If you want to save time, I’ve put simple how-to-buy instructions here. Otherwise, read on!

Have you heard all the buzz around essential oils lately? Are you wanting to try some? Or maybe you’re just wondering why the heck everyone is talking about them?

To start with, you’re probably here because you want to take the best possible care of yourself and your loved ones.

You want to stop spending piles of money on junk from the drug store whenever someone’s feeling ill, and you’re seeking an alternative to all those off-the-shelf, over-the-counter and prescription meds everyone keeps popping.

But you might be thinking, how would essential oils possibly help with our health concerns. Aren’t they just for nice smell, like natural perfume or something? Kind of like a scented candle?

Well, they definitely do smell nice, but there is a whole lot more to it than that.

Essential oils are not just a pretty scent…

Without going too deep into the sciencey part, when your nose detects a scent, it means that tiny molecules have evaporated from an object, and entered your nose. The molecules interlock with specialized receptors and communicate with the brain through the olfactory bulb. This captures information from the scent molecules, and actually helps to form and record memories.

Ever had a sudden flashback from smelling an aroma wafting from a restaurant, or the perfume of someone walking by? I can totally recall the moldy, nasty but comfort-inducing scent of my parents’ old minivan, for example (lol). When you think about it, scent has a profound effect on our memories, feelings and emotions.

What you inhale affects your health

We all understand that inhaling bad molecules from the air can negatively affect our health. Car exhaust, glue fumes, poison gases, cigarette smoke, mold spores and airborne viruses for example. We easily acknowledge that these things, which we can’t see with our naked eye, wreak havoc on our health when we smell and inhale them into the body.

So what if good, happy, healthy airborne molecules could do the opposite? We know that inhaling things like nasal sprays and asthma puffers can help with symptoms of illness (but I wouldn’t exactly call those things happy or healthy..).

But what if we could actually RE-PROGRAM and support our system for better balance and energy, and help prevent and reverse illness? Well surprise, we can!

Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants; they are the substances that help support the successful growth of the plant, and protect it from predators, pests, diseases and the elements.

When they are harvested through gentle methods from excellent quality plants, they form wonderfully rich natural medicines for the human body. The molecular constituents are chemically compatible with the human body, in that they can physically enter our cells and communicate with our DNA. They program our cells and systems to get balanced, function as they should, and repair themselves when they’re out of whack.

The brain on essential oils

And it doesn’t stop there. Out of all five senses, smell is the only one directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, which is our emotional control center. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, arousal, and hormone balance. What this means is that essential oil molecules can impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical function.

All of these physical functions compile to form the body’s sympathetic and asympathetic nervous systems. The asympathetic system is the one you want to activate to calm down and turn off the stress response, and allow your body to rest, digest and repair. Influencing the limbic system with essential oils is one way you can directly activate the asympathetic nervous system, like pressing a “chill out” button and telling your body to heal itself.

In summary, the use of therapeutic grade essential oils can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being. Recent research (and ancient practise**!) is showing that essential oils may help relieve symptoms just as effectively as medication, but without the side effects or resistance-building of mainstream drugs.

** I say this because, sort of like Chinese medicine or acupuncture or yoga, I figure, if it doesn’t work, why would people still be doing it after several millennia? Surely we would have given up on it by now. I think it’s nice that modern studies are now demonstrating the particular scientific reasons that essential oils work on the human body, but to me, the historic resilience stands as enough of a major testament to the effectiveness of essential oils and other types of natural medicine. It’s kind of like when a “new study” comes out which suddenly PROVES that “exercise is good for your health!” or something like that. uh, DUHHH. That’s nice, but I wasn’t sitting around waiting for a study to prove that I should move my body daily!

Examples of how to use common essential oils

Frankincense

Frankincense is a beautiful, warm woody oil distilled from the sap of the boswellia tree. The sap is sustainably harvested in crystal form, as shown here. Then it’s steamed and the distilled oil is collected.

The sesquiterpene molecules in frankincense help calm anxiety and create feelings of joy and happiness, by stimulating healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production from the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands.

I like to rub frankincense on my face as it helps smooth and heal the skin, and that way I can inhale its calming scent and get a prettier complexion while I’m at it.

Lavender

Lavender oil is distilled from the flowering tips of the lavender plant. Hundreds of pounds are collected and steamed to make the precious essential oil.

Lavender oil has been commonly used for centuries as an antiseptic, a natural antibiotic, an insect repellent and a calming sedative.

Lavender is well-known as a natural sleep aid to bring relief from insomnia. I like to put a few drops on my pillow before I go to bed, or add some to my epsom salt bath water, or to the soles of my feet at bedtime (the soles have the biggest pores and are the best way to apply oils so they get in to the bloodstream quickly, like we’re talking in less than 30 seconds!).

During the day I also mix a few drops with a little bit of frankincense and rub on the back of my neck. This is a nice stress-relieving ritual; take a few deep breaths as you massage your neck and clear your mind a bit. The warmth of the skin helps waft the calming aroma molecules into the air.

Citrus Oils

Citrus oils are made by distilling the oil-rich peels of fruits such as Sweet Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon.

They are excellent for the purpose of uplifting the mood, creating a sense of well-being and chasing away those dark shadows in the corners of an anxious mind. They are said to aid in the body’s ability to respond to stress and also help with circulation and detox.

I like to diffuse these oils at home for a freshening and uplifting vibe. You can also add a drop of therapeutic-grade citrus essential oils to your drinking water or to recipes.

Peppermint

Peppermint oil is gently distilled from the leaves of Mentha piperita at a low pressure and low temperature to retain the therapeutic properties. One drop of oil is equivalent to as many as 28 cups of peppermint tea, so it’s super potent!

Peppermint has always been known as a natural digestive cure. Peppermint supports the body to block the transmission of pain signals, while also reducing inflammation, which is often the cause of the pain in the first place. (a heck of a lot better approach than just plugging a pain receptor with a chemical like medication does, if you ask me.) When used in combo with other oils, it can help our bodies absorb the other oils’ chemical constituents more quickly, meaning it enhances the overall effect of other oils.

I mostly use peppermint for headaches (ie a hangover, I don’t get headaches much otherwise), and to improve alertness and focus if I’m feeling sleepy or distracted during the day. It really helps wake up and freshen a tired mind.

Why natural remedies are so important to me

When I was younger, I was on antibiotics many, many times. Up until I was about 20 I would get strep throat or tonsilitis at least once a year, along with a number of other times I was sick and was prescribed meds. I had a lot of digestive distress and constant yeast infections. And there I was eating frozen pizzas and fruit loops and popsicles and gingerale, not knowing that I was only feeding the invaders, and inflaming my body preventing it from healing.

You may have heard that there is now major concern about the over-prescription of antibiotics. It causes antibiotic resistance both in the infection and in the person, and wipes out our delicate inner biome of friendly bacteria. It turns out that 70-80% of our immune system resides in the gut, which makes sense because everything we consume gets processed through our digestive system, and we need protection from anything unwanted that might get in.

If I and my family would have only known about the bacteria- and virus-fighting abilities, as well as the immune-supporting and anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils, I would probably be a whole lot better off now.

As it turns out, due to chronic over-medication while I was growing up, I now struggle with digestive issues and anxiety (amongst other symptoms) due to leaky gut syndrome and Candida overgrowth. It’s a long process back to ideal health, and I’m using essential oils along with great food and solid lifestyle practices to heal myself.

Recently studies suggest that up to 95% of chronic illness can be managed by reducing inflammation in the body using holistic and natural habits. Because the chemical constituents of essential oils serve so many helpful functions in the body, here are countless other conditions that can be prevented, managed or healed with essential oils, including but definitely not limited to:

Abdominal pain, Abscess, Acne, ADHD, Addictions, Allergies, Amenorrhea, Anxiety, Athlete’s foot, Arthritis, Asthma, Bedsores, Blisters, Boils, Bronchitis, Bruises, Burns, Candida, Chronic fatigue, Circulation problems, Cold sores, Colds, Colic, Croup, Conjunctivitis, Constipation, Coughs, Crohns & Colitis, Depression, Diarrhea, Diverticulosis, Dysmenorrhoea, Ear infections, Eczema, Endometriosis, Fever, Flu, Gingivitis, Halitosis, Hangovers, Hay fever, Headaches, Heartburn, High blood pressure, Hormone imbalance, Infection, Insect bites, Insomnia, Irritable bowel, Jetlag, Laryngitis, Lumbago, Low Libido, Menopausal symptoms, Migraine, Mouth ulcers, Morning sickness, Motion sickness, MRSA, Muscle pain/cramps, Nausea, Neuralgia, Nosebleeds, Osteoarthritis, Panic attacks, Pneumonia, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Psoriasis, Scars, Seizures, Sinusitis, Sore throat, Sty, Tension, TMJ, Toothache, Varicose veins

Quality of essential oils is…essential!

Please take into account the quality of the essential oils you purchase. Drug-store or health food store-grade oils are often laced with synthetics and have very few (if any) quality standards applied, since they are not consumption-grade. In fact, legally only 52% of what’s in the bottle must be actual real essential oil, even if it says “pure” on the label (I know, it makes me so mad!!!). For example, peppermint oil can have vanillin added, which gives a sweet top note, or lavender can be almost half synthetic lavandin, which smells the same but doesn’t have the molecular medicinal effect that real lavender has.

Once I found that out I was like, OHHHH no girlfriend. I don’t use SYNTHETICS. On anything, in anything, that I buy, eat, wear or use. That’s exactly what I’m spending all this time and effort getting away from!

Unfortunately you just won’t get the results you want by buying the cheap, common stuff.

By making natural medicine a priority, you are already saving a huge amount of expense on conventional medical care, plus the time you would have lost with being sick, plus the side effects and toxicity that medications place on the body.

So it’s worth investing in the best quality essential oils to apply and inhale into your ONE PRECIOUS BODY!

I choose to respect my body and my health, and in turn get the best results (!) by only using the best essential oils. Here is where I buy mine.

I take pride in not being an oil evangelist

While I’m currently building a business with doTerra essential oils, I’m not going to tell you that it’s the only brand in the world that will get you good results. I know there are lots of other places you can buy essential oils, and if they are top-quality, you will likely get a great outcome.

I’m sharing this with you in the hopes that you will find me and my partner Will a trustworthy source of straight-up information, and that you’ll feel a personal bond with us and want to get your oils with us through doTerra anyway ;)

Will and I have a lot of knowledge in natural family wellness (as a trained nutrition counselor), blogging, and online marketing, all of which is happily at your disposal, should you choose it to be. I can help, teach and support you whether you want to use essential oils for the health of yourself and your family, or whether you might want to integrate them into your business.

I also buy and use Young Living oils, and have heard that Mountain Rose Herbs, Living Libations, and Native American Nutritionals are excellent brands.

But I chose to spend my money and time with doTerra because of a few excellent reasons:

the plants used to make doTerra essential oils are sourced from all over the world, specifically the areas where each plant grows indigenously. This means the plant is more adapted to its environment and grows in its most potent form. For example, the Lavender is grown in the high altitudes of France, the Lemon comes from Italy, and the Frankincense is sourced from Oman. It’s kind of like knowing the best merino wool is grown in the mountains of New Zealand, or the tastiest vanilla comes from Madagascar, so those are the places you’d want to buy those things from.
the plants are sustainably grown and artisanally wild-crafted by small-scale local producers. These sorts of standards are very important to me with other products I buy, and I’m happy to be able to have similarly high standards with my essential oils.
The products are extensively tested, batch by batch: “In order to assure the purity of our oils and the presence of their active compounds, we subject our oils to rigorous testing standards for chemical composition. dōTERRA’s CPTG essential oils are cross tested using mass spectrometry and gas chromatography to ensure both extract purity and composition potency of each batch.” (source) If there are every any trace foreign substances found in the oils, that batch is simply rejected. There is no secondary process to remove those substances, and the oil is not sold.
I have an awesome mentor through DoTerra who has become successful because she is totally down-to-earth and super-legit in her business. She is the sort of person I want to align myself with in growing a thriving natural wellness practice that is solidly rooted in science, but also common-sense, love and soulfulness.
Giving back: doTERRA uses “co-impact sourcing” which means they source their plants from sustainable small-scale local farms to help stable economic growth in vulnerable communities

Are you overwhelmed? Don’t be. You can become an essential oils expert in a very short time. I did. And I can help you.

Ready to try out some doTerra essential oils?

Buying from DoTerra is kind of fun in that you get to pick whether you want to just buy retail (regular price), or become a member of the club. It’s like a membership to Costco or Sam’s Club, except instead of just paying the fee before you even get in the door, it’s waived (free) when you make your purchase!

The only reason I can think of to buy at a retail price is if you’re really only buying one item, one time. Then the discount probably won’t be worth it. You can buy retail by visiting my partner Will and I’s personal essential oils store here.

However, if you’re looking to clean up your lifestyle and help your family get shiny happy thriving in the long term, you should definitely get a wholesale account. Joining as a Wellness Advocate gets you 25% off all products (there are more than just essential oils too!). And if you want, you can even make your own money and potentially replace your income by joining my team.

It’s important to note that if you get a wholesale membership, there is never ANY requirement or pressure to sell. Ever! That’s why I got into this and why I like it so much, because it’s a genuine process of sharing a holistic lifestyle based on legit natural products. End of story!

If any of this seems overwhelming, and you’re going OMG just show me how to do it, email me at hello (at) thriveprimal.com so we can set up a time to talk and I can answer any of your questions.

How To Sign Up and get doTerra essential oils in 5 Quick Steps:

1. To sign up, click HERE and select the option for “Wholesale Prices.”

2. Fill out your information (you are asked for a social in case you make over $600 with DoTerra, they will send you a 1099 tax form, this is required by law and this information will never be shared with anyone – including me. You should note that simply HAVING the DoTerra business means you get enough tax write-offs to pay for your oils!)

3. Our sponsor ID is 3182115.

4. Accept the terms and conditions.

5. Choose your enrollment order, the kits are the best option to get started and save the most money. If you need more detail you can check out all of the kits HERE.

You can also participate in the Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP). This is by no means required, but is a really awesome option that helps you earn money back on every item you purchase. If you’re looking to build an oil collection or order items like non-toxic self care products, cleaning products and high-quality supplements every month, this will save you money and get you free items. You can read more about the Loyalty Rewards Program HERE.

Buying more than 100 PV of oils per month qualifies you for earning commissions (and you can make a LOT through this – I made over $8000 in one month!), while spending more than 125 PV per month means you get a free oil (usually valued between $10 and $30) every month.

By no means do you have to build your own business by signing up as a Wellness Advocate, but it is a really great option if you’d like to make money. Feel free to email me at hello (at) thriveprimal.com so we can set up a time to talk and I can answer any of your questions.

After you enroll, shoot me an email and let me know! I can help you get started and enjoy the benefits of your essential oils sooner, with the quickest learning curve and least overwhelm!

Got Questions?

If I enroll to purchase products at wholesale prices, does that mean I have to sell dōTERRA?

No! You always have the option to make a commission and residual income by enrolling others, but you absolutely do not have to. You can personally enroll simply for the benefit of the 25% discount.

How much does it cost to enroll?

The cost is $35 the first year. If you purchase one of dōTERRA’s enrollment kits when you sign up, the $35 fee is included in the price of your kit.

How much does the membership cost each year after the first year?

The cost after the first year is $25 to renew your membership each year, plus they send you a bottle of Peppermint essential oil when you renew ($27.33, retail value).

Why is there a fee to sign up?

Think of it as similar to a Costco or Sam’s Club membership. You pay a membership fee to be able to shop at their stores and purchase items that you can’t purchase other places. dōTERRA is the same, except that the products are shipped right to your door.

What is an enrollment kit?

An enrollment kit is a collection of products that dōTERRA has put together, so that you can try some of their best-selling oils without having to guess at which ones you need. Purchasing one of these kits when you enroll, already includes the $35 enrollment fee.

Do I have to purchase an enrollment kit when enrolling?

Nope. You can pick and choose what you want, “a la carte” style, instead of a kit, if you choose. By doing it this way, you are charged the $35 enrollment fee in addition to the products that you’ve added to your cart.

Do I have to place an order every month?

No! You can place one order the month you enroll and never order again, if you don’t want to. There are definitely benefits to placing an order each month, but you are not required to do that.

Side note: I enrolled with a kit and loved the oils so much that I placed another order the same month so I could get some free products and have placed an order every month since! The products work that well!

Is this MLM/Network Marketing?

Yes, this is a network marketing company. And I like that.

Some product brands choose to use their marketing budgets conventionally, paying for advertising and trying to get their products in big stores. Others pay individuals to spread the word about the product, giving them a commission of sales. That’s a really simplified explanation, by the way.

I’m not a pushy network marketer and I ask my team members not to be, either. My motto is: Use the product. Learn more about it. Share when it’s appropriate.

I like network marketing because:

Earning ability. I get to choose how well I do. If I don’t make a lot of money, it’s all me. If I do, well, that’s me, too.
Quality. We receive our doTerra oils shipped directly to our door. They don’t sit around in a warehouse, in a truck, on a shelf for months and months. This is very important since oils need to be handled carefully, sealed properly and protected from exposure so they remain potent. Sitting in a retail store does not allow that.
Product Support. When you buy something from a store, you end up going home and doing lots of research and experimentation to figure out how to fit the product into your lifestyle and get good results. When you buy from a doTerra Wellness Advocate (me!) you get an awesome, knowledgeable helpful friend who helps you shop for things that will suit you best, and then shows you how to get them working for you quickly. You get to join a group that has lots of experience and wants to help you improve the health of you and your family, and has lots of tips and trouble-shooting to offer you. It’s an amazing experience way beyond shopping, buying and using products in isolation. I can go on our FB group and say “have any of you tried X oil for Y problem?” and i’ll get a pile of responses from helpful people saying “yes it was amazing!” or “no but try this one i love it” or “make sure you do it this way”, etc..
Discounts. I’ve joined a couple of network marketing companies in my day, mainly because it means I get a product I really like at wholesale prices. Oh, and I get paid when I share it with others. I wish that was the case with other products I use on a regular basis.
Network. I like the network aspect because I like people. I like teaching and helping other people be successful. Really, this is just a ploy for me to surround myself with awesome people. :)
Business Coaching. I think that this is the best way to get support with building a business, without paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for help from a business coach. Even if you paid someone, they would never be as vested in your success as a DoTerra Sponsor. Eventually the course or sessions you paid them for would end, and that would be it. But your Sponsor is in the grind with you, because if you don’t win, they don’t win. For better or for worse we are selfish creatures, and if we have some skin in the game, we will put in that extra effort and determination to succeed. I don’t feel bad asking my Sponsor for help, even several times a day, because I know she is vested in my success. And I know she will motivate me and push me even if I’m having an off day, because she wants all of us on our team to succeed.
The future of business. Network marketing is growing at a rapid pace because people like the personal experience and sharing aspect. It’s a lot more about the “helping hand” feel and not so cold and consumery, like the big box stores we all shop at (they suck!). It’s a cool sustainable model of sharing awesome products all over the world and connecting with like-minded people. It’s also a lucrative business model that is very genuine (as natural as recommending awesome stuff to friends!) if you choose to work with a company that is aligned with your values.

Can’t you buy doTerra oils from Amazon?

You can, but they are at full retail price. There are also a few other reasons why I didn’t do this:

You don’t get the “quality” aspect from the paragraph above. When you buy off Amazon we don’t know exactly who has been handling the products and for how long, if they’ve been sitting in a warehouse at the wrong temperature, etc etc.
There are often issues with unsealed bottles or even non-authentic products sold on Amazon. Once they are out of doTerra’s hands they are no longer controlled so there is no guarantee you are buying a genuine high-quality oil. If you’re going to invest in oils I think it’s best to buy direct from doTerra rather than a dealer through Amazon.
You don’t get help from a friendly group of people experienced with oils (as mentioned above)