Essential Oil Safety: One Guideline Fits All

I stumbled across a well-written and inspiring testimony regarding a Young Living representative's discovery that the essential oils he has been selling to friends, family and recruits may have been adulterated. The tests and proof of communication make for a compelling piece. It's also a disheartening read. As an independent representative of Miessence, I would be heartbroken if I placed my family, friends and the public in jeopardy selling a product from a company that refuses to provide proof of its claims.

Miles' story inspired me to share with you. (At the end of the article) When choosing to purchase essential oils, safety is paramount. How does one choose the right product? This question is asked a lot. There is a terrible amount of confusion surrounding this.

I have one guideline for ALL essential oil purchases.

Buy CERTIFIED ORGANIC. Period. That's it. No long list of dos and don'ts, whatnots and so-forths.

Why??

It's proof.

Plants that are organic are grown in healthier soil without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Certification is provided by a third party accredited agency. The company's claim of pure oil is validated by this certification. The organic certification process does not allow inclusion of synthetic substances along with a long list of forbidden ingredients.

"In general, synthetic substances are prohibited for crop and livestock production unless specifically allowed and non-synthetic substances are allowed for crop and livestock production unless specifically prohibited."(1) -  USDA.gov, Organic Regulations

Since essential oils hail from crops of all sorts, an organic certification makes perfect sense as a guideline.

What about Therapeutic-Grade Oils???

How can I put this...."therapeutic-grade", plain and simple is a marketing term and carries no third-party weight. In short, it is NOT a certification. It is a first party claim, a glorified tag line. As a matter of fact, DoTerra registered CPTG (Certified pure Therapeutic Grade) as a word mark.(2) On their CPTG Testing Methods pdf upload they state this in very fine print at the bottom of the document...

"*CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade is a registered trademark of dōTERRA Holdings, LLC representing internal standards of quality assessment and material control. The CPTG testing protocols require the use of independent laboratories for CPTG standardization and quality testing. The CPTG protocol is not administered by government or industry regulatory agencies and does not imply regulatory approval of dōTERRA products."(3)

The bottom line is this...the organic certification does not allow for synthetic substances. Until some sort of government regulation happens, going certified organic when shopping for essential oils is a good idea.

Note: Miessence does not sell essential oils at this time, however, at one point in time they sold certified organic essential oils. I'm hoping they bring this line back to meet the needs of empowered customers who demand proof. Subscribe to stay in touch.

Recommended Reads:

Miles' Story: http://holisticessentials.ca/the-day-young-living-broke-my-heart/#comment-72

Is Cruelty-Free a Marketing Hype?
Label-Reading Tips For Product Safety
Standards vs. Testing: Does Non-GMO Project Make the Grade?

Sources:

1 - https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/national-list

2 - http://wingedseed.com/blog/2009/11/19/one-more-time-there-are-no-fda-certified-pure-therapeutic-grade-essential-oils-part-i/

3 - https://www.doterratools.com/documents/CPTG_Testing_Methods.pdf