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 wanted to thank you for your hard work in putting together all of these posts. I initially found you when I was researching oil companies for myself and liked how you “distilled” you answers to your final conclusion.
After reading your articles I ordered several oils from NAN. Even though I am a massage therapist, I have had very little experience or knowledge of EO except aromatically so I was excited to see how I could use these oils to deal with minor health issues and prevention measures.
Before I even received my shipment from NAN I heard from an old friend that I hadn’t spoken to in years and I was telling her about these oils and she said she was a doTerra consultant and how happy she was with those oils and the company. She DID NOT knock NAN or any other company, or even try to talk me into switching to doTerra, but I did look into the company and their oils.
I am a big fan of MLM and I try to buy from people who are trying to get ahead by building their own businesses, I also was looking for a way to augment my massage business and liked the idea of earning money if these oils worked for me (like most people I cannot promote anything that I don’t feel passionate about).
I ordered some oils from her and found that I did like the doTerra oils better. This is just my personal preference and I’m not going to get into all the other things that brought you to your conclusion. My feeling is that like many things in this world, there is not just one EO company that is perfect for everyone, you need to find the one that works best for you. It seems that most all of your top choices to study produced effective oils without harmful ingredients.
I wish everyone success in improving their health with the essential oils of their choice and, if it is what you want, I wish you success at helping others with their health and finances if you choose a MLM company. Focus on telling people about the health benefits, let them try for themselves and don’t ever talk badly about another company it only reflects badly on you.
Thanks for commenting. Most people have not heard of Native American Nutritionals so I am not surprised that she didn’t knock them…but maybe you told her about them? I think MLMs are a real mixed bag but the concept is fine. Just depends on the company and its structure and culture.
I do think that there is a place for stating what isn’t good about other companies as long as you do it the right way. That goes with anything in life – I have had horrible experiences with different companies and I tell that to others while I share the positives as well. Word of mouth is how others find out the good and the bad. Do you think that we should just only say positive things and not point out negatives?
Here is one post where I pointed out the problematic posts that others have written: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/is-stevia-safe-is-stevia-bad-for-you-stevia-infertility/
I did the same in this post as well: https://wholenewmom.com/is-costcos-coconut-oil-junk-or-the-real-deal/
Thank you for your reply. I believe my words did not correctly convey what I intended them to convey.
When I said to focus on sharing the health benefits of the oils and not talking badly about other companies I meant that comment for everyone in this conversation, not particularly to you. Of course in a blog where you are discussing the pros and cons of different companies and oils you will necessarily share all the details in reaching your decision.
Also, with my comment about my friend not talking badly about NAN or other companies, I was hoping to convey that not everyone in a MLM company talks badly about other companies in the hopes of signing up another sucker (she didn’t and I don’t, so theres at least 2 people). She did not try to dissuade me from staying with NAN nor did she offer to sell me her oils. She told me her story, I did my own research and called her back with more questions and decided to try for myself.
I’m not really sure what point you were trying to make with your article links. I read them both, agree that ISIS is bad and seems like you did some great research on stevia. I’m not a blogger, but I would think that blogging about controversial subjects is a great way to increase your readership.
FYI, not that it makes any difference, but DT also sources it’s Frankincense from private farmers in Oman. (this is in regard to the many comments about YL being the only company with Frankincense from Oman)
My intent by commenting at all was to let you know I appreciate all of your hard work. I decided to go a different direction, but I still wanted you to know that I enjoyed reading how you went through your process. While you came to a different decision about doTERRA than I did, I feel very confident in my decision and their products. I’ve already made some huge improvements in the lives of people I love by sharing my oils and I look forward to being able to educate more people about the power of essential oils.
I really appreciate your taking the time to come back and respond. I understand better where you were coming from. What I meant about the links is that it is necessary to say negative things sometimes. I think that as long as you are doing responsible journalism that it is OK and even a good thing to do. I didn’t do either post to gain readers but to effect good. There are too many folks writing things about stevia that just aren’t true and not enough people doing anything about ISIS. I think that writing in a less thorough way would get me more readers but I choose to be more balanced and thorough b/c I think it’s the right thing to do.
NAN also sources their Frankincense from Oman, if I remember correctly so I appreciate your bringing that up as well about doTERRA.
Thanks again!
Every single reason you list for recommending this company can be applied to Young Living also.
I don’t agree with you on all counts, Katy. I think that Young Living’s oils are mainly more expensive than Native Americans and that they do have large farms in the US which doesn’t fit the small farm vision that I laid out. It is possible that they have the country of origin listed elsewhere but I don’t see it on the main site where I am looking now. I also do not see information about the oils being wild-crafted and/or organic with each individual oil. I really like having that information. Thanks :).
Wow! You have done a lot of research and work for your readers! I signed up for YL a little over a year ago and, like you, I found myself buying more oils just to save money (which is of course counter-intuitive for me, but great for the company and my upline…). So, I have begun doing more research on using oils and other oil companies and trying oils from different brands. Then I found this blog series and read it all. I appreciate all the work you’ve done for me! I am remaining a member of YL just because I love some of their blends that I haven’t been able to find comparable ones elsewhere. But I will be quitting the Essential Rewards as soon as I spend my points first! Thanks for sharing your research and thoughts with us!
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I wish I’d stopped buying a long time before I did.
Adrienne,
You have a phenomenal attention to detail and I thoroughly enjoyed your evaluation of essential oils. I have personally used both YL and DT oils and have seen good results from using both. With all of your research I am sure that you are aware that there is a new essential oils mlm that will be launching next month and they have raised the bar on purity and sourcing. They have been researching the essential oils space for years and have spent over 10 million dollars in R&D and have devised a new standard in essential oils purity that is clinical grade. In their research they tested most of the top essential oils distributors in the country and found that almost none of them passed their standard of purity and production quality. Furthermore, this will be verifiable at launch with a ton of new technology and tools that have previously not been available in the essential oils space. They believe that what they have developed will revolutionize the essential oils industry. The opportunity is fantastic and many of the reps from other companies that have seen these oils and the transparency in their procurement have joined the company. I would be happy to send you some samples if you would like as I am a very close personal friend with the master distributor. Just send me an email with your address or PO box. Also, for a network marketing company, the start up costs are quite low.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kind words. I didn’t know about the new MLM – I guess I’ve been busy with a lot of other things. Actually we’ve had an incredibly tough summer that took a load of time. I don’t know if I will be interested or not but I might contact you – thanks.
Can you tell us the name of the company?
Thank you for this! I must admit I’m actually only on part 3 but had to skip ahead because I’m impatient like that LOL. I will, however be going back to read this article in its entirety because I’m a detail diva like you. It’s midnight and I’m like, “Finally I can read up on some oils.” ha.
Question: I know there are a million oils and maybe I’ve already missed a response to this question, but what of Youngevity? I think I read somewhere that they branched off of Young Living when he and his wife got divorced and she got the original recipes. Sounds like a lot of drama to me. I only ask because I signed up to be a Heritage Makers consultant and they recently joined up with Youngevity which sells a lot of products. I guess I’ll go back and read everything and see if that sheds any light on the situation.
Thank you for all of your research and for sharing it with us!!
Hi there. Thanks! Sorry but I can’t comment on individual companies. I would recommend for now that you read this post and see how they measure up. I’ve heard of the company. I hope to write more on quality in the future. Thanks! https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
I cannot thank you enough for sharing all of your wonderful details of the investigation you undertook! Much less for undergoing the intensive investigation, to that I say: THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much! 😀
You are so welcome!!
Hi. Thanks for all of your research and hard work. Very informative. I understand you must have hundreds of companies to look over and your time is valuable. Next time you review companies can you keep Essante’ Organics in mind. We started our essential oils division about a year ago. Thank you again for all of your effort.
Hi!
I have just signed up with doTERRA to get essentials oils but I love that this company, Native American Nutritionals, sell Blend of Rose oil and other oils that doTERRA does not have. I would like to buy a few of these oils, esp the Rose Blend. If you are a member, I would like to buy through you so you can receive from profits from my small purchase just to help you out since you have helped us out by sharing your research with us (your blog readers)! Email me your response. Thanks! 🙂
Candy
Hi Candy. Native American is not an MLM so just buying through my link is all you need to do – thanks for asking though and I hope that you like the oils!
Hi there, I have been following your research. Very informative and interesting. I am also interested in oils, I do believe in the alternative methods. I don’t know very much about essential oils but would like to try them. I am 64 years old, 5″3 and weigh 148 lbs. For a few years I have had trouble with swelling from the knees down, the ankles and feet – this does not happen on a regular basis, but in extreme heat if walking a lot, or if I am on my feet for an extensive amount of time. Would there be something that could help the swelling, also how do I order from you? Would you have an email address that I could communicate with you?
This is the answer from the owner of Native American. I would very much appreciate your buying through my link if you decide to purchase. This is not medical advice, of course. You should check w/ your physician before changing your diet, supplements, or exercise program:
At one point in the essential oils companies’ articles you suggest, “get rep pricing without signing up”. I don’t know if you were saying that there is a way to do this with all, or some, companies. I would like to know how to do this. I enjoyed your articles; you come across as very objective.
Could you direct me to where or copy and paste the whole paragraph please? Thanks – I don’t recall where this is. Maybe I’m saying that Native American’s oils are equivalent to YL or doTERRA’s wholesale?