrestler….for the ringworm, did you put the lemon directly on it? Did you mix anything else?
Thank you for all your research and information you’ve shared! I’ve been using Heritage EO since my daughter was born 2 years ago with Down syndrome. I have been happy with the oils from here. The other night I was invited to learn more about Young Living and was about to place an order. I compared YL and Heritage and found the prices to be VERY different. So I looked at the clary sage on both sites. One thing I really like about Heritage is the ingredients list. I did notice that the clary sage has less than 1% sclareol and over 50% linalyl acetate. I never realized that the oils were mixed before I might add them to a carrier oil!
So as I’m understanding what you say about the NAN oils is that they are pure {with few exceptions}. Does that mean that the clary sage I would get from them {which is half of what it is offered at from YL} is 100% sclarea? Just trying to figure out which company to go with, as I have been trusting Heritage since they are so up front about what they do.
I talked with the owner of Native American and this is what he said:
There should be only one ingredient in Clary Sage and that is Clary Sage. The Linalyl acetate and Sclareol are chemicals naturally found in the Clary Sage essential oil and are not considered individual ingredients. How and where the plant is grown and the distillation process will produce different chemistries in the essential oils. Normally the Sclareol chemical is less than 0.5% in any given Clary Sage.
NAN works with the small farms and they extract their oils for the therapeutic properties rather than the oil volume or perfume properties. They keep all their single oils pure and with some of their blends they will mix them with a carrier oil so you can use them right from the bottle. (You can always purchase the blends in the pure neat form too.) So the quality difference is would be compared to a tomato you purchased at a large grocery store chain verses the tomato you grew in your back yard. Both are tomatoes but your own tastes better and the healing qualities are greater.
Since the industry and laws are such that even though the label says one thing it may contain other harmful ingredients. Most essential oils on the market are distilled from large distillers might be adulterated in some way. I have written two chapters from NAN’s book that will hopefully be available before the end of the year. These chapters will assist you in understanding more about what is happening in the industry and what true quality means.
I hope that helps.
This is very helpful, thank you! I thought all I had to know was what oil might be helpful; I didn’t know that there is still so much more to learn about essential oils.
You are very welcome!
Thank you so much for posting this! I was troubled by the negative feedback you received during your investigation and am constantly surprised by how mean people can be when they hide behind a computer screen. I’m glad it didn’t stop you, thanks again!
Thank you so much!!
I’m curious what the book is called?
Thanks for all your info
Heidi
Do you mean the book he is writing?
Yes the one where you have written 2 chapters for.
Do you know if it will have a usage guide? Like what oils to use for what ailments?
Thanks
Hi there and sorry for the delay – I’ve been swamped I would assume so but I know he is behind in it. I would go back to the posts in the series. I highlighted some great books at the bottom of my posts that I think would be great additions to any essential oils library.
Sheila,
I have a 12 year old son with Down Syndrome and was wanting
to know what oils do you use with your daughter, I am a beginner in the
essential oils and would love to find what would work best for concentration.
Do you recommend diffusers?
Yes and I am planning to write about that. I have a doTERRA one but I don’t care for it so I am going to sell it. There are a lot of diffusers you can choose from and many thoughts on the subject. Some people like diffusers that dispense a mist, whereas others like a diffuser that only has neat oil in it. You can go here to choose from a variety. I hope to write a post on that in the future.
Did you notice with the diffuser he recommends that you can’t diffuse the heavier oils?
Hi there. Sorry that I took so long to get back to you – I forgot in the busyness. Here is the answer:
Hope this is of help.
Natures alchemy? I can get them at a local store which also sells Aura cacia and the employee I spoke with said that Aura Cacia uses solvents on some
Oils while Natures alchemy uses water distillation only. Have you looked into
Them? I plan to do some research myself. I am big into researching before buying also.
I also want to applaud you for sticking to your
Guns, I was pretty appalled at the reaction from Pappas and others. Who cares they were simply threatened by you. There’s no reason to
Get so agitated by wanting to “correct misinformation”.
I don’t believe they are organic. Thanks for the kind words.