OMG Several yrs ago, I bought EO's at a craft show. Price wasn't too bad. I went looking in other threads and posts; on this site. I never dreamed they would be that expensive. So, do may of you make your own EO's? If not, where is a reasonable place to buy them?
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I don't make them. I mostly buy NOW Foods because of their price and it's one of the few brands our local health store sells. I have been happy with them so far. Been using them since 2008. You do have to read the labels because sometimes they sell them 100% pure and sometime they are blended with oil.
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I've noticed EOs in casing in price as well and tought about making my own. It couldn't quite figure it out. So I make a close second. I fussed carrier oils. Basically a lot of the fresh leaves of say rosemary put in whatever carrier oil I can find , my favorites are avocado and olive. Then I let it soak and infuse for about a month. They work for massages, moisturizer, making soap, lip balm etc and for the times I use culinary herbs like the example I use them for cooking too. This way only works with coconut oil if you know it will stay hot enough to be liquid for a while, otherwise you get some semi scented semi flavored solid oil with chunks of herbs in it...
For cleaning I do something similar but with white vinegar ( I'm us ACV would work too but I don't make that so I save it for human consumption) and instead of sticking it in a dark cabinet I put it uh the sun for a few days till I remember I'm out of cleaning products..
Hope that helps you save a few cents so you can buy a bottle of the overpriced favorite or must have oils that come from esoteric plants you don't grow... For me that would be tea tree oil and eucalyptus which are luckily still affordable if I compromise and don't get organic.
For cleaning I do something similar but with white vinegar ( I'm us ACV would work too but I don't make that so I save it for human consumption) and instead of sticking it in a dark cabinet I put it uh the sun for a few days till I remember I'm out of cleaning products..
Hope that helps you save a few cents so you can buy a bottle of the overpriced favorite or must have oils that come from esoteric plants you don't grow... For me that would be tea tree oil and eucalyptus which are luckily still affordable if I compromise and don't get organic.
There are some reasonably priced EOs but you won't find those prices with the MLM type companies (like DoTerra or Young Living). I have searched high and low and best I could figure Aura Cacia compared quality-wise to the pricey oils. If you have a Frontier Coop buying club nearby, you can get them in whole sale prices. You can call Frontier and they will tell you if there is a co-op near your zip code.
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I go through Mountain Rose Herbs. I LOVE them! I buy some bulk spices and herbs through them as well. Great prices, although shipping can be high, and an outstanding product. Fabulous customer service too!
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Valuable lesson in life: You get what you pay for.
I personally use DOTERRA EO's because I have found that the extremely high quality of the oil goes a lot further. A 15ml bottle of melaluca (tea tree) from walmart or the health food store lasts me about a week - where DoTERRA's melaluca last me about 2 months. I wish they had better variety, but (Shh, don't tell my upline) if DoTERRA doesn't have an oil I need, I do buy from a family member selling Young Living (and some of her oils come from me too). Space is always a factor as well as shelf life and value (not to be confused with cost). Some people can get by with lower quality oils; and that is fine, just remember, you get what you pay for.
I personally use DOTERRA EO's because I have found that the extremely high quality of the oil goes a lot further. A 15ml bottle of melaluca (tea tree) from walmart or the health food store lasts me about a week - where DoTERRA's melaluca last me about 2 months. I wish they had better variety, but (Shh, don't tell my upline) if DoTERRA doesn't have an oil I need, I do buy from a family member selling Young Living (and some of her oils come from me too). Space is always a factor as well as shelf life and value (not to be confused with cost). Some people can get by with lower quality oils; and that is fine, just remember, you get what you pay for.
Have you found any independent testing done on DoTerra or Young Living that show their superior quality? This is an honest question, not an argument. (I know these things are hard to tell sometimes when you are just typing the question, no asking face to face.)
I have two friends who sell EOs (one sells DoTerra and one Young Living) and I have seriously looked into buying from them. However, the price is a huge deterrent to me. Especially, since I was unable to find anything (other than info coming from either company) to prove that their quality is superior. The only thing I could find from a source unrelated to any EO manufacturer is this: http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/...ssential-oils-testing-and-the-results-are-in/
As you can see, it is only a test on a single oil. I have found many blogs with opinions about EOs but they are really just based on personal experience, no actual testing. Plus there is no telling how independent the opinion is.
How do you use EOs and why do you end up using more from the less expensive brand? I am relatively new to EOs but trying to learn. If you can elaborate more that would be great.
For example, I use peppermint & lavender at night time in a diffuser. It is an Aura Cacia brand and I use 1 drop of each. Some nights I do not need to refill them, but for the most part it is 1 drop a night.
To the OP, I just compared the price of Aura Cacia Lavender at Walmart ($11.83) and Frontier Co-op buying club price ($5.91). Depending on your state tax laws, the Frontier order may be tax free (as opposed to Walmart) but the club coordinators usually charge a small fee for their effort in addition to the price.
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Farmerkat, Those are great questions, some I would like for the companies to answer themselves. Without regulations on the market, it is difficult to get these companies to send their product for testing outside their own or associated labs - so like many others, most of my opinion is based on my own experience. The research I was able to gather outside my own experience showed me a few truths about essential oils.
1. no regulation means no consistency across companies or in labeling.
2. Essential Oils work because they are alcohols and esters containing naturally occurring chemical constituents that have (mostly) positive effects on the body.
3. Plants grown with different conditions, locations, weather factors, ect are going to produce different levels of these chemicals.
4. extraction method of essential oils is going to affect the end product.
5. The FDA usually regards EO's as a cosmetic NOT as a drug (otherwise we may see a time when you need a prescription for peppermint oil and a permit to grow it).
6. Other countries have established standards for quality - in other words minimal requirements based on an average. ( AFNOR and ISO )
7. The bottom line governs any business, so I have found testing results showing that some products may include pure essential oils, but sometimes they are adulterated or diluted. Such adulterations are difficult to identify. Most of the time, the oils have been diluted with a carrier oil. While this is a good idea anyway because EO's are extremely strong, Do I want to pay for already diluted EO, or dilute it myself and save some storage space?
I use EO's for everything. Literally, cleaning, healthcare, illness prevention, and even just to add a nice fragrance to my home. The biggest use of EO's in my home is for pain management and mood stabilization. My Husband is medically retired from the military and is disabled from the injuries he suffered on the job. He was told after his back surgery that he would never go another day without narcotic pain meds. The meds shut his liver and kidneys down twice. We now manege his pain with EO's instead. My step Son is also mildy autistic and is prone to violent outbursts. Diffusing his favorite EO's allows him to breath in the oils - which land in his sinuses and transfer through the blood stream into his brain. Once in the brain, the right combination of EO's help him to produce calming and soothing hormones allowing him to control his outbursts.
This is literally the two situations that opened my eyes to the quality of EO's. It took a lot more of the cheaper oils to get results (if we could get results at all) than it did with the more expensive brands. I believe that I ended up using more to achieve results because of the dilution issue in the industry. In most cases it was like buying two identical bottles and one came 1/8 full of oil; 7/8 full of alcohol, and one came 100% full of EO.
My sincere recommendation in your case would be to ask both your friends for samples - try them out and choose the one that works best for you in your situation. Try the store brands too.
If you do decide to join a company for the reduced prices, learn everything you can about working the deals and stacking the discounts. On average I only pay 33% of the retail price for DoTERRA oils by working the system, and I show everyone who has joined through me how to do it too. The commissions I get from their purchases pays my 33%, so by being frugal and honest, I don't actually pay anything for all my EO's. It is saving me over $300 a month in prescription co-pays and Doctors visits on top of Whatever is left over from my commissions after I place my $100-$300 (value) Order each month.
1. no regulation means no consistency across companies or in labeling.
2. Essential Oils work because they are alcohols and esters containing naturally occurring chemical constituents that have (mostly) positive effects on the body.
3. Plants grown with different conditions, locations, weather factors, ect are going to produce different levels of these chemicals.
4. extraction method of essential oils is going to affect the end product.
5. The FDA usually regards EO's as a cosmetic NOT as a drug (otherwise we may see a time when you need a prescription for peppermint oil and a permit to grow it).
6. Other countries have established standards for quality - in other words minimal requirements based on an average. ( AFNOR and ISO )
7. The bottom line governs any business, so I have found testing results showing that some products may include pure essential oils, but sometimes they are adulterated or diluted. Such adulterations are difficult to identify. Most of the time, the oils have been diluted with a carrier oil. While this is a good idea anyway because EO's are extremely strong, Do I want to pay for already diluted EO, or dilute it myself and save some storage space?
I use EO's for everything. Literally, cleaning, healthcare, illness prevention, and even just to add a nice fragrance to my home. The biggest use of EO's in my home is for pain management and mood stabilization. My Husband is medically retired from the military and is disabled from the injuries he suffered on the job. He was told after his back surgery that he would never go another day without narcotic pain meds. The meds shut his liver and kidneys down twice. We now manege his pain with EO's instead. My step Son is also mildy autistic and is prone to violent outbursts. Diffusing his favorite EO's allows him to breath in the oils - which land in his sinuses and transfer through the blood stream into his brain. Once in the brain, the right combination of EO's help him to produce calming and soothing hormones allowing him to control his outbursts.
This is literally the two situations that opened my eyes to the quality of EO's. It took a lot more of the cheaper oils to get results (if we could get results at all) than it did with the more expensive brands. I believe that I ended up using more to achieve results because of the dilution issue in the industry. In most cases it was like buying two identical bottles and one came 1/8 full of oil; 7/8 full of alcohol, and one came 100% full of EO.
My sincere recommendation in your case would be to ask both your friends for samples - try them out and choose the one that works best for you in your situation. Try the store brands too.
If you do decide to join a company for the reduced prices, learn everything you can about working the deals and stacking the discounts. On average I only pay 33% of the retail price for DoTERRA oils by working the system, and I show everyone who has joined through me how to do it too. The commissions I get from their purchases pays my 33%, so by being frugal and honest, I don't actually pay anything for all my EO's. It is saving me over $300 a month in prescription co-pays and Doctors visits on top of Whatever is left over from my commissions after I place my $100-$300 (value) Order each month.
Lilith,
Thank you for your reply. While I am not a fan of regulation (and would prefer that EOs are not regulated like medication), I wish there was more independent data available. But it is what it is.
Would you mind sharing what EOs your husband uses for his back pain? How does he apply them? My DH has severe back issues and is doing the best he can to avoid surgery (part due to arthritis and part due to injury). He hates taking pain meds and takes them only when absolutely necessary - but that means that he is in pain pretty much all of the time. I think he would be open to trying EOs. Thanks!
Thank you for your reply. While I am not a fan of regulation (and would prefer that EOs are not regulated like medication), I wish there was more independent data available. But it is what it is.
Would you mind sharing what EOs your husband uses for his back pain? How does he apply them? My DH has severe back issues and is doing the best he can to avoid surgery (part due to arthritis and part due to injury). He hates taking pain meds and takes them only when absolutely necessary - but that means that he is in pain pretty much all of the time. I think he would be open to trying EOs. Thanks!
I like EOX-http://www.essentialoilexchange.com/t-eox_essential_oils_by_application.aspx it is a coop, and reasonable, and they do outside testing. Also,
http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ These guys test their own, have batch tests, have loved their oils so far. Was watching a youtube from Aromahead, and she was using Jojoba oil, said it was a wax, not an oil, and lasts for years. I have not looked into this yet, but going to!
FarmerKat, try something with Helichrysum Italicum in it for pain- also ginger, black pepper, or another analgesic. Put in google search essential oils for pain, you should get a good number. If you look at the EOX site, it shows oils that are analgesic, also I would add an anti-spasmodic oil, and an anti-inflammatory oil. Most oils have more than one property- like peppermint, which is anti inflammatory, anti spasmodic, and analgesic.
http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ These guys test their own, have batch tests, have loved their oils so far. Was watching a youtube from Aromahead, and she was using Jojoba oil, said it was a wax, not an oil, and lasts for years. I have not looked into this yet, but going to!
FarmerKat, try something with Helichrysum Italicum in it for pain- also ginger, black pepper, or another analgesic. Put in google search essential oils for pain, you should get a good number. If you look at the EOX site, it shows oils that are analgesic, also I would add an anti-spasmodic oil, and an anti-inflammatory oil. Most oils have more than one property- like peppermint, which is anti inflammatory, anti spasmodic, and analgesic.
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FarmerKat, Topically (over the area of pain) he uses two blends that are proprietary to DoTERRA - Deep Blue and Aroma Touch. He also uses Frankincense & marjoram in a veggie cap like a pill; ONLY on a full stomach. BE very very sure of the origin of your EO's before taking them internally, it is not recommended except in extreme cases with very few select oils that are regulated as dietary supplements and not as cosmetics. Helichrysum is a great oil for healing damage to tissue, but doesn't do much to relieve nerve damage.
We are actually using Helichrysum on my 11yo son's incision from a surgery for a broken arm - it is working wonders the wound closed completely to a slight pink line in less than a week! We are also putting Frankincense & marjoram on the bottoms of his feet to help him with his pain. I am still not comfortable giving him EO's internally at such a young age. When the cast comes off, we will be using lemongrass, and aroma touch over the damaged bone area to help with pain and muscle atrophy.
If you can get your buddy who sells DoTERRA to get you a sample of deep blue rub, I think your husband will appreciate it greatly! It smells like bengay, goes on like bengay except you need much less (a small blob about the size of a pea covers the entire lower back), effects lasts much longer and it promotes healing and circulation over the long haul. Lemongrass may also be good for his arthritis and bones, while Aroma Touch will help with muscle spasms and cramps.
We are actually using Helichrysum on my 11yo son's incision from a surgery for a broken arm - it is working wonders the wound closed completely to a slight pink line in less than a week! We are also putting Frankincense & marjoram on the bottoms of his feet to help him with his pain. I am still not comfortable giving him EO's internally at such a young age. When the cast comes off, we will be using lemongrass, and aroma touch over the damaged bone area to help with pain and muscle atrophy.
If you can get your buddy who sells DoTERRA to get you a sample of deep blue rub, I think your husband will appreciate it greatly! It smells like bengay, goes on like bengay except you need much less (a small blob about the size of a pea covers the entire lower back), effects lasts much longer and it promotes healing and circulation over the long haul. Lemongrass may also be good for his arthritis and bones, while Aroma Touch will help with muscle spasms and cramps.
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Lilith, do you know of any EO useful for gout? (Doctor told me I did not have gout; still my toes and the souls of my feet next to the toes often feel painful and "tight-like", though not swollen so as can be seen.)
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motdaugrnds - I have several books I like to reference for things I have limited / no experience with. One of the better ones is called modern essentials. There is also a website that is very similar and easy to use when looking up health concerns. http://www.everythingessential.me/HealthConcerns/Gout.html#page=page-2
From what I do know of uric acid build up / gout - you need to change your diet. I'm sure there are oils to help break down the crystals, but a lasting change in diet is the only way to stop it from coming back.
From what I do know of uric acid build up / gout - you need to change your diet. I'm sure there are oils to help break down the crystals, but a lasting change in diet is the only way to stop it from coming back.
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Young Living touts itself as therapeutic grade. There is no grading of essential oils, so this is a bit of a scam. That being said, YL does sell a high quality. However, there are other e.o. companies that sell just as good a product. YL and DT are higher priced and you can get the same quality for less, but not a lot less. You get what you pay for and can’t expect the quality of e.o. sold at Walmart to be as good as something costing twice as much.
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Try taking a Vitamin C supplement to reduce inflammation and help support bone and ligaments. You can get books on reflexology, or find web pages for same. Work on your whole foot with a little oil (olive oil works well) massaging lightly for twenty minutes. Every day spend 20 minutes on each foot, pressing a little harder each time. When your feet become more flexible you can work on the area in question by pressing harder in the area around the problem, then moving into it.
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Lilith, thanks for the URL. I'll check it out.
Maura, I take 3,000 of Vc daily (double that should I feel a cold coming on). I'm also familiar with reflexology and have the chart on my wall. I can no longer reach my right foot; however, I have a massage board I can place a cloth on with the oil on the cloth. Thanks for reminding me how important reflexology is.
Maura, I take 3,000 of Vc daily (double that should I feel a cold coming on). I'm also familiar with reflexology and have the chart on my wall. I can no longer reach my right foot; however, I have a massage board I can place a cloth on with the oil on the cloth. Thanks for reminding me how important reflexology is.
Lilith, thank you. That was very helpful. I am not comfortable with taking EOs internally so at this time, I would not go there.
This is the best statement in the whole discussion.
I like Young Living the best.
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I want to thank everyone in this conversation for behaving like mature adults! So often there is anamosity between competing companies that results in a bashing - i especially see this between people who like doterra and young living. I just wanted to take a minute to tell you all how much i appriciate the respect and collevtive effort that has been shown here to be polite and respectful.
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