essential oils craze

mvl

Seeing more often an American essential oil brand is "empowering" middle class mothers/families these days (Doterra).
- Especially this summer I started reading about events where this products' advocates would have ranks // i.e. "For the first time in Ireland, we have US Founders and Double Diamonds, bla bla " and this makes me think of some sort of cultish behaviour. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/be-empowered-tickets-48387003831?aff=ebapi
- Facebook is full of local advocates, and financials behind the product seem massive.
- In a way I am intrigued (are all these oils really healing as advertised, are they really safe for long term exposure, and most of all ..."legal" ?!?)...but to be honest, when I read about these empowering the middle class mama events out there ... I often feel sorry about the middle class ladies that get into it.

So, what are your thoughts: is there any science to it, or am I the only one having doubts about this essential oils craze ?

I didn't know there was a craze... is this another mlm?
I mean tea tree is antiseptic and eucalyptus is basically what goes into vicks but i wouldn't go mad about them

ohnonotgmail

bluewolf wrote: »

I didn't know there was a craze... is this another mlm?
I mean tea tree is antiseptic and eucalyptus is basically what goes into vicks but i wouldn't go mad about them

DING DING DING we have a winner.

doTerra (styled dōTERRA) is a multi-level marketing[1][2] company based in Pleasant Grove, Utah that sells essential oils and other related products. doTerra was founded in 2008 by David Stirling and former executives, employees, and distributors of Young Living, a company which also sells essential oils, and Nuskin. Stirling is its president and CEO.[1]

According to the company's multi-level marketing organization, salespeople are expected to recruit other salespeople in order to increase their own profits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoTerra

seamus

It's word trickery.

The "essential" comes from the worse "essence". Whereas most people assume it means "necessary".

Thus "essential oils", sounds like natural life-giving oils that you need to use, when what it really means is "smelly oils".

mvl

Yes, think so. Added a link to the event I mentioned to the first message.

I think I would need more scientific proofs about the benefits/effects of oiling long term - and the propaganda pulls me off. actually, any propaganda makes me sick to my stomach ...

- maybe just my FB is getting busier, cause they have some BOGO campaign (for Europe) this month.

Feisar

Had to google what they were, I thought it was the Omega oils you were referring to.

Pure bunkum, IMO if a coffee and a cold shower or a run doesn't shake it off, a drop of lavender isn't going to!

A fool and their money though...

TheValeyard

Ive never heard of this craze, am I getting too old for crazes is it?

Graces7

AKA aromatherapy.. well known and reputable... Watch eg dogs if there is pine oil around.

Chaos Tourist

I know nothing about this essential oil carry-on. Or about half the consumer trends out there generally. I can hardly keep up. Will I come off as an unsophisticated caveman if I show my ignorance to trendy types? It really is like another world altogether.

How Soon Is Now

Girlfriend loves all this. She has one those defuser yokes in the sitting room and all these smelly candles all round house!

Saying that some of it smells lovely then you get some of it that is more like bleach!

Huexotzingo

'Multi level marketing' that's a good one.

Hitman3000

Same as the Forever living or Herbalife b.s.. These schemes seem to be 'pyramid schemes' in principle but skirt the description by having a product.

seamus

Graces7 wrote: »

AKA aromatherapy.. well known and reputable... Watch eg dogs if there is pine oil around.

Aromatherapy when used as "alternative medicine" is a scam and not at all reputable.

All of these things are just different ways of sitting and relaxing for half an hour, taking your mind off things that need to be done; there's no magic formula or special trick in them.

Whatever your thing is; be it smelly rooms, hot rooms, having someone stick hot rocks on your spine, sitting reading a book, going for a walk; the time spent escaping briefly into your own head does you good. Just because one person enjoys sitting in a smelly room, doesn't mean it'll be any good for someone else.

This differs from actual medicine in that actual medicine will be effective on the vast majority of people in achieving a goal.

mvl

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

Ive never heard of this craze, am I getting too old for crazes is it?

don't worry, I am old enough to be discussing about my midlife crisis project on the motorbikes forum.

Hitman3000 wrote: »

Same as the Forever living or Herbalife b.s.. These schemes seem to be 'pyramid schemes' in principle but skirt the description by having a product.

as you reminded me of herbalife or forever living - do some of these schemes still have profits, after how many years ?

Hitman3000

mvl wrote:

as you reminded me of herbalife or forever living - do some of these schemes still have profits, after how many years ?

From what I see they rely on selling to newly recruited agents, I could be wrong of course. I attend a lot of sporting events and regularly see this stuff for sale but rarely any buyers.

mvl

seamus wrote: »

Aromatherapy when used as "alternative medicine" is a scam and not at all reputable.

All of these things are just different ways of sitting and relaxing for half an hour, taking your mind off things that need to be done; there's no magic formula or special trick in them.

Whatever your thing is; be it smelly rooms, hot rooms, having someone stick hot rocks on your spine, sitting reading a book, going for a walk; the time spent escaping briefly into your own head does you good. Just because one person enjoys sitting in a smelly room, doesn't mean it'll be any good for someone else.

another thing that bugs me is that small kids are exposed to it - hence the question how safe can it be for long term exposure.
(and additional to that, some kids do appear on this FB propaganda I dislike - this must not be right on the kids - but who am I to educate their mothers).

whisky_galore

I find petrol and diesel to be essential oils.

freshpopcorn

I actually thought people got into this stuff a good few years ago and certain people messed around with them a bit. I wouldn't call it a craze.

kylith

seamus wrote: »

Aromatherapy when used as "alternative medicine" is a scam and not at all reputable.

All of these things are just different ways of sitting and relaxing for half an hour, taking your mind off things that need to be done; there's no magic formula or special trick in them.

Whatever your thing is; be it smelly rooms, hot rooms, having someone stick hot rocks on your spine, sitting reading a book, going for a walk; the time spent escaping briefly into your own head does you good. Just because one person enjoys sitting in a smelly room, doesn't mean it'll be any good for someone else.

This differs from actual medicine in that actual medicine will be effective on the vast majority of people in achieving a goal.

I’ve always maintained the same: a nice back-rub or taking 10 minutes to meditate, or indeed having a room that smells nice, isn’t going to do any harm and can be quite relaxing, but don’t go trying to sell it as a panacea.

Aromatherapy is one that really gets me, cos I tend to get met with incredulity when I say that fat from being ‘relaxing’ lavender makes me want to puke.

Hitman3000

"Double Diamonds" Natalie and Andy Goddard. Snake oil salesman/couple. When picking a title do these people actually realise how stupid it sounds?

Edit just checked the Goddards are 'Presidential Diamonds' . lol.

kylith

mvl wrote: »

another thing that bugs me is that small kids are exposed to it - hence the question how safe can it be for long term exposure.
(and additional to that, some kids do appear on this FB propaganda I dislike - this must not be right on the kids - but who am I to educate their mothers).

Oh yeah, wasn’t exposure to rosemary oil implicated in infant gynaecomastia?

mvl

Hitman3000 wrote: »

"Double Diamonds" Natalie and Andy Goddard. Snake oil salesman/couple. When picking a title do these people actually realise how stupid it sounds?

they have some ranking system (based on points or whatever) - that's why my gut feeling was this sounds cult-ish.
https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/building-ranks-in-doterra
but then again, I am not one to watch how these mlm-s do business, so I wouldn't know.

witchgirl26

Aromatherapy has been around for a few hundred years but this just seems to be some marketing agency trying to sell oils.

My mam is a trained aromatherapist and a nurse. She (and good places) describe it as complimentary medicine as opposed to alternative medicine. If I have a headache, I'll take some paracetamol but I'll also stick on an oil burner with some lavender in it. Rosewood is good to aid restful sleep but if you're having major problems, you need your doctor.

As for long term effects - I've been "exposed" to essential oils all my life and I'm pretty ok! If you buy oils from a reputable brand (Boots own brand, Tissand to name 2) then it should have instructions on the back in terms of usage and how much to use. Obviously keep out of reach of kids as shouldn't be ingested. Only a few oils actually have interactions with medications or medical conditions but places like Holland & Barrett will sell simple books laying all that out.

Spanish Eyes

There must be a lot of money in it just the same. There is a family on YouTube (search Knorpp and South). They run a DoTerra business in essential oils. They were able to up sticks and live in an RV (a huge one!) for a year, and then travelled Europe as well. When they came back from their travels they were able to buy a huge house in Utah.

And wait for it, they have NINE kids. 5 adopted.

The series on YT is never about the oils, and is all about their adventures and their nine kids. Quite entertaining.

I have no idea what the business model is, but it obviously is lucrative!

Hitman3000

Spanish Eyes wrote:

I have no idea what the business model is, but it obviously is lucrative!

For early entrants they are lucrative , for others not so much. The pool you recruit from to ensure your own place on the ladder gets smaller.

RhubarbCrumble

Somebody I know is really pushing 'essential oils' at the moment. She's holding an 'essential oil empowering workshop for women' at the weekend. I'm actually really surprised by her. She's a qualified (practicing) psychotherapist and this just seems a bit at odds with her job.

Hitman3000

RhubarbCrumble wrote:

Somebody I know is really pushing 'essential oils' at the moment. She's holding an 'essential oil empowering workshop for women' at the weekend. I'm actually really surprised by her. She's a qualified (practicing) psychotherapist and this just seems a bit at odds with her job.

Easy money or so they think.

endacl

Graces7 wrote: »

AKA aromatherapy.. well known and reputable... Watch eg dogs if there is pine oil around.

Smell yourself better.

Sounds legit.

Hitman3000

Hitman3000 wrote: »

Same as the Forever living or Herbalife b.s.. These schemes seem to be 'pyramid schemes' in principle but skirt the description by having a product.

It's not a pyramid, it's a triangle of friends. And it's not selling, it's sharing. This is the kind of bull they pedal when trying to draw aimless people in, same as a cult.

I like things that smell nice and sometimes that helps when you need to relax. But if I get necrotizing fasciitis all the nice smells in the world won't cure me.

mvl

RhubarbCrumble wrote: »

She's holding an 'essential oil empowering workshop for women' at the weekend. I'm actually really surprised by her. She's a qualified (practicing) psychotherapist and this just seems a bit at odds with her job.

Empowering women to ... direct sell ... bleah !

---

an article that is a few years old https://www.kidnurse.org/house-of-cards-the-toxic-combination-of-essential-oils-and-multi-level-marketing/ mentions among others that "Because essential oils are classified as a cosmetic, these companies and products are NOT regulated by the FDA in any other way." - is this situation the same in Ireland, would anyone know ?

pleas advice

3 in One, now theres an essential oil...

Hitman3000

pleas advice wrote:

3 in One, now theres an essential oil...

So's KY jelly.

mvl

Hitman3000 wrote: »

So's KY jelly.

not natural enough - just have a look at the ingredients

Hitman3000

mvl wrote:

not natural enough - just have a look at the ingredients

Does the job.😉

LirW

Ah don't get me started on mlm.

There's this Austrian company selling natural and vegan cosmetics and body care and they sell via mlm because their products are so fresh, they aren't allowed to sell it in conventional shops, so they claim. Now it seems that half the female population of the country works for them as independent partner and every single one is a massive pain in the ar5e. One tried it on me, I told her to f off.
Now apparently the products are decent but the whole company is more like a cult and borderline pyramid but a lot more hippy.
They are planning a big European expansion now, so be aware of you ever hear of this company.

I just don't understand that anyone thinks of it as a professional way of selling stuff but it seems to work pretty well.

Capt'n Midnight

whisky_galore wrote: »

I find petrol and diesel to be essential oils.

Heavy Fuel Oil is the stuff that powers the largest ships.

It's the glup that's left over after you put crude oil through a refinery. If it was any thicker you could quite literally use it for tarmac.


But it's rich in aromatics. Up to 60%.

Carry

seamus wrote: »

Aromatherapy when used as "alternative medicine" is a scam and not at all reputable.

All of these things are just different ways of sitting and relaxing for half an hour, taking your mind off things that need to be done; there's no magic formula or special trick in them.

Whatever your thing is; be it smelly rooms, hot rooms, having someone stick hot rocks on your spine, sitting reading a book, going for a walk; the time spent escaping briefly into your own head does you good. Just because one person enjoys sitting in a smelly room, doesn't mean it'll be any good for someone else.

This differs from actual medicine in that actual medicine will be effective on the vast majority of people in achieving a goal.

You are wrong here.
Aromatherapy isn't "alternative medicine" at all. It's used as a complimentary remedy.

The human olfactory sense is very sophisticated and closely connected to the vegetative nerve system that regulates vital functions of the body.

Scents are proven (by proper scientists, you might want to google it) to influence the vegetative nerve system, be it positively or negatively.

Lavender for example calms down, jasmine has a postive effect as an "anti-depressant", citrus scents are refreshing and/or uplifting etc.

It doesn't really matter if the scents are natural or artificial, it's certain molecules that trigger the olfactory sense.

I'm too tired to explain all the scientific chemical backgrounds right now. I'm sure you will find it out.
I just want to advice not being edgy by dismissing everything that doesn't fit into a packet of paracetamol.

Day Lewin

Some of those oils are therapeutically active: some are psycho-active, for instance - shouldn't be used with alcohol, etc.
Some have simple topical action: all this is well known.
Not really medicine, but useful (- and sometimes better dispensed by a qualified person)

But pyramid selling is scammy and wild claims for oils are scammy too.

Ipso

Carry wrote: »

You are wrong here.
Aromatherapy isn't "alternative medicine" at all. It's used as a complimentary remedy.

The human olfactory sense is very sophisticated and closely connected to the vegetative nerve system that regulates vital functions of the body.

Scents are proven (by proper scientists, you might want to google it) to influence the vegetative nerve system, be it positively or negatively.

Lavender for example calms down, jasmine has a postive effect as an "anti-depressant", citrus scents are refreshing and/or uplifting etc.

It doesn't really matter if the scents are natural or artificial, it's certain molecules that trigger the olfactory sense.

I'm too tired to explain all the scientific chemical backgrounds right now. I'm sure you will find it out.
I just want to advice not being edgy by dismissing everything that doesn't fit into a packet of paracetamol.

What does complimentary mean?
It seems like something is used with medicine, the medicine works and the complimentary stuff piggy backs for the credit.

mvl

was not thinking ppl are dismissive of aromatherapy in general from what was said. I started this thread about a certain propaganda I have noticed recently with one specific brand in mind. didn't know too many things about mlms' when i did.

similar here: https://www.attn.com/stories/14568/what-you-need-know-about-essential-oils

But a search of social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook turns up dozens of recent examples of doTERRA and other essential oil distributors promoting these products as treatment options for various medical conditions — from breast cancer to melanoma to Lyme disease — without including an FDA disclosure.

Would you not agree that it is extremely concerning if just anyone in Ireland (any middle class mom with no proper degree/qualification that joins this group) is allowed to be an advocate, and starts promoting daily oiling on social media to their family and friends, kids including, for medical purposes as mentioned in article above?

Balanadan

Is it worth re-investing profits from Banners Brokers into this?

Hitman3000

mvl wrote:

Would you not agree that it is extremely concerning if just anyone in Ireland (any middle class mom with no proper degree/qualification that joins this group) is allowed to be an advocate, and starts promoting daily oiling on social media to their family and friends, kids including, for medical purposes as mentioned in article above?

People will try any and say any bull**** to sell stuff. Some of the claims are harmless and others are dangerous. You can't stop people being idiots, either in the selling or buying of this essential oil c**p. It's a MLM scheme which should be enough of an alarm bell for the majority of people.

CeilingFly

The olfactory system is extremely intricate and reacts to fragrance and essential oils on a personal level.

However essential oils are available in many stores and most are relatively cheap and there's no need whatsoever for any pyramid selling rubbish

GingerLily

I have some at home. Boots brand or something - tea tree is good for blemishes, I use lavender on fresh pillow cases sometimes and eucalyptus is good for air ways.

I don't understand how anyone's made a MLM thing from this though - they're extremely easy to get and it's not as if quality is as much of an issue?

People are sheep I suppose.... I hate MLM and if any friend of mine started this sh*t they'd be blocked and ignored until they coped on.

Sal Butamol

One thing is for certain - women are absolute suckers for this ****, same with all that alternative health stuff and homeopathy, absolute gullible suckers

gormdubhgorm

bluewolf wrote: »

I didn't know there was a craze... is this another mlm?
I mean tea tree is antiseptic and eucalyptus is basically what goes into vicks but i wouldn't go mad about them

I didn't either sure haven't they been around for years?

BuboBubo

Sal Butamol wrote: »

One thing is for certain - women are absolute suckers for this ****, same with all that alternative health stuff and homeopathy, absolute gullible suckers

Aaahh tar us all with the one brush there, good man!

But I'll admit it's usually women (on maternity leave or stay at home Mammys) who start selling this stuff to make a few bob. Anyone I know who started an MLM business lost friends (from Facebook and real life) made one sale from a few people but very little repeat sales. Friends may buy once "to be nice" but once only.

I like essential oils myself, use lavender in the bath, tea tree on spots, frankensence in a burner etc, but buy in Holland and Barrett. I don't believe they have miracle healing powers - but they have a use sometimes, for pleasure rather than medicinal purposes.

Things like essential oils, Aloe Vera, and scented candles can be bought much cheaper in shops. MLM means overpriced scam.

LETHAL LADY

I used to love my scented candles, oil burners, josticks, plugin difussers etc for around my home. Having two asthmatic children soon put paid to that. Try burning anything scented in any room in a house with a young child with severe asthma and you'll see what I mean. Before my first child would even start wheezing his eyes would be watering from the oils. Lesson learned fast. Vicks and eucalyptus are the only smells they could tolerate, but who the feck wants a home that smell of Vicks?

I also used to give edible oils, specially designed for dogs, to my two dogs in their food (both deceased from old age and not oils), which were meant to calm them and prevent them missing me when I'd gone to work. I did notice them a bit sleepier in the first day or two, but that's about it really.

I wouldn't dismiss all of the benefits, just wouldn't be dependent or be sucked in to buying stuff as a method to cure all ills.

MarkY91

I have a diffuser and use it the odd time in my bedroom

I don't care about not believe in any crap about healing. I use it because the oils Smell great and it looks ****ing cool when in use.

4068ac1elhodqr

Young dudes in particular should not mess around with those naff odours.

Chemicals in lavender and tea tree oil appear to be 'hormone disruptors' (re:prepubertal gynecomastia).
https://www.endocrine.org/news-room/2018/chemicals-in-lavender-and-tea-tree-oil-appear-to-be-hormone-disruptors

Wash with soap and dab on the old spice, job done.