What are Essential Oils?

Essential Oil's are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants.  They are the life blood of the plant and contain the true essence of the plant it was derived from.  Essential oil's are extremely concentrated so a little goes a long way.  For example, one drop of peppermint oil is equivalent to 20+ cups of peppermint tea.

Essential oils are not the same as perfume or fragrance oils.  They are derived from true plants, where perfume oils are artificially created or contain artificial substances, and do not offer therapeutic benefits that essential oils offer.

Aromatic extracts from plants have been used therapeutically for thousands of years, and uses can be traced back to all the major early civilizations.  Since the earliest ages of mankind, essential oils have been used in religious ceremonies and rituals as expression and reminder of all pervasive sacredness.  In India, they have been used for thousands of years, and is probably the only place where their use was never lost.  With a history of over 10,000 years, ayurredic medicine is the oldest form of medical practice.

Grades of Essential Oils

CPTG:  Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade(TM) is doTERRA's own internal standards for essential oils.  CLICK HERE to learn more about CPTG

GRADE A:  These essential oils are the purest grade, and usually come from natural plants, often organically grown, and go through the proper distillation process.

GRADE B:  Food Grade essential oils fall into this category and may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, chemical/synthetic extenders, or carrier oils

GRADE C:  Perfume oils fall into this category, and also may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, extenders, as well as solvents to create a higher yield.


There is a lot of information out there on essential oils, so I encourage you to do your own research.  For a brief history of essential oils, click here.  For some of the science behind essential oils, click here.