What is an essential oil, anyway?
Plants and oils have been used for thousands of years– as medicine, cleaners, mood enhancers, beauty products, and so on. Essential oils are naturally occurring, found in the roots, stems, flowers, bark, and leaves of plants.
Because they are extremely potent, essential oils are both significantly more powerful than herbs, and very affordable when you consider how little you need at a time (usually just a drop or two at a time!)
Since beginning to use essential oils, we have been able to completely change our approach to wellness and how we first treat many common ailments. Oils are often what we reach for first, whether we need help sleeping, help soothing an upset stomach, help addressing emotional needs, easing sore muscles…you get the picture.
There truly is a myriad of uses for these oils!
Why all the hype?
Essential oils are everywhere now. Even at the grocery store. You hear about them all the time, but why?
People are eager and excited about essential oils because they work* and because it gives them more control over their families health and well-being. And that’s a great feeling.
We talk about what we are excited about, and we share the things we love. So if you keep hearing about essential oils, it’s likely because they are bringing positive results in someone’s life.
*Not all essential oils are created equally, not by a long shot! So if you’ve tried oils before but haven’t seen the results you had hoped for, it may be more of a reflection on the quality of the oils themselves, not on you.
Which leads me to…
What’s the difference?
If I can buy essential oils anywhere I shop, how do I decide what oils to buy??
Just yesterday, my husband pointed out that all of our storage containers for our snack foods had holes in the bottom. My response? Well, that’s what you get when you buy cheap containers from the dollar store.
Nothing against the dollar store, but we’ve all heard it before. You get what you pay for.
Honestly y’all, if you find oils that are priced too good to be true, they probably are. Because there is such a demand for essential oils in the market, there’s a big incentive for companies to try to get in on the profits.
But too often, the inexpensive oils cost less because they are diluted with fillers, rushed through production, or grown in a way that is neither good for you or for the environment.
Why doTERRA?
I researched and looked into which essential oils to invest in for a couple of years before deciding to enroll with DoTERRA.
Here’s a little about why I chose doTERRA and why I’ve been so happy with my decision:
- Primarily, doTERRA’s quality is top-notch. doTERRA’s oils are sourced from all over the world, according to the best places each plant is grown. doTERRA works with local farmers, relying on their knowledge and empowering their communities.
- More and more hospitals and medical professionals are using doTERRA’s oils in their practices (source, source, source). When we were in the pediatric ICU with our youngest for twelve days, we met with so many positive responses to using doTERRA essential oils aromatically and topically while we were there.
- The doTERRA community and company places a high value on educating people about how to use oils safely, providing opportunities to learn about the science behind essential oils (so interesting!), and creating support systems for members. (This community aspect was HUGE for me when I was just getting started because I had so many questions! I want to pay that forward now and help YOU too).
- doTERRA makes it EASY and CONVENIENT through the oils and products they offer. You can find prediluted oils in roller bottles which are ready to go as soon as they arrive in your mailbox, supplements and dietary aids, soaps and lotions and hand sanitizers and more. Each with the powerful benefits of doTERRA’s essential oils.
How to save money on essential oils…
Saving money is important to everyone, but one thing I’ve learned (and continue to learn) is that quality often matters just as much as price. What’s the point of spending less if I’m buying oils that are not going to be effective?
Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to save money on doTERRA oils!
- The first way to save money on essential oils is by investing in an enrollment kit. You will save lots of money on some of the most versatile and popular oils, as well as get extras like diffusers (with the home essentials kit), extra products (with the family essentials kit), or all that and more (with the natural solutions kit).
- The next way to save money is to become a wholesale member. Members save 25% on oils and products and get to take advantage of other ways of saving money too. Think of it like becoming a warehouse member at Costco– better prices and a small yearly membership fee.
- Members can also accrue points when they make monthly orders through the Loyalty Rewards Program– points that can be used on oils and various products. There is also a “free oil of the month” each month with qualifying purchases, as well as a sale on a particular oil or blend. (The picture below is of all the oil freebies from 2018). Taking advantage of these deals is a great way to build a collection of essential oils!
I want oils, now what?
There are two great ways to get you started with doTERRA essential oils.
Purchase an enrollment kit.
This is the best way to get started, budget permitting, because the membership cost is waived and the cost of the oils themselves are even more reduced.
Start with specific products and not a kit.
If you prefer to select your own specific products rather than starting with a kit, that is totally fine too! Membership is just $35 for a year and then you can select whichever oils you want.
Purchase a reference book.
Consider purchasing a reference book as soon as you can. You will feel even more empowered and can quickly learn just how many ways you can use your new oils.
This is the book I recommend. Sign up for a Home Essentials Kit (or other kit of equal or greater value) and I will personally send you this 464 page reference book!
Have any other questions? Feel free to email me (thispilgrimlife@gmail.com), or message me on Facebook or Instagram!