Where NOT to Buy Essential Oils: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

I get a lot of questions about where to buy essential oils, but just as important is knowing where NOT to buy them. 
There are some places to avoid when buying essential oils online. As a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist with over 20 years of experience working with essential oils, here are the places that I never purchase essential oils and why. This blog post is going to teach you how to spot low-quality essential oil sellers. And if you are interested in common mistakes when purchasing essential oils and mistakes to avoid when shopping for essential oils, you can check out my certified aromatherapist tips on buying essential oils.

Where not to buy Essential Oils

1) AMAZON

When you purchase an essential oil from Amazon, it’s a complete crap shoot. You don’t know the quality of the oil you are getting, where it is coming from, or how it has been cared for in transit. You don’t know the ethics of the person selling it. It is very possible you could be purchasing an essential oil that has been diluted with carrier or synthetics. You could also be purchasing an oil that is old, meaning past its shelf life. 

A good rule of thumb to follow with essential oils in general is this: if it is far cheaper from one seller than it is from most sellers, avoid it. And avoid purchasing on Amazon. 

2) EBAY

Everything I just said about amazon also applies to Ebay. I know it’s tempting to place those bids…but just don’t. Buy some amazing stones or crystals instead. 

3) THE GROCERY STORE, THE HEALTH FOOD STORE, THE DRUG STORE, AND THE BIG BOX STORE. 

These are places that do not focus on essential oils. The oils you will likely find here are going to be more mass-produced and may be adulterated with synthetics and fragrance oils. They may also be diluted. You have no idea how long those oils have been sitting on the shelf or if they are past their prime. You have no idea if they sat in a 100 degree shipping container for weeks on end. Avoid these oils, even if they have a tempting price tag. 

This same principle holds true for the health food store. These stores have a wide variety of products, many of them good, but they are still not places that focus solely on aromatherapy. The same issues may apply here. However, sometimes in these settings it may be possible for you to get to know the purchaser for the store and get the back story on where and how they source. This would be an exception.

Please also note that many mainstream companies are now marketing their home fragrance products as containing essential oils. However, most of these are still going to include synthetic chemicals that are damaging to your health and raise your stress response. Avoid these products.

4) A COSMETIC COMPANY THAT IS ADDING AN AROMATHERAPY LINE (MAYBE)

Aromatherapy is a booming industry, and many companies want to get their piece of the pie when it comes to the profit. The problem is that the essential oil lines added by companies may be less than therapeutic. The education from these companies may be lacking. The products may be adulterated with synthetics. And it is hard to know what you are getting because there isn’t an industry standard for essential oil quality (nevermind “certified therapeutic grade”—this is a marketing term developed by the MLM’s). This one isn’t necessarily a hard “no,” but be careful of what you are getting by evaluating the company by factors I have previously mentioned. For me, if the website looks something like Avon or Ulta, but they are now selling essential oils, I personally would pass. 

5) MLM ESSENTIAL OIL COMPANIES

I could write a long article on this subject. 

Suffice it to say that if you have purchased an essential oil from an Multi-Level Marketing company, do not fret. In fact, please use that essential oil as it is likely a high-quality essential oil that you purchased at a premium price. Have respect for the plants that went into that bottle of essential oil by making use of it. But…

There are several things to be aware of with these companies. 

First, many of the essential oils are pre-diluted in carrier, yet you are still getting charged the price of the oil as if it were undiluted. 

Secondly, having to meet quotas for monthly purchases to retain points or business volume means that the company needs to invent more and more ways for consumers to use the essential oils. This results in a situation where a) essential oil use is being recommended in cases where it is less than safe according to true industry standards and b) where overuse and unsafe use of essential oils is common. 

Thirdly, many folks, even those that are part of these companies, are unaware that they have a long history of receiving warning letters from the federal government about health claims and claims of miraculous cures. HERE is an example of one such letter. And a few more HERE and HERE and an article about the same. 

I spend a large portion of my time as a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist countering unsafe information dispensed by MLM essential oil companies and their consultants. So, it is not that these are bad oils to use, but I would argue there are better, more ethical and safer places to invest your money when it comes to purchasing essential oils, and especially, where to get your aromatherapy information and advice.

Where to find authoritative and scientific information on essential oils. 

If you are going to use oils from these companies, it’s fine to look at their recommendations, but then also temper that information by learning about that same essential oil from a more neutral source such as the main aromatherapy organizations and websites that aren’t selling essential oils. 

Want to keep learning? Grab one of my self-paced aromatherapy courses and consider joining us in the Rewild + Untame Community.