If you’re into natural health and nutrition blogs, you’ve problem heard of a little something called ESSENTIAL OILS.
You may be thinking, “Why the heck is everyone suddenly pushing their essential oils businesses?”
I was hanging out with some mom friends of mine recently and an interesting conversation suddenly started about essential oils. Heather at Mommypotamus had recently posted an article about buying essential oils and why she switched from using a “big company’s” oils to buying and using oils from a smaller online store. My healthy-savvy, essential oils-using friends were super excited to find that Heather had done her homework, researched the quality of the little store’s oils and confirmed that the online shop offered excellent quality oils for a MUCH lower price than the popular “big” companies that most bloggers are promoting.
Apparently that Mommypotamus post bubbled the water a quite a bit.
(I tried to get as much pun in there as I could…get it? Hippo…water…they blow bubbles when they’re mad…I’m weird.)
Heather actually had to delete the post she wrote and let her readers know that “to protect her family” she could no longer discuss essential oils on her blog. Pretty dramatic, huh?
What the….?
I would speculate that the “big company” wasn’t too happy about her post, and somewhere in the contracts she signed to be a distributor for them she agreed not to promote other essential oil companies. The lucky readers that read the original post bookmarked the cheaper online store and are happily purchasing those oils now, while the rest of us are feeling cheated, right?
Well, maybe so, but I know what the online store was that she wrote about and while it’s a great resource, it didn’t make me jump ship from sticking with my oils company (which isn’t the company Mommypotamus was with, by the way).
This whole ordeal shed some light for me on how many people are feeling about all the essential oils hullabaloo:
- Are the big network marketing essential oils companies a big scheme and waste of money?
- Are essential oils just a big fad that bloggers are jumping into to make money?
- How do you actually find the best essential oils for the best price, without all the drama?
What’s Up With The Network Marketing Essential Oils Companies?
As I mentioned, most bloggers are distributing essential oils from the top essential oils companies int the world- which are both network marketing companies. I’m no stranger to network marketing companies, and while sometimes they get a bad reputation, I answer in the FAQS section on this page why I actually love working with the quality network marketing companies I work with…including my essential oils company.
Network marketing companies, also called multi-level marketing companies, can be a big turn-off for some people. These companies are often associated with over-priced products, pushy and annoying friends-turned-salesmen, and hyped up (even false) marketing schemes. I’ve been approached by many network marketing companies and sometimes these turn-offs exist, but not always.
I once heard Dave Ramsey discuss network marketing/multi-level marketing companies on the radio and he basically said that these companies usually have good quality products that are typically over-priced, but distributors can usually make a very good income if they work hard and create a strong business.
I really respect Dave Ramsey, so when I heard this I realized I needed to clearly assess my values when purchasing from or distributing for one of these companies.
- How unique is the product? Is it absolutely fantastic: useful, effective, etc.? Any studies or evidence to prove its promoted benefits?
- Are there comparable products available in stores for a lower price? (If so, then there better be significant reasons to promote the product, like discounts and free products, or it’s not fair to promote this to my clients and blog readers.)
- Is the price of the product(s) reasonable? (Finances are always tight for us, so I’m not going to waste my money on useless stuff, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to!)
- Do I truly LOVE and USE the product(s) and am I willing to whole-heartedly promote the product to others? (If I don’t believe in it, I can’t expect others to.)
- Do I believe in the business standards and ethics of the company? (Customer service, transparency, fairness, charity donations?)
- Am I in in just for the money? (If so, then this isn’t for me.)
With every company I work with- network marketing or not- I can answer each of these questions confidently. I believe that network marketing companies are awesome if they are good companies, offering a win-win situation for both the business owners and the distributors. They cut out the middle man (retail shops and big commercial marketing campaigns) so that the distributor can benefit from direct sales and also build relationships with customers. I simply believe it’s a better distribution of the money.
Of course the marketing campaigns are sometimes over the top, but they have to be to help distributors with their business. Typically stay at home moms aren’t master salesmen so they need the marketing materials to speak for themselves. The biggest element of the marketing is supposed to come from personal testimony, though, so I try to share my stories and offer classes more than just “marketing” products.
No Nonsense: Sometimes network marketing and multi-level marketing companies are extremely expensive and over-hyped, but they often offer quality products and help people earn incomes from home. The two main network marketing essential oils companies offer very high quality oils for reasonable prices. Read why I believe the the company I work with is an exceptional source of essential oils below.
Is the Essential Oils Thing Just A FAD?
Essential Oils have definitely gained a sudden popularity in the past year or two. Because of the whole network marketing thing, it’s easy for bloggers to see what other bloggers are doing and get connected and signed up so they can promote the same oils to their readers. This phenomenon has caused essential oils to become extremely popular. But the truth is, essential oils have been around for a very long time…mentioned frequently in ancient texts, including THE BIBLE! Essential oils from plants have been supporting health naturally for most of history!
No Nonsense: Essential oils have been used for most of history, documented in ancient texts and supported by modern scientific research. Essential oils are found in almost every “natural” self care product available, as well as candles and holistic remedies. Learning to keep and use essential oils can eliminate the need for all these products and the benefits of directly using the oils will be much more effective.
One more note on this…since my family has started using more essential oils, we are always impressed by how truly effective they are. I work with my mom, who is a medical doctor, and she is totally impressed with essential oils and integrates their use into her practice.
How do you find the best essential oils for the best price, without all the drama?
There’s obviously a bit of an “essential oils war” happening right now in the health-blog world. There are also many people advising to buy oils from smaller online stores that aren’t network marketing companies (that they are most likely affiliated with…which is totally fine). There are excellent sources of quality essential oils in either online stores or with the network marketing companies. You are the customer- you can decide what’s right for you.
No Nonsense: The truth is, you get what you pay for. Each company has special trademarked oil blends that may be more appealing- and even better- than what other companies offers. Less expensive options for essential oils are available all over the Internet, but you must do some research to compare products and be sure of the quality and grade for use (aromatic, topical or ingestible). For instance, Frankincense oil can be classified as B. carterii, B. frereana, Boswellia serrata, etc., all vastly different in value so the price will be very different.
Let me tell you why I love my essential oils companyand why I’ve chosen this company for my essential oils needs.
*To remain compliant with the FDA, I can’t tell you what essential oils company I use here on my website, but contact me and I’ll share everything I know with you!
- I love the quality of my essential oils brand. I have some less expensive oils at home that I’ve purchased from local stores and the oils I use now are very obviously more effective and potent. I can feel and smell the difference.
- I put my trust in my essential oils company because they LABEL their products as “safe for topical use” or “safe for internal use/safe to consume”. Many companies say “for aromatic use only” and tell customers to use on their skin or inside their bodies “at their own discretion”. This may sound silly, but since my oils company is taking the responsibility for the use of their products by labeling them that way, I’m going to trust their products and lean on their liability.
- I love my essential oil company’s blends like the protective blend, calming blend, grounding blend, digestive blend, soothing blend, and many more! I use these oil blends (and others) on a daily basis, and am totally obsessed with them all.
- I love that my essential oils company uses the Boswellia frereana species for their Frankincense oil and oil blends in addition to B. carterii or B. serrata, which is a most excellent quality of frankincense. Every other essential oils company that I’ve found sells the B. carterii or serrata, but do not include the frereana. Since Frankincense is an oil used in many different blends, that means that my company not only has the best Frankincense single oil, but has better options for all oil blends containing Frankincense.
- I love how easy it is to shop with my essential oils company. I even get free products every month (love that!!!).
- I think my essential oils are available at a very reasonable price for the quality of their oils…especially the discounted prices for members.
- I love the opportunity to earn money from promoting a product that I use and love myself.
- I love the opportunity to help YOU earn money from promoting a product that you use and love yourself.
Click here to learn more about our family’s use of essential oils, and how to purchase top quality essential oils at a discounted price.