I had been using essential oils on an off for most of my adult life and I used only essential oils in my soaps. One day I realized that besides the types of oils I mainly used I really didn't know that much about essential oils and what the benefits of other oils really were so I started to research.
Essentials oils are the oils that are pressed or steamed from different parts of plants that are extremely beneficial to natural health. (More on that here). These oils possess the best of the plant, the protective properties that the plant uses against attack and illness. Although people think of essential oil use as "hippy" or "new age" actually essential oils have been used for centuries for medicinal health & beauty purposes. Knowing which plants possess which qualities and therefore what their oils can achieve is the key. Most important of all is finding the best quality essential oil.
I started buying doTERRA oils after years and years of buying cheaper ones. I never reaped the benefits that seemed to be promised and it wasn't until I did some digging that I realized it was the quality of the oils I was buying. The ones I had been using had been obtained through chemical processes, contained lots of fillers and carrier oils (oils such as coconut used to dilute the essential oil) and were not being stored correctly (other brands are exposed to heat and light before they even get to the stores). Having the pure oils come straight to you from a quality & temperature controlled warehouse makes a big difference. As in life, you get what you pay for and I really was buying junk essential oils, it made the house smell nice but they weren't doing anything beyond that. If I wanted to be serious about having a natural approach to health, home and beauty I needed to buy the best.
Although only being around for a decade doTERRA has fast made a name for itself buy being the best essential oil company (See Why doTERRA?). By extracting oils using pressing or steam method only, using only the freshest picked plants and having the extraction done in the country of origin allowed the oils to remain pure and maintain their best medicinal qualities. There's a big difference between fresh orange juice and a diluted concentrate you buy in the supermarket. Fresh is always best.
I was on the fence for a while because doTERRA is more expensive than other brands, but due to the concentrated properties you use so much less than other brands. I can use 1-2 drops where I used to use 10-15 drops.
The power of nature is quite amazing, if you've ever seen plants regenerate after trauma or disease you can see that. And we as a part of nature we should be harnessing what the Earth has already given us instead of relying on synthetic chemicals that can cause more harm than good. Certainly modern medicine has it's place but the idea behind essential oils is help to prevent rather than need a cure, although there are plenty of essential oil cures too...naturally! Keeping the body, mind and spirit as healthy as possible really is the best way to live the best life you can, not just exist and survive.
You can use essential oils in three different ways when you buy pure; Aromatically, Topically & Internally. (More on that here). Being able to buy herbal essential oil such as basil and cilantro is a game changer in the kitchen! I no longer have to worry about not having fresh herbs for my recipes!
If you are interested in essential oil living and have any questions on where to start please feel free to contact me (contact at the bottom of the blog) or visit my essential oils page!
The best way to get started is to sign up for the wholesale prices! But of course you can always go in and pay retail if you're not sure you'll buy much.
You can sign up for wholesale prices in two ways;
1. Pay the annual membership fee of $35 and you get a free peppermint oil included so essentially you'r only paying $12 for the annual membership.
2. Choose an enrollment kit (like the Family Essentials one I got shown below) and it waves your membership fee. This is a great way to start you using the oils because it gives you many to work with plus a lovely 120 page book on all the doTERRA oils, blends and products and how to use them. My favorite part is the little stickers in the book to put on the top of your essential oils for easy locating!
Having said all that I have a lovely list of vegan doTERRA products. Obviously all the essential oils and blends are vegan but doTERRA offers a range of vitamin health, weight loss solutions, beauty products and healthy home living products that are not all vegan. Luckily the list of not vegan is quite small...
This list of non-vegan doTERRA products was put together by Ora Leaders.
The following products are NOT considered vegan:
- The GX Assist uses a bovine gelatin. We use capsules containing an animal-based ingredient because the current technology for vegetable capsules had not allowed for oil-based products (they dissolve the capsules). We have found a new technology that will allow us to move away from these animal-based capsules, but the transition will take some time.
- The Slim & Sassy Trim Shakes contain milk and egg proteins - however they do make vegan versions of these products
- The Hydrating Cream contains milk proteins
- The a2z chewable supplements contain honey
- Lip balm contains beeswax
- Microplex VMz Food Nutrient Complex now comes in a vegan version too. In fact the Lifelong Vitality Pack now comes in a vegan version!
doTERRA have some great blends that save you the trouble of researching all the oil properties. These blends have been found by doTERRA to offer the best combination to promote health in each area. I use a lot of the blends over single oils because I feel like I get more use out of them - they are an easy go to, especially the roll-on form that I can carry with me.
Here are some of my favourites...
Slim & Sassy - for weight management
Deep Blue - for sore, tire muscles and relaxation
Breathe - for nights when illness or allergies are preventing sleep
Clary Calm - to keep my female hormones in check during PMS and give me an all round sense of wellbeing
Past Tense - for tension & headaches is the ones doTERRA product I had already being using for years for my migraines
On Guard - for a boost to the immune system and helping keep the house free of illness this range is one of my most used in the house. I love having the beadlets in my purse all the time.
Citrus Bliss - I love to add to household cleaner and to refresh a room using a diffuser
Serenity - for calming and a relaxation. The Lavender & Vetiver ensure a great night's sleep
Purify - I use in my homemade deodorant
Immortelle - amazing for skin look & preservation, the immortelle or Helichrysum flower is known in France as "the flower that never dies"
In Tune - great for helping my daughter with ADHD to concentrate on the task at hand
TerraShield - is great for outdoor activities to keep the bugs at bay. I love that it now comes in a spray bottle too!
A list of products from doTerra that are NOT vegan;
a2z Chewables Anti-Aging Eye Cream Body Butter Natural Deodorant Diaper Rash Cream Essential Skin Care Tightening Serum GX Assist HD Clear Facial Lotion Hydrating Cream (Pre-convention 2017 formula) IQ Mega Lip Balms Peppermint Softgels Nutritionals Protein (chocolate and vanilla) xEO Mega Bone Nutrient Essential Complex
top essential oils - There are some oils that are extracted from plants and are known to have the "essense" of the plant in the form of the taste or odour of the plant which is the reason they are called as essential. Pure Essential oils are volatile in nature and in general have a certain scent present in them which is related to the plants from which they were created. Since the ancient, essential oils have been used for a number of therapeutic uses and thus have been a lot famous due to their scientific uses.
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