When I first discovered essential oils, I thought that the only difference from one brand to another was the label on the outside of the bottle. I had worked in communications and marketing throughout my career, and I literally thought that the only difference was the design of the label and marketing placement.
I had switched my household to completely unscented products for several years, and I really, really missed my perfumes and scents -- although I knew how bad they were for my family. I wanted something to make my home smell nice, and thought that maybe essential oils could work without triggering allergies. (I had no idea of all the properties and health benefits of essential oils!)
The day I discovered dōTERRA, I was cooking for a family event on a very hot and humid August afternoon. Sweat was dripping down my back, and my sister put a drop of Peppermint on the back of my neck. "Maybe this will help," she said.
It was like an Arctic breeze had blown in. A beautifully cooling sensation enveloped my neck, and spread all over my body. In less than a minute, I was as cool as a cucumber. "Wow!" I said, "What is THAT?!" The sensation was amazing, and lasted an hour.
To my everlasting regret, I did not purchase dōTERRA peppermint from my sister that day. Budget-conscious, I went instead to the health food store and bought a bottle of peppermint oil there. I put a drop on my neck expecting the same small miracle, but nothing happened. Disappointed, I added drop after drop until I finally felt a tingle. Those six drops offered a slight cooling sensation for about 10 minutes.
And that, my friend, is when it dawned on me that there was something more than the label behind essential oils, and I started my journey of discovery.
This is where math comes in.
Price
dōTERRA = $35
Other brand = $17
1 hour cooling
dōTERRA: 1 drop
Other brand: 24 drops
Applications per bottle
doTERRA 300 drops/ bottle = 300 applications
Other brand 300 drops/bottle = 12.5 applications
Price per application
dōTERRA: $0.116 (11.6 cents)
Other brand: $1.36
That's the difference, my friend, between the true value of a pure essential oil and the apparent "deal" of a cheaper brand.