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What Company Has the Best Essential Oils?

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Are you wanting to start using essential oils, but don’t know where to start? You’re ready to buy, but don’t know what company has the best essential oils?

You’ve come to the right place.

Essential Oil Bottles from a variety of companies | Which Essential Oils Company is Best?

Essential oils are all the rage these days.  People say that they can do everything from being a natural ear infection remedy, to helping with weight loss, to healing eczema, and more.

I’ve written various posts on essential oils in which I talked about:

Hopefully you can tell by those posts that I’m a skeptic at heart and pretty detailed when it comes to sorting through all the information out there to find out what really works.  In fact, many of my readers and friends have called me an “investigative reporter” of sorts.

My husband says that I “second guess everything.”

In one sense, second guessing is a good thing.  I’ve saved our family a lot of money by avoiding problematic purchases.

But sometimes I can go overboard and spend way too much time analyzing a product or purchase.  (Kind of like driving all over town to save a few pennies.  Not smart, especially as I saw gas at $4.11/gallon coming home from church last night. Big sigh.)

When trying to sort out this issue about which essential oils company is best, I tried not to be too analytical at first, and simply used what worked.  But then, things changed.

Wondering What the Best Essential Oils Company Is? I was wondering the same thing after I first started using them. So many companies say that theirs are the best, so who are you to believe? Come find out what I learned when I started asking questions. Things got a little dicey, and you'll probably be surprised by my conclusion.
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The Search for the Best Essential Oil

In the Are Essential Oils a Scam? – A Skeptic Looks at Thieves Oil, I shared how I held off trying really any essential oils at all for years before trying Thieves® from Young Living.

Truth be told, I did have a few old bottles of essential oils in my linen closet.  One bottle each of orange, eucalyptus, melaleuca (tea tree) oil, and rose oil, which I bought for topical use to brighten up my laundry [ended up never using it] and for my Homemade Chest Rub and Homemade Rose Water Spray.

This time around, before buying the Thieves oil and signing up as a Young Living Distributor, I dug around a little, but not too much.  

I asked about all the rumors surrounding Gary Young, the founder of Young Living and I also asked some questions about purity of essential oils.

I got some satisfactory answers and was pretty amazed at how well the Thieves oil had worked. And I was thrilled to have great resources in my natural health care arsenal.  

I mean, who wants to put more toxins in your body if you don’t have to, right?

However, after my post on Young Living’s Thieves and the other oils (Wintergreen and Peppermint, etc.), a number of readers started asking me about other oil companies. And so I too started wondering.

At first, I thought, “This stuff works great, and I’m pretty worn out right now, so I am just going to leave this alone and not start digging for more information”

But the “investigative reporter” in me just couldn’t leave. it. alone.

So I started poking around.

Today I’m sharing with you the beginning of my investigation.

Other Essential Oils Companies

There were some essential oils companies that I knew of, and some that a few readers recommended to me.

One of my readers was a doTERRA rep who said I really should check out their company to see how it measured up to Young Living.

Little did I know what lay ahead of me.

I started out with just a small list of companies, but the list quickly grew as the series went on and as more and more readers commented and as I went down more and more rabbit trails.  

I think you’ll find the whole thing interesting and I hope you’ll learn a thing or two about essential oils and the companies that sell them.

The Competitors: 

(UPDATE:  A lot changed after I started this series. Please follow the links at the bottom of this post to see how interesting everything got  – you can hop on over to read Part 2 of “The Best Essential Oils” here. 

To start off, following are the essential oils companies that were “on my radar” and so I started with these, wondering if I should stick with Young Living or switch to another company to be my family’s “best essential oils company” of choice

This is not an exhaustive list as there are a TON of essential oils companies out there.  After writing this series I felt like I really opened a can of worms, but these are the companies that I started with.  

Hang with me – it gets pretty interesting from here on out.

IMPORTANT UPDATE

I’m updating this post years later to add important information. I do not have all of the information in this series on why I didn’t choose certain companies so I would appreciate you not accusing me of coming to silly conclusions. I have gotten threatening emails (some of them were cryptic threats), and have been warned about being sued if I published certain things.

My family is important to me and while I don’t like to succumb to this kind of bullying, I have to weigh the cost of all of this. I am trying to be as upfront as I can about my decisions. Just know that what you are reading here is not the whole story. Not at all.

The Challenge

Following are some of the companies that I looked into.

1. Young Living Oils

I first tried Young Living when I thought that essential oils were a scam. I used them for a while and since I wanted to get as many savings as possible on the oils, I purchased monthly, took advantage of discounts, and stocked up quite a bit.

2. doTERRA Oils

Just before starting this series, several of my readers told me that I should really look into doTERRA as well, before making a hard and fast decision about which company to go with long term. So, I signed up with doTERRA as well. Follow along and you will see what happened next.

3.  Mountain Rose Herbs

I like Mountain Rose Herbs’ mission and have a few bottles of their oils.  When I contacted them they told me that they did not recommend internal use of their oils as they were not produced in a food-grade facility.

Much later (after this whole series was done) I contacted them again and they said that this was not the case.  The company also told me several times at later dates that they didn’t test their oils but trusted their sources.

4. Butterfly Express

This seemed like a good company to check out, but I ran into quite a bit of trouble getting information from them. When I called to ask them a number of questions, I was able to get some information, but then I was told that they didn’t have time to talk with me.

5.  Native American Nutritionals (now Rocky Mountain Oils)

When I first contacted this company, I thought that their prices seemed a little high for a company that wasn’t an MLM, but the more I talked to them the more interesting it all got.  

You’ll have to read more in the series to see what happened with this company….

THE VERDICT:  Probable high quality with no apparent earnings opportunity.   Need to check into this company more.  

6. North American Herb and Spice

From all I could figure out, this is a great company.

However, all they make is oregano oil.

So if you just want oregano oil, then this is a good place to turn.

THE VERDICT:  Oregano is a pretty amazing oil, but I want more than just that in my natural healing arsenal.

7.  Aura Cacia

I personally have a number of Aura Cacia oils that I bought prior to really digging into oils.  I can’t say anything except for my personal experience which is that they don’t smell as potent as some of the other oils that I have.  

I do like the company but for now, I’m not choosing to get my oils from them.   That being said, I think that they have a lot of great information about oils and their use.

Well, this is a long enough post already – thanks for sticking with me!

Onto the other competitors in the next post and see what happens!

A Great Essential Oils Book for Your Library

There are so many books out there on essential oils, that it’s hard to know what to buy.  I have a bunch, but this one, The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, is a fantastic choice. It’s very highly recommended by many aromatherapists.

I Recommend
Encyclopedia of Essential Oils

Encyclopedia of Essential Oils

This is one of the bestselling essential oils books of all time with information on plant origins, therapeutic uses, folk traditions, and more of 165 oils. Great for everyone from beginners to experienced aromatherapists.

Check Price on Amazon


At the bottom of each of my posts in this series are books or other kinds of products that I love that relate to essential oils.

The Essential Oil Company I Prefer

If you’re in a hurry to find out which essential oil company I went with at the end of this search, read the following post:

– Announcing “the Best” Essential Oils Company – Part 7 

More Essential Oils Posts

Over the years, I’ve rewritten some of the posts in this series to make them more helpful. Here are some more posts to help you on your essential oils journey.

– Qualities of a Good Oils Company
– Tips to Spot Fake Essential Oils
– Young Living vs. doTERRA
– Are Multi-Level Marketing Oils Worth It?
– Distillation, Bias, Vomit and More Concerns

you can also read this post on Essential Oils Testing which gives you more information on how essential oils are tested for purity.

Free Essential Oils Report and VIP Newsletter Access

Also, if you go and grab my Free Report on 10 Things to Know About Essential Oils Before You Buy, you will not only get more myth-busting essential oils information, but you’ll get access to my VIP newsletter as well–complete with updates, great healthy living offers, of course new posts on essential oils, and more.

10 things you need to know about essential oils report in ipad

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2,214 Comments

  1. I would love for you to check into Mountain Alternatives in Blue Ridge, GA. Small company. Growing. Personable. Pure oils.

    Reply

  2. SO from all I’ve read here. What is your BEST source of oils, and where to get them.. PLEASE email me, and let me know.. have been with Young living, but just can’t afford them ,even being a distributor. All in all, like I asked, which is your best oil company??? Thank you, Jean

    Reply

  3. Hi Adrienne,

    Have you head of/tried NuSkin’s pure grade essential oils? You can get really sick from contaminated/poor quality oils as any oil crosses the blood/brain barrier because they are such small molecules. Toxic oils will damage the blood/brain barrier and therefore allow other toxins to reach the brain increasing risk of brain disease and dementia. NuSkin does extensive safety and contaminant analysis. I can give you more information if you’d like, just noticed you didn’t include them so thought maybe you hadn’t heard of them! Just want to spread word on their quality products.

    Thanks,

    Natalie

    Reply

    2. Do you have data on the blood brain barrier? I’m not sure that is accurate information. Thanks.

      Reply

  5. Thanks so much for all your hard work and sharing! I, too, am in the midst of this journey. I had heard that there are a limited number of actual wholesale suppliers so most companies are using the same source. Did you find this in your research? Along those lines, do you know anything about Liberty Naturals – a wholesale provider that sells to the mass public, as well? Again, thank you for your insight and sharing. Have loved reading your journey and conclusions!

    Reply

  6. Hi Adrienne,

    Wonderful reading your post, i also found Mountain rose herbs are the best manufacturer of essential oils they manufacture organic & totally chemical free essential oils, iam from india i want to buy chinese rose (ruso rugosa), rose absolute (rosa damanscena) & jasmine essential oil from mountain rose herbs or suggest me to buy the best quality of these oils from india.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  9. Original Swiss Aromatics was recommended to me and they are higber prices than Young Living in some cases.

    Reply

  10. Thank you for all the information. Have you ever done any research on gurunanda oils? I have purchased several of these for local store. Are they any good?

    Reply

  11. Have you heard of Essante Organics?
    They have 100% certified organic and wildcrafted products that
    have been approved by the USDA. They have 3rd party verification
    that these products are organic from the start of the plant to the
    distribution to the consumer. The best a person can buy!

    Reply

  12. Hi, please have you tried Hemani oils? It’s really affordable and so it’s scary to think it may not be pure.

    Reply

      1. You are lucky that Young Living gave you credit immediately for damaged goods, etc. I ordered a bottle of Rose Oil from them for a Christmas gift. It arrived leaking. They refused to send another bottle until I returned the damaged one. So, shows me they do not trust their customers.

        Reply

        1. I was surprised. Perhaps their policies have changed since then. I am no longer with Young Living — you’ll see more as you read on in the series. Thanks for reading!

          Reply

        2. i have had a couple leaky bottles in the past 2 years and they promptly sent another bottle, but seeing how expensive rose oil is, i can understand the company’s questions. people do take advantage.

          Reply

        3. I’ve had to call them for leaked oils upon delivery and they have always sent a new bottle overnight without question. Unfortunately, people do abuse the system and call to say an oil is leaking when it really isn’t, just so that they can get a new bottle. Perhaps because Rose Oil is the most expensive, they requested it first be returned.

          Reply

  14. First, I sooo appreciate the time you took to research well – everything! I just wanted to add some thoughts on some things. As far as some of the oils being gathered/processed out of the country, for me personally, I want the plant from it’s indigenous country. I don’t want vetiver from a farmer in Oklahoma but Haiti. I believe the wonderful properties come from the region so this is hugely important to me. The other plus here is a lot of these countries are completely poverty stricken and this gives them an opportunity to have work provided and who better to gather and process the wonderful plants but someone from that region? That’s just my thoughts and again, thank you for this wonderful research you have provided for us! I did a LOT of research but at a kindergarten level compared to yours…. LOL!

    Reply

  15. Please include Plant Therapy in your next comparison. Would like to see how they compare.

    Reply

  16. I have a few friends recommending the Melaleuca brands for essential oils. Do you have any research for this company? I understand that they may be a little more expensive but I am more interested in the quality of oils and not the price.

    Reply

    1. Yes, I looked into their products. They have artificial colors and fragrances in their products so I am not interested. Some reps insist that they are not artificial fragrances but are natural ones blended to make certain smells, but that doesn’t make any sense to me.

      Reply

      1. I am a Melaleuca Marketing Executive and have been a part of Young Living and doTerra and now with Melaleuca. I can promise you there is not a single artificial color or fragrance in ANY of their oils. I have been brought up since birth on oils and herbs and I know what to look for and compare. They are a 100% PURE oil, from a traceable botanical source. and surpass the stringent standards of the most proclaimed oil companies, offer a third party testing and SEVEN steps of purity which far surpasses Young Livings 3 steps and doTerra’s 4 steps process. Every bottle is marked “Pure” on the bottle. And as wealthy and debt-free as Melaleuca is…. SOMEONE would have challenged or taken them to court by now if that were not a true statement. I’m sorry, but you are greatly misinformed.

        Reply

        1. Hello Kallie.

          I never stated that they had artificial colors or fragrance in their oils – I stated that they had them in products. I have never heard of a company putting artificial colors in essential oils but I have heard of them putting artificial fragrances in.

          I appreciate what you are sharing but putting “Pure” on a label doesn’t mean anything. So many companies write 100% pure etc on so many things.

          I am glad to hear that they have an apparently good purity testing standard. Do you have more information on that? I have been unable to find it.

          Hope that clarifies what I said. Thank you.

          Reply

        2. Hi kallie,are you still doing the essential oils for Melaleuca I really enjoy Melaleuca.. I love the diffuser, and I have been using their products off and on for 12 years if I can just get out of my way and start making money with them again I’d be in good shape. It’s a good company I like them a lot. Now I’m trying to learn how to get myself a like page. Wish I had somebody close by here I can work with I’m a little rusty and need a little bit of help getting going again. Thank you. Best wishes to you

          Reply

  17. I like that you do mention mlm companies are expensive. I totally understand why, they pay their reps with that (what I consider) ridiculous pricing. If you’re not joining as a rep it’s just not worth it. So what are the best non mlm oils? I refuse to pay twice as much.

    Reply

    2. I would NEVER purchase ANYTHING from MLM outfits. Sure, they may have some great products, but one thing that is consistent is their prices are WAY TOO HIGH. With a little effort, you will be able to find something just as good for less money.

      As for Essential Oils, DoTerra and Young Living do have great offerings. Technically, DoTerra has marginally higher quality oils due to their higher standard of ensuring the oils are the very best. HOWEVER, once again, you can purchase Essential Oils that are just as good for 1/2 the price.

      I purchase my oils from the company that started it all back in 1985, years before any of the other companies jumped on the bandwagon. I pay half the price for oils that are just as good and sometimes even better. I buy them directly from the manufacturer. There are no “distributors”. Actually, you have to agree not to sell their products. This makes sense to me because people would be buying and selling them.

      Anyways, if I can get 100% pure oils for 1/2 the price, that’s the route I will go and do.

      Reply

      1. Hi Janice. I would add that there are some products from some MLMs that you cannot find, or it would be very difficult to find, comparable products in the retail marketplace. Some of the MLMs are not priced higher than their competitors that aren’t MLM. I work with several personal care companies and did a big spreadsheet of cost comparison and found this to be true. But yes, many have bad pricing and you can just get the same quality elsewhere. Thanks for reading!

        Reply

      3. Hey Janice,
        I’m fairly new to EO and diffusers. I do have a few oils and just recently purchased a diffuser. Waiting for my delivery.
        I read your post and am interested in high quality for lower cost. You didn’t mention what company you have been buying from, the company that started in 1984. Could you please share the company’s name. Please and thank you very much. If not wanting to post their name, you can email me. Thank you so very much. tazbaby2540@gmail.com.

        Reply

  19. Have you heard of Ovivo and Plant Therapy brand essential oils? If so, would you please tell me what your opinion is of them.

    Thanks

    Reply