Essential Oils, Why?

First off, I will say that I am an Independent Product Consultant with Doterra essential oils.  I have to say that right off because of legal issues with the doterra name, so anytime I mention the oils I need to mention that I am an ICP with Doterra and link to my store.  That is not to say I am trying to push anyone to use the productions.  I will explain why I started with them, and what I think so far.

Noelie and I both can get pretty sick when we come down with even a cold.  We both can get bronchitis and it can slow us down so much it is sad.  In September of 2012, I came down with a mild cold and a mild case of Bronchitis that was still hanging on in the middle of October.  I was trying to do my walks but I could barely manage a bit and my pace was very slow.  In one of my moanings and groanings about this on facebook and friend messaged me to tell me about Doterra essential oils.  Although I knew of these oils I had never looked into them for medical purposes.  For me it seemed a bit too good to be true.  Then when I understood that essential oils come from different parts of plants, and these oils are protective to the plants was when I really started to get interested.  I know most pharmaceuticals come from the study of plants and the healing benefits seen by tradition medicine workers in many cultures.  I was intrigued.

I signed up with company because it made sense at the time for me financially.  I can get my product at a great discount to fill my home with these oils.  If you ever decide you want to do these there are a couple of ways to get them, either as and IPC (25% discount) or a preferred customer (lower sign up fee, and a 20% discount).  They also have a great program that you can earn free product based on points, but that is for a discussion with someone really interested.

I have to be honest here, I signed up with Doterra because of my friend, I believe in helping those I know to make my dollars spread around better.  I know there are other companies out there so do your research and ask questions.  I don't know enough at this point, but I can research and look things up.

One thing I have learned is that there are different grades of oils, and this is what you need to research to understand.  Essential Oils are not graded by the FDA so you have to understand what the industry standards are, and what they mean.  You want to be sure your oils are pure, and natural and not contaminated.  Know your company.  The lowest grade I would be comfortable with is Theraputic Grade.  In the best sense this grade has been tested to be sure the oils contain the structure you expect from an essential oil.  This is where knowing your company is important.  Theraputic Grade does not specify whether an oil is pure or synthetic.  It does have the chemical structure but how was it manufactured or processed.  There are some companies I would be comfortable with using, their products will be pure and natural.  Research is in order.

Doterra came up with their own designation that is above Theraputic Grade, it is Certified Pure Theraputic Grade.  They have different companies test their oils to be sure they are free from contaminates, and also pure and natural, not synthetic.  I have seen lots of arguing between Doterra users and other companies loyal customers.  CPTG is a great way to know what you are using, but only Doterra uses it, it isn't a government process for testing.  Once I understood what it really meant I have no problem with it, it is just a designation to help the consumer know what they are getting and how to look at the purity of essential oils.  As I said research so you know the quality of oils you are using.  Compare if you can.  I understand budget concerns, do the best you can and go from there.

 I'm slowly building up my own stock of oils to supplement my medicine cabinet.  I'm not foolish enough to think that I only need oils, but I do believe they can make a difference in my health and the health of my family.  I will eventual post some of the benefits I have seen.

One more thing really pay attention to the labels on the bottles.  Some oils can only be used aromatically or topically and can't be taken internally.  A little bit can go a long way.  Also remember oils are not designed to treat, cure, or diagnose disease.  Although we may take them to cure, oils and blends may or may not work, or will work differently for different people.  It can take some trial and error.  My next few posts I will focus on the oils in The Family Physicians kit and how I used them in the first month of using the oils.  Have fun, and the possibilities are endless with natures medicines.