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Here’s Why I Broke Up With DōTERRA | Mother Rising

Almost two years ago I signed up with dōTERRA, a multi-level marketing company, to begin learning about and selling their essential oils.

I was so excited! I had used essential oils for years, but I was excited to dig deeper, learn more about the oils and how to use them – but I was also really excited to start selling them.

I was elated when my starter kit arrived! It had essential oils in it, like Frankincense and Oregano Oil, which seemed exotic to me. This was definitely moving beyond the safe lavender and citrus essential oils that I knew and loved.

My dōTERRA starter kit smelled amazing, which made my house smell amazing. I was so ready to become “that lady with the essential oils”. You know the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Yeah, that was me, but with essential oils instead of windex.

AROMATHERAPY, WOMAN

Soon after I received my starter kit I went online to begin dōTERRA’s training on how to use essential oils. I was ready to hit the ground running.

But I was so shocked at what I discovered…

The “training” was actually videos of a higher up sales-y guy that recommended rubbing essential oils on the soles of the feet at bedtime, among other things. He never mentioned how much oil, or to use a carrier oil, but even worse, recommended doing this with children. WHAT?!

I was always taught to be super conservative when it came to topical application, especially with children. But here he was telling me to rub xyz, undiluted on my children’s feet?

And don’t get me started on how they recommend drinking oils in water, or creating “flu bombs” to ingest as well

Almost two years ago I signed up with dōTERRA, a multi-level marketing company, to begin learning about and selling their essential oils. I was so excited! I had used essential oils for years, but I was excited to dig deeper, learn more about the oils and how to use them - but I was also really excited to start selling them.I won’t go into further detail, but the training was full of anecdotal information. dōTERRA did not help me to feel confident about using essential oils in my home and with my family. I felt that dōTERRA was being reckless.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the actual dōTERRA oils. They were expensive, but very high in quality. However, I felt like I couldn’t trust dōTERRA to create quality essential oils AND teach people how to use them safely. In my opinion dōTERRA’s main goal was to sell oils, not necessarily teach people how to use them safely.

I soon realized that I would have to do my own research and learn this whole essential oil thing on my own.

Thankfully, I found an eCourse created by the amazing Jesse Hawkins of Vintage Remedies. I had previously taken one of her herbal remedy eCourses so I was grateful to learn from her again.

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Jesse Hawkins

Jesse’s eCourse walked me through the basics of essential oils quickly and efficiently. Just like that, I was able to create remedies for my family’s health and wellness! I was so happy for the confidence that I felt!

The reason why I tell you this story is because I want you to have the same success I have had.

I don’t want you to get duped by these big essential oil companies! I want you to create a healthier home for you and your family WITH CONFIDENCE!

If you are looking to get started here are a few things you’ll need to buy that will get you quickly started with good information.

First, you’ll need a good book.

I recommend The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness.

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Second, you’ll need a diffuser.

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Third, you’ll need some essential oils.

Here’s where it can get a bit tricky.

To play it safe, I think Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils are a safe bet. They are high in quality and inexpensive compared to other brands. Of course, do your own research but I have had good success with MRH.

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Have fun!

Most of all, have fun. The world of essential oils is a fun and exciting place to be. Enjoy!

Wendy

Thursday 19th of December 2019

The safety of dōTerra oils has been established by other Wellness Advocates. I'm still pretty new at this point, only a few months, but I test everything on myself according to my needs. As for the price; dōTerra's standards are the highest in the industry, plus they pay the farmers a fair price for the plants and extractions. This is important. Many of these plants and trees are in developing countries where most people are very poor. To get a fair price for your hard work should count for something, something that's part of dōTerra's fair business practices. Plus dōTerra gives back to these people in ways that you would be amazed to see. dōTerra has paid for wells and water filtration systems for villages that didn't have ready access to water, and no access to clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing. dōTerra has built schools for the children of farmers who didn't have a school nearby and to help succeeding generations get the education they need. dōTerra built and finances a domestic violence shelter near Salt Lake City. dōTerra is working with research scientists and doctors including a cancer research hospital and treatment center in Kentucky. And we are daily being encouraged to learn more about the oils and the plants they come from, about the company and about the people we're helping.

Maree

Thursday 14th of February 2019

I think it's important to understand that there is no regulation in the Essential Oil industry and doing your research on companies and how many of their farms they own and have control over the seed to seal process. I am a Young Living user and YL are the only company who have a Seed to Seal promise. I will never use another Essential Oil brand.

Debra Sweger

Thursday 13th of September 2018

I'm sad to see that you didn't have the support you needed to continue with doTERRA essential oils. In my area there are many free classes and usage books. The Modern Essentials Book(usage book) was the first one I purchased. The books are based on medical research and historical uses of the oils. doTERRA also has doTERRA University(FREE online), free E BOOKS, and Oil Camp for those who want to learn more. It is evident that you were not told about the resources the company had for you.. I thought you should know about the MANY helps that are listed on the doTERRA web site and hopefully your upline are aware of these helps by now.

El

Tuesday 28th of May 2019

I would be very wary of reading a book by an MLM company given that their end game is to sell products. I also have this book. Upon reading this and speaking to my Wellness Advocate, (whom I love as a person) I began to question certain things, such as dilution rates and internal usage of essential oils. One thing that made me come to my senses is when I accidentally put the cap of the oil face down on a finished piece of slate. It ate right through the finish.

Since I do believe in the power of healing and wellness through essential oils and other holistic modules, I began my studies to become a Certified Aromatherapist. My school is accredited through Level 3 Aromatherapy from NAHA and AIA. The school is in no way associated with a particular oil company. This is important because they are not there to promote a product, but rather educate. We really must question how much formal education wellness advocates really have in the science of essential oils as well as in Anatomy and Physiology. These are two important aspects that one must master in becoming certified in the field of aromatherapy.

There are other considerations as well. When was the last time an advocate took an accurate list of the medications you are taking? Do they understand which oils will interact with your medication? Did they recommend using an oil at a certain dilution only to find out later that it can be hepatotoxic at certain levels? Did you know that certain oils can badly interfere with anticoagulants and antidepressants? Has the advocate advised you of the generally industry wide (based on research by highly respected leaders in the field) accepted dilution rates for children, pregnant women, and the elderly and why these dilution rates are considered safe?

While I believe that the majority of the advocates of these companies genuinely care about what they are doing, I really do think they are being misled by the MLM.

Think about this: If you get a scary diagnosis, do you take the word as one particular doctor as gospel or do you get a second opinion of someone else who is truly an expert in the field?

These are all very important questions that you should be able to ask.

Please just think about this before you respond.

Regards, El

Mum-one

Thursday 16th of August 2018

I'm sorry you haven't had the best experience with doTERRA. I personally ingest everyday lemon and grapefruit oil in my water which has significantly reduced bloating after my pregnancy and allowing regular bowel movements as apposed to taking something from the chemist to get things moving. These are the oil extracts DIRECTLY from the plant so yes they are safe for ingestion. And certainly a lot safer than what's in a lot of processed foods on your supermarket shelf (just sayin') I also do use on my child - BUT PLEASE NOTE DILUTION IS KEY! I prefer this method than again artificial products on the shelf.

It sounds like you had a serious lack of support from your unlines and wellness advocates, for which I am so sorry to read. Using doTERRA oils safely and effectively is never learnt overnight, but rather a gradual personal learning process.

There are many useful tools including apps, books, personal support with FB groups.

I wish you all the luck with your oil journey

Corrie

Friday 27th of July 2018

I too am wary of ingesting oils, and would like to see more safety information about ingesting them from doterra, as you have to go looking for the information and advocates don't always focus on this very important aspect when talking to new users. However, that aside, the products are second to none, and there is no disputing the fact that doterra are doing a LOT of scientific research (not all in-house, some of it is independently carried out and therefore objective) to back up their claims. I would second the advice of several aromatherapists I've spoken to about this - only ingest under the advice of someone who knows the oils well and can help you take them sensibly and safely. They are potent and deserve respect, like all nature's powerful elements - weather, the sea etc., which can all cause harm if not experienced with the right safety protocols in mind. Not everything 'natural' is good for you - some plants are highly toxic for instance, and some oils should be treated with more caution than others. Used correctly, essential oils are a powerhouse in terms of supporting wellbeing, but do read up on them and take care when using - I apply most of them topically, almost always with a carrier oil, and only ingest on the odd occasion when in need of a quick-fix for cold and flu symptoms or a stomach upset. Remember - one drop of peppermint oil is equivalent to 28 cups of peppermint tea - it gives some idea of the potency of the oils, hence the need for caution, but that shouldn't stop us enjoying their fantastic benefits. Doterra do some wonderful work on testing and sourcing high quality oils while helping the communities that produce them to improve the quality of their lives - they perhaps just need to be a bit better at educating on the safety side. Of course there are other suppliers, and you should go with the one you feel is right for you - I use Neals Yard Remedies products as well as doterra and would happily vouch for both.