essential oils craze

mvl · 25-07-2018 03:49PM #1

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 ?

25-07-2018 03:51PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:00PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:00PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:05PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:07PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:14PM

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

Graces7 · 25-07-2018 04:17PM

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

Chaos Tourist · 25-07-2018 04:21PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:23PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:24PM

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

Hitman3000 · 25-07-2018 04:27PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:44PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:45PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:47PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:50PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:53PM

I find petrol and diesel to be essential oils.

freshpopcorn · 25-07-2018 04:55PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:55PM

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 · 25-07-2018 04:56PM

"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 · 25-07-2018 04:57PM

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 · 25-07-2018 05:00PM

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 · 25-07-2018 05:00PM

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 · 25-07-2018 05:11PM

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 · 25-07-2018 05:19PM

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 · 25-07-2018 06:12PM

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 · 25-07-2018 06:13PM

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 · 25-07-2018 06:13PM

Graces7 wrote: »

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

Smell yourself better.

Sounds legit.

25-07-2018 06:32PM

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 · 25-07-2018 06:33PM

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 · 25-07-2018 07:30PM

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

essential oils craze

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