Will a Snake Oil Charmer Kill You?

Health conditions are never so easy as to just throw one thing at them, nor claim one thing causes them. You can’t just eat more turmeric for inflammation, nor will sugar cause cancer.

And yet, snake oils are still alive and well… even the literal type—yes, snake oil IS still a thing. Are we really surprised by more crazy nonsense and fads!?

This is where I ruffle some feathers…

MLM essential oils are the snake oil of the early 2000s, a trend I assumed ended a few years ago. Nah… those multi-level marketing companies are alive and well, despite several warnings from the FDA and NAHA. 🤷‍♀️

You may not know I had an organic skincare company for years, supplying tattoo shops across America with salves and soap aftercare; massage therapists with massage oils; sprays and salves to local yoga studios and health food stores. I taught a class on essential oil safety, and teach about sensory input/skincare in a couple of my longer-running classes. Skincare and sensory input are VERY important.

So, while this may seem a bit off-topic if you know me via food nutrition, it really isn’t. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and your sensory input is CRUCIAL to your well-being. Nourishing your senses is just as important as your stomach… that’s why it’s the first pillar of my S.I.M.P.L.E. Method™. I’ll dive deeper into that next week…

For now, let’s refute the dangerous essential oil trend

During a recent offering of Transformation 101, a student asked me about the safety of essential oils to relieve her digestive issues because it was recommended to her. An MLM rep suggested she take dōTERRA’s enzyme formula, along with dropping an oil blend from her lower abdomen to her stomach area.

I cringed…  🤦‍♀️

There are multiple issues with this:

1. A dōTERRA rep is NOT a nutritionist, nor a dietician. Only dieticians or doctors/naturopaths should offer prescriptive advice for healing a medical issue—this is why I give you blueprints and formulas vs. telling you to eat specific amounts of nutrients (e.g. 25 IU VitaminD).
2. My student is on medication, which can react with other remedies, natural OR pharmacological. This is why my clients also have physicians and if they’re on medications, they are instructed to have regular visits, tell their doctor they’re working with me, and can pass along my info to speak with their doctor as needed. It’s important to monitor health and medications closely.
3. My student wasn’t diagnosed with a specific condition, yet an untrained individual gave her medical suggestions on how to relieve it. This is just an essential oil rep—please ask for someone’s background before taking ANY medical advice!
4. dōTERRA now understands digestion and is involved in the additionally unregulated area of supplements. Enough said…
5. Essential oils can be dangerous and potentially LETHAL when ingested undiluted. Do most people die from ingesting them? Certainly not… but some do and why risk being the one who does?
6. Dropping essential oils in the insane “raindrop therapy” does nothing for your health. (“Raindrop therapy” is dropping oils on your body as if they were raindrops, as natural and unadulterated as the rain. Insert eye roll…) While the placebo effect is arguably a positive factor and helps with multiple health concerns, placing undilted oils on your skin can also cause harm. dōTERRA even states this on their own website, though reps rarely mention this. Photosensitivity, allergic reaction, irritations are just 3 problems with this little gimmick…

This kind of advice lines the pockets of some well-meaning reps and higher-on-the-chain (maybe NOT so well-meaning) shareholders. The less you dilute, the more you use. It’s a basic sales tactic, cleverly disguised as a healing protocol.

I’ve spent YEARS teaching essential oil safety and making organic skincare products (pssst, those major brands are expensive and not organic… why!? What are you paying for, if it’s not even organic!? Read that last paragraph again, if you’re curious.). It enrages me to hear irresponsible information like this handed down to people. You can kill someone!

When people suffer, there’s a perfect chance to take advantage of them. There’s a fine line between offering services to help people and just selling them a clever gimmick.

Please don’t allow anyone to tell you its safe to ingest undiluted oils, or put them directly on your skin. It’s not. Next week, I’ll share some SAFE recipes for natural skincare products with you! And no, I’m not affiliated with any essential oil company, but I love Mountain Rose, Aura Cacia, and friends and clients love iHerb, Guru Nanda, and Rocky Mountain Oils. 😉

Dangerous trends never die until we understand and stop funding them. #FactsNotFads

P.S. If you are empowered to make your own delicious concoctions safely, here are 4 of my favorite (and best-selling!) product recipes… 🧡