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.
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 am late to the party but I appreciated the series. I came across this blog a little randomly so unfortunately I am not sure of your background. What I don’t quite understand is where all the confusion comes from. A simple herbal book can walk you through the oil extraction process and give you tips on what to look for and stay away from. I think it was smart of you to contact the company directly instead of relying on their site’s literature, but a few simple questions can tell you fairly quickly about [any] company’s ethics, if you have previously educated yourself on the subject matter. In this case, a prime example is doTERRA. RED FLAGS. I think another way to have gained better perspective (and I am so sorry if maybe it was mentioned and I somehow overlooked it) would have been to contact a TRUSTED or well-reviewed aromatherapist. I feel comfortable saying that the majority of “health” or health-related companies who mass produce and acquire distributors with no training, certs, or degrees, AND more often than not give incentives for getting more people to sell their products (can we say pyramid scheme?) are not concerned with quality. Overall nice job!
Thanks so much. By the way, no one sees your email address except me – so no spam here :).
i have enjoyed reading your research. i have been going over alot of information about essential oils. so i made my first order from a company called Pipping Rock… ( i will look at Native American’s products…. I so far really like these oils…. Of course I didn’t smell that “flower” scent when I got my Lavender but what I did smell was Beautiful Armoa in which gave such a calming feeling… Which I set out and bought a few plants since I thought maybe the oil wasn’t really as pure as it’s label said. ($2.99 per .5 bottle) But my plant smells the same….So I was pleased with that. I am still researching since I see that some oils overlap each other for what they do…So if have heard of this company and have information on them please post. And I will go find you on Facebook. Thank You
I haven’t but you can read this post to see how they measure up. I looked at so many it got really exhausting – thanks! wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
I take care of grandsons and was wondering what oils you would recommend for late afternoon tantrums and anger in the 6 yr. old. He is tired but if he naps, he would never sleep at night.The 3 yr. old is strong willed…which means tantrums when he doesn’t get his way…more active than most but sleeps and naps well which is a lifesaver.
This is from the owner of Native American Nutritionals. This is not medical advice – please consult your physician prior to changing any regiment of your diet or supplements.
Here’s a bit more info from Mr. Dean, again – not medical advice. Please consult your physician before using any essential oils.
“oh I just though of another one — the Balance on the ears and along the jaw bone — this would be more for emotional issues but highly effective.”
I LOVE your investigative reporting…right up MY alley. I have plenty of friends selling DT and one who switched over to YL, but in the end I had issues with the MLM and having to pay more so they can get paid. Also I was leary of the marketing talk at all the “classes.” Did my own investigating and have since tried to find other high quality oils for much less money. ONE I recently discovered was FLORIHANA that Tropical Traditions sells. Sounds VERY high quality and much less expensive than most – including Native American Nutritionals. Any experience with this company? (Link deleted by Whole New Mom due to it not working anymore.)
Sorry but I just can’t comment on / evaluate the companies anymore. I’m just swamped. You can check out this post to see what you think and I hope to write more – thanks and sorry for the delay.https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
I wanted to thank you for all your work researching the EO companies. I started oils with YL, and have been a distributor (for my own use) for some months now. I have really benefited from the oils, and have been sharing about them with friends. But the steep prices make it hard for me to really get them into oils, and I find it hard myself to justify the high prices, though I know they do work. I also found myself in that same trap that you described, buying more to stock up so I could reach the PV levels required for me to get freebies (which might just be my fault for succumbing to the marketing).
After reading your post, I did a little bit more reading into other oil companies, and I feel really comfortable with your recommendation of NAN. I looked at their products, and am happy to find that I can actually afford Frankincense now. I was also really happy to find that their comparable Thieves blend, Immune Strength, is not only $10 cheaper but has Oregano and Thyme added to it! I found Thieves was ok, but combining its use with Oregano and Thyme worked even better so this is a must-try for me.
Thanks again! (and I will definitely buy through your link)
Isn’t their Frankincense price great? I bought about 4 bottles b/c I knew we would use it. I have a DIY Thieves too that saves even more. You are so welcome! wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/homemade-anti-bacterial-thieves-essential-oil-blend/
Oh yay more savings is always welcome! Thanks for the tip, will definitely try it out. I like a stronger clove proportion myself (I can’t remember where but I read somewhere on your blog about Immune Strength having less clove than Thieves) so making my own would work.
I am researching essential oils and want to begin using them for pain. doTerra was recommended by a friend, but after reading each of you blogs on this topic, I am having second thoughts about that company.
I am still a little confused about what I can take internally … seems that would be the quickest way for an oil to begin to help the healing process.
I have Barrett Esophagus, arthritis in both knees and had a resent back surgery with fusion – I want relieve help as quickly as possible all issues.
This is the response from the owner at Native American.
We are not doctors, and this should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your physician before changing your diet or taking supplements. Thank you.
Just wanted to thank you for the email replies I received to my two comments just this morning. I am on a search for great quality and appreciate you taking the time to clarify a couple of things I inquired about concerning Spark Naturals selling scents in the past but evidently that has changed. I had emailed them myself concerning some questions I had on quality so I will be curious to get their reply and anything they can provide showing their quality. Also I appreciate your clarifying that a comment order on their practice of listing ingredients in blends was an observation (on preference) but not a criticism or EO industry requirement. Always looking to provide the best for myself and my family and all of us should continually question our sources and reasons for what we choose and ‘demanding’ the best possible resources. Thanks again! 🙂
You are so welcome! They still do have the lavender 40/42 which is regarded as some in the industry as being adulterated lavender. Just an FYI. I’m not saying that they adulterate – just that it’s something to look into.
I could not find your review on mountain rose essential oils…..???
I’ve talked about the “puzzle” about their oils late in the comments here. I’m not sure what to think yet. I do like them as a company though.
Hi,
I found your posts on essential oil companies very informative. Thanks for doing the leg work!
I am wondering if you have any insight as to the best quality boswellia carterii, the stuff that seems to be researched for melanoma/other skin cancers. There is a company on the east coast, called sunrose aromatics, which some of us in the alternative field like to use because of the personal connection with the owner. I have been checking the prices and 15 mls of b.carterii goes anywhere from 34.99 (sunrose) to $45(floracopeia & native american) to $90(young living). I am wondering what to ask all these guys to make sure I’m getting the best stuff.
And by the way, I just checked the native american nutritionals site.. it looks fantastic.. I had no idea they existed but glad I found them.
Hi there. This is the answer from the owner of Native American. This is NOT medical advice – you should consult w/ your physician prior to using the oils or changing your diet or supplement regimen.
I am interested in your findings on Mountain Rose Herbs. Thanks.
I just replied a few days ago about it if you don’t mind checking the comments. Thanks!