Young Living vs doTERRA and Why I Left Both
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
I didn’t really know what to think about essential oils at first.
A friend recommended a blend called Thieves when I was dealing with a bad sinus infection—I share that story in more detail here—and I was surprised enough by the results that I signed up with Young Living.
I was already aware of some concerning things about the company’s history—but I still wanted to give the oils a fair chance and see for myself how they performed.
That’s what led me to start digging deeper into essential oils in general and looking to find a quality company to buy our oils from.
At that time, a doTERRA rep reached out to me—because she could tell I really cared about quality. She believed I’d find the transparency, quality, and support I was looking for with doTERRA.
I decided to check them out and join their company as well and was optimistic at first, but when we started digging into specific questions—especially about their peppermint oil sourcing (see below for more about that)—the answers still weren’t clear.
So now I couldn't get clear answers from the two biggest names in the industry. At that point, I decided I wasn’t comfortable continuing with either company.
What I found wasn’t just disappointing—it raised serious concerns about how both companies present their products.
Most comparisons between Young Living and doTERRA don’t actually answer the real questions.
That’s because many of them are written by representatives of one company or the other.
So instead of just repeating the usual talking points, I started looking at both companies from a different angle:
- What are they actually transparent about?
- Where do things not quite add up?
- And what should you really be paying attention to as a consumer?
Young Living vs doTERRA: Which Is Better?
If you’re just looking for a quick answer:
- Best for transparency: doTERRA (shares GC/MS testing reports)
- Best for variety: Young Living (larger product range)
- Biggest concerns: Both (sourcing, marketing, and MLM structure)
- My conclusion: I don’t recommend either for most people—and I’ll explain why below.
Note: I’m sharing what I can here, but not everything—because some companies are quick to pursue legal action. I encourage you to do your own research as well.
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison before we break down what actually matters.
| Feature | Young Living | doTERRA |
|---|---|---|
| Oil variety | Larger (~270+) | Smaller (~140+) |
| Transparency | Lower | Higher (GC/MS reports) |
| Sourcing approach | More US-based | Indigenous sourcing focus |
| Ethical concerns | Documented issues | Documented issues |
| MLM model | Yes | Yes |
Why Most Young Living vs doTERRA Reviews Are Misleading
Most of the reviews out there that compare Young Living to doTERRA are written by representatives of one of those two companies. The main goal of their posts, therefore, is to convince you to join their “team” and sell the oils under them.
Just because someone is recommending something that they benefit from doesn't mean that the recommendation is inaccurate, but in the case of an MLM, it's more of a red flag.
There's not just affiliate bias going on, but it's more than that because once you sign up, you're tied to that person for life unless you leave the company for a long time (typically 6-12 months).
In addition, the comparisons in those posts are pretty superficial and are not digging deep into some things behind the marketing. That being said, there are some aspects to each company that make them stand out against the other.
Ways Young Living Excels
While doTERRA and Young Living share a lot of similarities, there are some ways that Young Living stands out.
Variety
Young Living has a lot of oils to choose from. They sell at least 270 singles and blends, while doTERRA carries approximately 140.
So basically, if you want to address something with essential oils, Young Living likely has what you want.
Longevity
Young Living has been around for a long time, and they are often credited with having a lot to do with the popularity of essential oils today. That doesn't mean their oils are better than other companies' oils, but I like to give credit where credit is due.
The following concerns are based on publicly available information and my own evaluation of that information.
Problems With Young Living
Reputation and Ethics
Again, Young Living was a big part of making essential oils mainstream, which is something to be applauded.
However, there are some pretty not-so-savory things that have been written about D. Gary Young. Of course, the internet isn't always reliable, but I still think these things might be worth paying attention to.
Gary Young has been accused of lying about healing from the oils and making misleading statements related to the sourcing of Frankincense oils.
OSHA Violations
OSHA is the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, a government agency in the US that aims to ensure safe working conditions.
While looking into both companies, I found out that Young Living has 20 OSHA violations, with 10 being called “serious.” That sounds really bad, but Young Living has been around for a long time, so they've had more time for violations to occur, and all of the violations appear to be about the same incident.
Of course, OSHA violations don't mean that a company is bad, and some people consider some of the OSHA violations to be ridiculously stringent, but in this case, the lid of a distilling vessel blew off, killing the man who was working right by it.
If Young Living cleaned up its procedures correctly, then it's possible that their new procedures are better. Either way, it's still worth noting.
When I first published this post, I didn't find other companies having OSHA violations. Of course, I didn't look into every single oil company, However, but doTERRA now has a violation that you can read about below.
Non-Indigenous Plants
A good number of Young Living's farms are located in the U.S. I think that's fine for a company being more “in control” of their product but not great if you follow conventional wisdom that plants grow best (and have the best therapeutic qualities) when they are grown in their indigenous locations (where they are supposed to grow naturally).
If you read through the comments of Best Essential Oils Parts 2 & 3, you'll see that Young Living reps tout the fact that YL farms are in the U.S. as being an advantage, due to Young Living having control over the whole growing process.
Perhaps, but other companies like doTERRA and others source their oils from wherever the plants grow naturally for higher quality.
Misleading Effectiveness Claim
In Young Living's enrollment package, there was a Thieves Oil brochure referenced in this study. It was cited to address the superior therapeutic value of the oil blend.
I was curious to see the exact results, so I looked them up. What I found, however, was that the study was done on generic eucalyptus oil rather than on the Young Living Thieves oil itself.
I reached out to Young Living's headquarters and got this response:
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately we cannot comment on any
research articles or provide this information as it would be in direct
violation of FDA regulations. You may want to contact Life Science
Publishers at 1-800-336-6308 or www.lifesciencepublishers.com and Sound
Concepts at 1-888-285-6317, 801-225-9520 or
www.essentialproductinfo {dot} com. These companies both carry several
items or research that contain useful information concerning essential
oils and supplements and may be able to assist you further.
While in a sense, the “proven to work” claim was accurate, their blend wasn't tested. In my mind, this comes across as misleading marketing.
Possible Chemical Smell
When evaluating oils from different companies, we did a “smell challenge” with my not-so-specially-trained Smell Testing Panel (a.k.a. my family).
Of course this wasn't an official spectrometry test, and none of us is a certified aromatherapist, but we noticed that Young Living seemed to have a chemical (synthetic) overtone.
Does that mean there were synthetics added? No, but we still didn't care for it.
Unknown Country of Origin
As of the 2018 update of this post, many or all of the oils from Young Living do not have a country of origin indicated on the site.
Illegal Sourcing of Oils
In 2017, Young Living was caught illegally sourcing rosewood and spikenard oils between 2014 and 2016.
However, this whole topic is very confusing because Young Living turned themselves in, and there are more details to consider.
Misleading Seed to Seal Claim
Many Young Living reps claim that their products are superior due to the company's Seed to Seal practices. However, as you can see from the illegal sourcing of oils above and the information below about sourcing from the same places that doTERRA does, this claim does not appear to be accurate.
Problematic Spiritual Associations
In 2022, Young Living sent out the book My Word Made Flesh to many high-ranking Young Living distributors. The book was co-written by Robert Tennyson Stevens, who runs a company called Mastery Systems, and Vonn Harting, a Young Living Royal Crown Diamond. Mary Young (Gary Young's wife) wrote the forward.
The book had a lot of questionable content, including a passage that encouraged people to basically do a “seance with oils” in which they would repeat,
I am the resurrection and the life of my lineage.
Of course, in the Bible, Jesus calls himself “the way, the truth, and the life” and says “no one comes to the Father except through me,” which made this book problematic for many, including me. Basically, this quote appears to be telling people to take the place of Jesus.
Here are some more problematic quotes from the book (source):
Jesus taught the use of oils to the disciples, not the masses.
I am sovereign in my god self.
I am the brilliant mind of my creator.
You can see The Word Made Flesh here for now so you can see a bit more about what caused all the hubbub. And gee, you can purchase it for $255 if you'd like. Wow.
Ways doTERRA Excels
Education and Support Network
While both companies have a lot of educational resources, it seemed to me that the support network available with doTERRA was stronger.
Testing Transparency
doTERRA, unlike Young Living, shares GC/MS test results on its website. Yes, essential oil testing can be falsified, but it's a more transparent situation than Young Living has.
Indigenous Plants
doTERRA claims that all of their oils are from plants grown in indigenous areas. I haven't looked into this completely, but if it's the case, their oils should be of higher quality than Young Living's.
Problems With doTERRA
Following are concerns that showed up about doTERRA years ago, but also a few that are more recent, with one of them being quite disconcerting.
OSHA Violation
While other sites claim that doTERRA has no OSHA violations, as of July 2024, that simply isn't true any longer. Note that after writing this section of this post, I see that doTERRA's name isn't on this page, but the internet search information associated with this page indicates that it is connected with doTERRA.
Workers in Vulnerable Situations
In 2023, an investigation into poor employment practices, including substandard pay and unsafe working conditions, by a doTERRA supplier was launched. During the investigation, workers were told to “change their stories ‘or face the consequences'.”
doTERRA claims on its website that every oil it sells is “responsibly and sustainably sourced” and that it's their “top priority to protect the environment during the production process and provide fair treatment of all harvesters and growers.” However, in this case, doTERRA didn't protect the women involved, and they were left in fear for their safety. To be fair, Emily White was quoted as being distraught about this situation, but there are no reports of this being resolved in a positive way.
Odd Marketing Claim About Oil Scents
One thing I really like about doTERRA is their educational resources, and also, their oils smell great.
But their great smell is part of what concerns me.
A lot of doTERRA reps (and corporate employees as well) say something like, “You'll know it works by its smell.”
A quote from doTERRA's website: “A 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil should have a balanced, broad fragrance profile and should smell crystal clean.” I'm not sure about you, but I don't know what “crystal clean” means.
And is “crystal clean” what you want your oils to smell like? I'm not so sure about that.
Organoleptic testing is something that many essential oil companies and experts do, but it's harder for the typical consumer to do. And it's quite possible that a consumer will be aiming for something more pleasing, rather than what an oil actually should smell like.
No Definitive Answer About Peppermint Oil Distillation
Essential oils are distilled by putting plant parts and water in a distiller and, under low pressure and low temperature, removing the oils from the plant.
The oils travel down a tube and into a vat. The oil collects on top of the water and is then removed.
The most coveted and most expensive (and thought to be the most therapeutic) oil is that which is collected during the first part of the distillation period, which is called “first distilled.”
This “first distillation” apparently only applies to ylang ylang oil, but possibly to peppermint oil as well.
doTERRA's peppermint smells good enough to eat, as in “candy cane” good. So yummy, in fact, that if you have kiddos in the house, you'd best keep it out of arm's reach.
But is that a good thing?
Most peppermint essential oils smell like the peppermint you find growing out in nature, which is herby and not like candy canes.
Candy cane-smelling peppermint is apparently, according to several sources, possibly from a redistill. Either that or some components are taken out (meaning these are adulterated oils) to give the oil a clean pepperminty candy smell.
Is doTERRA's Peppermint a Complete Distillation?
This is the email response I got from doTERRA stating that their peppermint oil is a complete distillation.
You can let her know that our Peppermint uses complete
distillation. There is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and complete and we use complete.
If the first distillation of peppermint oil is the most valuable (and there is really a first and later distillation of peppermint), then their peppermint oil might not be top quality.
If there is truly no such thing as more than one distillation of peppermint, as many say, then why is doTERRA stating that there is a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and complete distillation of peppermint?
In one video, one of the founders of doTERRA stated that their peppermint smelled amazing because it was from Washington. However, many other peppermint oils are sourced from Washington as well, so doTERRA's isn't special for that reason.
Then later, a representative told me that the doTERRA headquarters said that the peppermint smell was different because their oil is distilled only from the leaves and the flowers.
The most disconcerting part of this is that I couldn't get information from doTERRA themselves about WHY their peppermint smelled the way that it did.
Inferior Quality Ylang Ylang Oil
doTERRA prides itself on having high-quality standards and top-quality oils. Their ylang ylang, however, is a complete distillation. Some may say that this is a matter of preference, but in the essential oils industry, the first distillation of ylang ylang is absolutely more valued and therefore a higher-priced oil.
To their credit, doTERRA is transparent and does call their ylang ylang a complete distillation on their website.
Ylang ylang first distillation (which is referred to as “extra”) is typically considered to be the quality of oil that is most sought after and is of the highest therapeutic quality.
Ingredient Labeling Problems
Thanks to Kitchen Stewardship, I found out that doTERRA at one point didn't disclose all of the oils in their bug-repellent blend. At the time she wrote that post, the label stated that it was a “proprietary blend.” No thanks. Not including ingredients on the label of something that you are going to be eating or putting on your skin is a big problem.
Thankfully, doTERRA now discloses the ingredients of their Terra Shield blend; however, at the time that I initially wrote this post, that wasn't the case.
Lower Quality Frankincense Oil
I often get questions about doTERRA's pricing for their frankincense oil as to how it compares to other brands, with people citing that doTERRA's appears to be less expensive.
The reason for this has to do with the composition of doTERRA's frankincense oil. Most companies sell either just one variety of frankincense oil or several varieties, but doTERRA's frankincense is, at least as of August 2016, a blend of different varieties.
Following are the types of frankincense in their blend:
– carterii (typically the least expensive)
– serrata
– frereana
Sacred Frankincense is typically one of, if not the most expensive, varieties of Frankincense oil, so if you compare doTERRA's Frankincense to another company's Sacred, doTERRA's will likely come out to be cheaper.
Lack of Country of Origin Transparency
As of the 2018 update of this post, all or many of the oils from doTERRA did not have a country of origin indicated on the site. This is interesting, especially since the company and/or its reps repeatedly say that they can't get organic certification due to it being hard to get it in the countries where their oils are sourced.
I heard from a reader that there is a source map for doTERRA oils, but I couldn't find it. I did, however, find one page that shows sourcing for spikenard and petitgrain.
The map shows that their petitgrain Oil is sourced from Paraguay. Other companies have organic petitgrain from Paraguay, so their claim about organic oils being too hard to source just doesn't seem to make sense.
Undesirable or Unknown Ingredients in Other Products
Some of doTERRA's other products have ingredients I don't love.
For example, doTERRA's On Guard toothpaste used to contain titanium dioxide, a metal that I initially thought I should avoid due to the possibility of heavy metal toxicity. I'm not that worried about that now, but it's an unnecessary ingredient, so if it's at all in question, why use it? Thankfully, that ingredient is gone now. To be fair, it seems that doTERRA has cleaned up a lot of their personal care line.
However, initially, when I wrote this post, they had PEG 100 in their Deep Blue Cream. Now, there's no complete ingredient list on their site, so I don't know what is in there.
They also used to have carrageenan (which, depending on the form, is thought to cause inflammation) in their capsules. Right now, when searching “carrageenan” on their site, some capsules come up in the search results, but I can't see why that is because the ingredient list doesn't seem to be complete. I think it's fair to assume that they still contain it.
Misleading Portrayal of Earning Possibilities
At some point, direct sales companies have to produce an income disclosure statement so that those interested in selling with the company can have a realistic idea of how much money they can (or, in this case, likely won't) make.
doTERRA's top income disclosure chart here seems to show that there are some great opportunities with doTERRA, but it is misleading. It shows some impressive income levels, but you have to notice the fine print that it's only for top-ranking leaders. To see a more realistic (and not very enticing) view, you have to look at the next chart, which is farther down on the page.
Young Living, to their credit, spells it all out in this Young Living Income Disclosure statement.
It's important to note that the earnings with both companies are reduced by fees to redeem your reward points or even to get paid.
Smaller Oil Selection
When I first wrote this series, doTERRA had very few oils, so if you were looking for a company that could be a one-stop shop, then it wasn't a great option.
They've increased their selection over time, but Young Living still has the advantage here.
Problems with Both Companies
As you can see, when comparing Young Living vs. doTERRA, there are ways in which each is better than the other. However, there are also some negatives that both companies share, mostly due to them being MLM essential oil companies.
There is, however, one particularly odd thing that I found out about both of them.
Young Living and doTERRA Source from the Same Companies
Both companies claim to have a corner on selling the best oils, so it's very problematic (for both of them) that they appear to share the same source for at least some of their oils.
Bio Young Aromas
See the following sources that show that Bio Young Aromas is a supplier for both Young Living and doTERRA.
- https://www.seair.co.in/us-import/i-doterra.aspx (Sadly, it appears that the information about Bio Young is now behind a paywall.)
- Here, however, is documentation showing other purchases from Bio Young by doTERRA.
And here are some Bio Young Aroma purchases made by Young Living.
Kunshan Toxen
doTERRA and Young Living have both purchased from this company as well.
Here is documentation showing Young Living purchases from Kunshan Toxen.
And here is documentation showing that doTERRA purchases from Kunshan Toxen as well.
Basically, despite their claims of being the best, neither company seems to be that special if they are purchasing from the same companies.
I personally am not opposed to the multi-level marketing industry as a whole, but it is important to consider whether essential oil MLM companies are worth it or not.
Who Should Choose Young Living or doTERRA?
- Young Living may appeal to you if you want a very wide selection of oils and blends and prefer a long-established brand with a strong following.
- doTERRA may appeal to you if you value access to GC/MS testing reports and a large support network for learning and using essential oils.
- However, in my experience, both companies have significant concerns—particularly regarding marketing practices, sourcing transparency, and their MLM structure—which is why I ultimately chose not to continue with either one.
For most people, I think it’s worth looking beyond both of these companies—but understanding how they compare is still helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Young Living or doTERRA?
Neither stands out as clearly better overall. Each has strengths, but both have concerns that are often overlooked.
Are doTERRA oils higher quality than Young Living?
doTERRA is more transparent with testing, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee higher quality across the board.
Why are Young Living and doTERRA so expensive?
Both companies use a multi-level marketing model, which increases costs due to commissions and incentives.
Conclusion
Both Young Living and doTERRA have some good qualities, but clearly there are a lot of problems with both companies. While both companies have strengths, the concerns outlined above are significant enough that I no longer feel comfortable recommending either one.
My Preferred Source of Essential Oils
I hope to revisit this topic soon, but for now, you can see what happened when I started looking to find a quality essential oil company that I wanted to purchase from.
I started this whole series after spending some time working with both Young Living and doTERRA, but I left both of them and tried to find out what the best essential oil company was.
I plan to revisit this topic in the future and hope to have additional options that you can feel really good about buying.
What do you think about doTERRA vs. Young Living?
Which do you think is better and why?
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE doTerra essential oils! They’re amazing and I have Ssooo many uses for them. I cook with them, clean my house with them, ingest or rub them on my body, and diffuse them.
I use their hair care and hydrating facial lines also. I like that doTerra is run by a board of directors and not just 1 man, and that the oils come from plants grown in their natural environment.
I personally don’t care for either of the two companies – for 2 main reasons:
1. There seems to be constant effort to prove themselves the better of the two companies. If you talk to a YL rep, they will always bash DT and if you talk to a DT rep, they bash YL oils. Why is there an ongoing argument of being the best? The product’s quality alone should prove this argument….and yet the argument continues.
2. Why should I have to buy the oils from a rep – and pay a higher price in doing so? Pretty much every person that I have known to start selling these oils have since stopped – if they are soooooo good, then why would they stop selling? It is because they were not making enough money selling the “amazing” product. ()
Have you done any research on Plant Therapy essential oils? You seem to do a lot of research on oils, so your opinion on PT would be good to hear as well.
Thanks!
A
Thanks for commenting. I’m regularly keeping my eye on the industry as much as I can. You might wish to subscribe to updates here. Thanks! https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
I have been a YL rep for over 20 years now…really mainly just for my love of Thieves. I have heard off and on about the unscrupulousness of Gary Young, but wrote it off as competitors trying to fight for their piece of the pie. That was until I recently heard the FIRST HAND account from one of my best friends of what Gary Young is really like! This past fall, Young brought a group of men (husbands of women who work for him) to Colorado for a guided hunt. He prepaid his deposit to my friend’s husband’s guide company. As with all the hunting groups, the guides provided the hunters food, sleeping arrangements and all of the standard (agreed upon) amenities available on the hunt. At the end of the hunt, Young announced that he didn’t like the hunt and refused to pay the remaining balance for the group! I since learned that he has done this before with other guide outfits! For what he charges for his oils, it’s not like he doesn’t have the funds! And I neglected to mention that his young son was in the group and because of his mishandling of his weapon, it discharged, nearly blowing the head off of my friend’s husband! Shame, shame on you Gary Young. And you call yourself a Christian! So if the owner of a multi-million dollar company cheats people out of what he owes them, then why wouldn’t he cheat consumers out of providing pure grade essential oil products? For this reason, I am looking into other brands whom I can trust.
Oh, I’m so glad to hear this. Guys going on a hunt is great but the fact that a millionaire rips people off while he over-charges on his products really proves you can’t trust him.
I have to agree with other commentors that the fact that you neglected to make a decision (or at least disclose your decision) on which essential oil company was best, in your opinion, left me feeling like I had just read a book all the way through just to find that the let page had been torn out. I sort of felt cheated.
Don’t get me wrong, I think that you did a great job of researching each company and stating pros and cons of each but the title was misleading, much like, “click bait”. If you had no intention of choosing one essential oil company over the others as your pick for the best company, you probably should have used a different title.
Hi Chad.
Sorry you feel that way. So I do have a question, however. What do you all want me to do—pick a company and say to join that one? I have concerns about both of them, some of which I didn’t put in this post. I personally am not working with either of them.
It wasn’t “click bait”. I was writing a series about finding the best company for my family and for my readers, and in the middle of it, I decided to write about this because people are always pitting these 2 companies together. I laid out the pros and cons of both. The point wasn’t to tell people which one to go with….is that what you are thinking I had to do in order to
I DID make a decision about which company to go with, but it was neither of these. Perhaps you missed that part of the series?
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
Please let me know if that explains better.
Also, judging from your email you are most likely a rep for one of these companies. Could you share which one? Thanks.
Hi,
I am french and juste becoming rep faor YL recently. (sorry for my bad english, i try to do my best )
A frend told me that i have to be careful with becoming rep for this compagny because of gary young seams to be à crook.
Then, i start my reserch on this company and try to learn more, i just finish to read your articles on the subject (it’s pretty difficult for me because of my not so good englsh^)
I felt sorry for myselt because i’d like to be rep for YL and the oils seams to be very efficent. I can’t not see the ethic problem for me to join this companie, thanks for your articles to open my eyes on this.
I have tried several different essential oil companies, & I went with YL. They do in-house (6 different tests each time), & outsourced testing. As for using indigenous plants, they do. They have numerous farms around the globe as well as in the US. Using native plants is a big deal to them.
The smell of oils should be different for each batch even though it’s the same plant. The smell changes based on weather conditions, soil conditions, rain fall… As for a synthetic smell, I think, perhaps, it is an earthy or maybe even woodsy smell you get on lots of oils. Even Peppermint can have an earthy or woodsy smell depending on the growing season conditions.
As for the lawsuit against YL, it was against the exporting of oils that shouldn’t have been. YL found it during audits and opted to disclose it and pay, fines & come up with a plan to eliminate it from happening again.
Red flags on unpure oils are an expiration date, oils that freeze, oils that go rancid-unless they have a carrier oil in them…
As for distillation, Gary Young designed and built his own distillation vats. Yes, first distillation is important as is the shape of the top of the vat (cone or dome).
YL is overflowing with education and training for distributors and users alike.
I’m a very satisfied oiler with YL.
Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinions too.
Jackie
Hi there. Thanks for commenting.
I do have a question about the law suit. If they make a Seed to Seal claim, then how did that happen that they were importing oil illegally? Thanks!
Hello there.
If you read Jackie’s post carefully, the law suit referred to the exporting of oils not importing, therefore this has nothing to do with the seed to seal claim. Also I think that it is commendable that a company is willing to disclose such information and willing to rectify the issue.
Have a great day!
It was exporting oils for their use so if they are in control of their oils from seed to seal, how did this happen?
That’s what I am wondering.
My understanding is that they were caught and then admitted to it. Do you know any different? Thanks for reading!
They exported the oil from one of their farms that was not in the US, bringing it into the US. Once they realized they had inadvertently exported oils without proper documentation, their own quality control department reported it. The documents actually state that the fees were decreased significantly because it was self reported.
Who willingly tells on themselves when they realized they made a mistake? I know the FDA, CDC , IRS and most other government agencies sure don’t, but this private company did.
Thanks, Jeniffer. I appreciate that. I guess what I am saying is that if they are really watching things from Seed to Seal, how could they have not known this was going on? I thought that they were caught first, from what I read. Thanks again and thanks for reading. I willingly tell on myself, by the way. But you are so right–it’s not common.
“My goal here wasn’t really to say which of these was best, but to talk about different aspects of each of these “essential oil powerhouses” in the midst of my search for the best essential oil company.
What do you think?”
I think an article entitled, “Which Essential Oils Company is Best? Young Living and doTERRA,” implies that the author is going to make a statement and then substantiate her view. At the end of 4 posts your last statement made is that your goal wasn’t really to say which you thought was the best. How can I trust you to do what you say and say what you mean? I feel as if you did not respect my time by leading me on when you never intended to make a stand on which brand you thought was best and why. I don’t plan to read any of your other posts because of this. If you want to be a successful writer, I suggest that you learn to communicate more effectively and, yea, have something to say.
Hi Cubo.
Sorry you feel that way. I think it depends on what you are looking for. Which one do YOU think is best after reading what I wrote? For me, I will not be buying for or be a rep for either for various reasons. The whole series was called “which essential oils company is best” and the part IV that you read is about YL and doTERRA. Hope that clarifies. I will update the post.
I am successful. I have over 1M pages read a month and a very large publisher approached me asking if I would consider writing a book for them. Doesn’t mean I’m perfect, but I would say that’s pretty successful. For now, I have put it on hold b/c I don’t think it makes sense w/ other things in my life.
I hope you come back but it’s your choice of course.
My thoughts as well. Huge let down to read with a bunch of random advertisements for the end result to be NOTHING
Hi there. Sorry you didn’t find it to be helpful. I personally went with neither company and left both. Were you hoping for me to tell you which one to join? Both have their pros and cons but I am not comfortable with either of them.
As for the ads, I’m trying to strike a balance b/t earning an income for the free service that I provide (and many hours every day) and making the experience the best for my readers. I’m looking at other ad companies to see if there might be a better option. Thanks for reading and I’m happy to hear your suggestions.
For some reason people want to be told. Making decisions on their own can be difficult, which is why we all look up these articles in the first place. But we should have the capability to take the information out there and make a decision we feel is best for our own circumstances, needs, wants, beliefs, etc. There are so many choices out there now. Deciding what you’re willing to compromise on almost requires making a chart, or reading one. I personally learned a few key components from your article. The title could have read differently, but then again, you can’t please everyone. At the end of the day, it’s your article. Like you said, “You’re not perfect”. None of us are. Anyone thinking they could do better should probably just zip it and never read another comparison again. Thank you for your time and effort to educate us about the essential oil industry. Cheers!
Thanks so much. I am actually surprised at how many complaints I have gotten recently with none before this that I remember. I am also getting more nasty comments on recipes and such like “I don’t see nutritional info” or “coconut isn’t a nut” and a bad star rating as a result. I wonder if it’s a symptom of people becoming more and more angry behind their screens. Whatever the case, I appreciate your kind words.
Things change w/ companies all the time and these two are no exception. I just wanted to lay out some of my concerns (not all of them) in the post. Sigh.
The one thing that I did not see in this article is that doTerra is Health Canada Certified. I have asked about Young Living and have been told they do not have this Certification. Do you know if this is correct?
It seems to me that Health Canada Certified is just regulations to be able to sell the products in Canada by an MLM- correct?
Wow, some of the comments here are interesting lol. It seems you hit a nerve with your article. I recently signed up for Doterra but then just learned that their Peppermint EO might not be pure. I also bought Frankincense, and didn’t realize until I had received the item that it was a blend and not one plant, which I thought was strange, and they don’t really offer a reason for doing this. They charge a pretty penny for their EO’s, I agree that it would be an integrity issue if they are not using therapeutic grade oils. Disappointing to say the least. Perhaps some of their EO’s are better than others. I liked the Thyme and Cypress I purchased in the past.
Have you been to sourcetoyou.com? It explains what is in doterra oils, and if you understand the scientific lingo, you can follow that. It shows when it was tested, etc. Simply search your batch number on the bottom of your oils.
Frankincense is all created from the Boswellia carterii, frereana and the sacra all frankincense, all pure, not any bit diluted, watered down.https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-frankincense-oil Doterra peppermint oil is Mentha x piperita I’d attatch the screen shot of my quality test for peppermint, I have no way to add it however. Doterra science blogs are also phenominal to hear right from the horses mouth, what is in the oils, and all the scientifc backgrounds to them.
Hi Danica – I am so sorry, first of all, for responding so late. I ended up with hundreds of comments and it’s taking a long time to read through and discern what’s an icky spam comment, etc. Anyhow, I was at sourcetoyou years ago and it was sort of helpful but a lot of information was missing. What did you think about the part in the post where YL and doTERRA seem to be sourcing some oils from the same place? That doesn’t mean they are bad oils – just wondering. Thanks!
Adrianne,
There are a lot of haters out here who like to add their NEGATIVE 2 cents worth.
I liked the article and found a lot of interesting information. You can’t make the decision for them but you put the evidence for both companies down that you found so people can make their own decisions. Good job.
Thank you so much, Angie!
very interesting ! I have just finished a trial using doterra oils and found that the ones I used did work for me but on finishing the trial I was asked to join them – This made me start to do some research and its 50/50 what Ive found to be honest !
I am looking at other companies who may do oils similar that I could try but finding it a bit of a minefield so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated – thanks for the article
Thanks, Sue! It’s sooo hard to figure out what is true and what isn’t in this industry and in many others. I have just been recently investigating some other products and it’s been a huge rabbit hole….thankfully I’m finding some answers. I think that it’s important to note that there are companies that have had their oils tested by 3rd parties that have been shown to have synthetics added, or cheaper oils added, etc. so you really want to find a company you trust. Or companies. The company that I went with is in this post. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
Feel free to ask any other questions. You can also sign up here for updates if you are so inclined: https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/ Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much Adrienne , much appreciated !
My pleasure – thanks for reading! Hope to see you around again!
Wow…a lot of information for this newly essential oil consumer! I attended my first DoTerra intro last night!!! Very excited! My delema is my sweet amazing sister in law is a Young Living distributor and loves the line of all oils! Some please help me decide….I don’t even have a defusor!!! Will need either starter kit! Both essential oil companies seem wonderful and life changing!!!
Confused
Denise
Thanks! What would you like to know? I personally left both Young Living and doTERRA. You can go to the end of the series to see where I went: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-remedies/announcing-the-best-essential-oils-company-and-a-great-sale/
I have both doterra and YL kits. I ended up sticking with doterra bc I have found most of their oils to be a bit less expensive and their shipping is $3.99 and YL is $6.99. Honestly, I think both companies have the same quality. I can’t find that one is better than another. Other than I like that doterra farms the plant in it’s indigenous region instead of bringing it here to farm like YL. Hope that helps.
doTerra is Health Canada Certified. I don’t think Young Living is. Hoping to get more information here on this
I just responded to you that this seems to be just a certification that MLMs need to go thru to sell in Canada – are you really trying to find the info here or are you trying to promote doTERRA?
Adrienne,
As a biochemist and also the owner of two small businesses I have a few comments on the previous posts.
First you made a comment in the comments section about companies that test their products in house. I want to point out that EVERY company will test their own products. To NOT do so would be a massive failing. THEN I would throw up red flags for sure. It should be noted that as a business owner I would prefer to hire a team of product testing professionals to handle things in-house rather than outsource. First I’m the most knowledgeable about my products. Second, I’m the most knowledgeable about my clients. And while I wouldn’t oppose a third party doing product testing to suggest that internal testing is somehow equal to immoral or unethical behavior shows a lack of business and entrepreneurial wisdom. There are a lot of third parties that can freely acquire the products, test them independently, and then publish their findings in peer-reviewed publications.
Second, regarding allegations and lawsuits against YL if people actually read into the details of the case you’ll see that Young Living conducted an internal investigation and uncovered some situations were employees had not properly submitted documents and thus it resulted in the standard company actions being labeled as illegal. YL voluntarily disclosed the incidents and not only completely complied with authorities but gladly owned up to the mistakes and paid the necessary fines. THAT shows amazing business ethics to me. In a culture where we are so used to excuses and justifications YL’s response was “Yeah, we messed up. We are sorry and we will do what need to be done to make it right.”
I will state for the record that, as a trained biochemist that has researched many oils in regards to their actual chemical constituents, I’ve personally chosen to get my oils from Young Living. Beyond the chemistry I have determined that morally, ethically and in general business practices I’ve made my choice. DoTerra is also doing their best to be the best company out there and their products aren’t laced with toxins. I’m so over the slander game between these two companies & reps. At the end of the day here’s my stance: Know why you believe what you believe, and don’t be a jerk about it. Then I think we can all get along, amirite? 🙂
I’m all about open dialogue and people not being nasty and vindictive, so that you for your honesty in your post.
Thanks Adrienne!
Aren’t both Young Living and Do Terra Theraputic grade? Can you explain what that term means. Thanks
It’s not a regulated term. It means that it can be used therapeutically, but it isn’t officially defined so anyone can put it on the label if they want. I talked about that here: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/essential-oil-purity-myths/
I understand that they conducted an internal investigation, but if they have the whole Seed to Seal guarantee, then how did this happen?
Hello there.
I don’t think that every company tests their own products. In fact, I know it isn’t the case. For years, most companies didn’t test at all. Now it’s becomings crucial to do so but there is no way that all of them are.
Of course there is a problem with companies testing their own products. I have found several companies that said they were doing this, and then someone had the products tested by a third party, only to find out that there were concerns. Doesn’t mean there always are, but there can be. I hope that helps.
I don’t follow your comment about peer-reviewed publications. Please explain.
Amen Sista! So eloquently said I had to say hello. ? I am beginning me essential oil journey.. Thankyou for making sense for me ?
Welcome!!! Feel free to ask any questions! Did you happen to read this https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/pure-essential-oils-testing/ and get this: https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/ ??
I will be writing more hopefully soon!