Some warnings for my readers about the spread of the American based company doTerra to Europe
doTERRA and Young Living/
19.03.24
In 2014 the FDA in the USA took enforcement action against doTerra and its distributors over their long history of breaking the law on medicinal claims for essential oils. That stopped their distributors in the US from publishing dangerous, outrageous and illegal health claims.
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm415809.htm
Any country that is a member of the European Union is obliged to comply with their medicines regulations. In the UK this prohibits medicinal claims being made for essential oils by people that also sell them. In European countries enforcement of these laws varies a lot, but the fact they are not enforced does not mean they do not form part of the countries law.
If the claims made in the documents from 'new user' below result from current mis-education of distributors or possibly from training given some years ago, I do not know. However, what I do know is these claims are typical of what we used to see on the blogs of doTerra distributors in the USA. Those claims were that essential oils could cure everything from Cancer to Ebola.
The doTerra company is a multi-level marketing business (pyramid selling). Their publicity is bursting with lies which their distributors believe due to the clever marketing they are subjected to. This is hardly surprising since the companies' founders were ex-Young Living executives - see other articles on this site about them. doTerra recruits scientific 'advisors' to make themselves look credible while at the same time indoctrinating their distributors with false therapeutic use claims.
From Internet postings it is clear that this company are trying to spread into several European countries by holding their infamous 'seminars'. The only aim is to make lots of money by signing up new distributors who know nothing about essential oils. New distributors pay a lot of money for their stocks of oils and then often find they can't sell them as easilly as they thought.
Below is information sent to me by someone who was given dangerous advice by a doTerra distributor in a European country. Clearly that distributor knew nothing about the safety issues surrounding the use of cinnamon bark oil or any other oils. I can only presume the information came via one of the DT teachers. That is the technique they use to get around medicinal claims regulations because it is done by word of mouth during seminars and “training” events.
From a past user of doTerra oils
This lady was advised by a doTerra distributor to take cinnamon bark oil diluted in honey for vaginal inflammation. To make matters worse she was advised to “introduce a tampon with the carrier oil and a few drops of cinnamon or incense and put it in the vagina.” This of course produced acute inflammation requiring her to consult a doctor.
When the distributor was challenged about this advice they refused to believe that the cinnamon oil was responsible for this reaction. Anyone who denies that cinnamon bark oil will burn the skin and internal mucous membranes knows nothing about the issues of safe use
Cases of serious side effects caused by cinnamon bark oil are on record:
Cinnamon bark oil caused severe burns on a boy of 11 when some oil leaked in his trouser pocket. Sparks T. 1985. The Western j. of Medicine. 142. 6. 835.
Cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde) constitutes 60-90% of the oil and it has caused adverse reactions when only a half per cent solution was tested. Malten, Van Ketel, Nater and Leim. Cont. Derm. July 1984.
Cinnamaldehyde has been implicated as the leading substance responsible for allergic reactions caused by cosmetics or perfumes. Hausen B. 1988 Allergiepflanzen-Pflanzenallergene. Landsberg pp 95-96.
There are numerous reports in the dermatological literature about cinnamon bark oil and adverse reactions. Clearly this particular distributor either was never provided with such information, or chose to ignore it. One of the common marketing lies told by doTerra teachers in the past was that “if an essential oil was pure it would not cause adverse reactions”. If a new distributor does not receive sufficient education from their parent company then that company do not care about the health of their customers.
Below are extracts from a doTerra marketing file viewed via a UK web site:
CINNAMON: It does not say if they mean bark or leaf oil which it is vital to know.
“Improves the body's ability to cleanse toxins”.This is nonsense, dangerousand without any foundation. The body will excrete undesirable substances without intervention. If someone has a serious medical condition such as kidney or liver failure then dialysis is required. The concept of eliminating toxins is used to fool people who know nothing about the way the body works.
“Reduces weight-related health risks”. Marketing hype to appeal to those struggling with obesity. There is not a shred of evidence for this oil anyway.
“Helps the body adjust to reduced calorific intake”.More dishonest marketing hype with no such evidence. They also fail to say if the use is internal or external.
LEMON:
“Is a natural antioxidant and detoxifier”.You will see this marketing trash about essential oils being 'detoxifiers' all over the internet. It is a term that started in the beauty therapy trade but has become a common feature of multi-level marketing company hype. It is not true. Indeed lemon oil needs antioxidants added to stop the oil from oxidising.
-----------------------------------
Below are more serious issues from European web sites in May 2017.
The redtext are serious medical conditions which can be killers if the wrong treatment is used. In some cases they may only be treated by a doctor and others are serious notifiable infectious diseases.
TheBluetext is from the web sites.
The black text are my commnts - Martin Watt.
CINNAMON
“Most common uses: bacterial infections, insect stings, air disinfection,diabetes, diverticulitis,fatigue, general tonic, fungal infections.”Cinnamon bark oil is a well-known cause of skin sensitisation; it will also kill skin and internal membrane cells unless it is diluted.
CEDARWOOD
“The most common use: Calming, tension,tuberculosis, urinary tract infections,”
CLARY SAGE
“Most common use:aneurysm, breast enlargement??, cholesterol, convulsions,abdominal cramps, dysmenorrhoea, psychic stress, endometriosis, epilepsy, estrogen.”
SANDALWOOD HAWAIIAN
“Most common use:Alzheimer's disease, aphrodisiacs, backache,cancer, cartilage regeneration, confusion, exhaustion,”
MELISSA
“Most common use: soothing,vaginal infectionsCommon application: T (local) applicationcan be used in pure Form (undiluted).”The International experts on essential oil safety the IFRA prohibit the use of Melissa oil in cosmetic products (which would only use tiny amounts anyway). This is due to its powerful skin sensitising effects.
“Essential oils to aid in the treatment of cancer”
“Supportive treatment of cancer with essential oils is natural, has no side effects and has proven to be an effective way to suppress cancer growth as well as relief from symptoms.”This claim is 100% false. The only valid research has been on cells in lab trials.
“Supporting Cancer Treatment with Essential Oils:”
This distributor gives essential oil formulas for all these cancers: Bone cancer. Brain cancer. Breast cancer. Cervical Cancer. Colon cancer. Leukemia. Liver cancer. Lung cancer. Prostate cancer. Skin cancer. Throat cancer. Uterine cancer. I am not repeating the formulas for fear that desperate people might try them. Not one of these formulas will do anything to cure these conditions and may well interfere with conventional treatments.
WINTERGREEN (Gaultheria procumbens)
“Common way of applying: Can be applied in pure form(undiluted)or diluted 1: 1 (1 drop of essential oil to at least 1 drop of carrier oil) for topical usefor childrenand for sensitive skin. Apply to reflection points and / or directly to the area in question. Apply locally to the right place and take less oil (dilute with fractionated coconut oil for larger areas)”.This advice is abhorrent, there have been deaths recorded from using this product and it is absorbed by the skin in significant volumes unlike most essential oils.
“Properties: Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiseptic, anticonvulsant, disinfectant, diuretic,stimulant (bones),???warm”.
“French aromatherapy school: Rheumatism, muscle pain, convulsions, arthritis, tendonitis,high blood pressure, inflammation.”
“Another possible use: This oil can support acne treatment, it is used forbladder infections,bladder inflammation, watery, eczema, edema, fever, bile stones, gums,infections, removing unpleasant feelings in joints,kidney stones,drainage and cleansing of the lymphatic system,obesity, osteoporosis, skin diseases,ulcers, urinary tract diseases. Oil is known for its ability to relieve bone pain due to its high methylsalicylate content, which is similar to cortisone.”
“Precautions: Do not use during pregnancy. Do not give people with epilepsy. Some individuals are highly allergic to methyl salicylate”. Wintergreen oil is NOT a genuine essential oil. It is produced via a chemical pathway the same as chemicals from coal. In addition, it is absorbed by the skin and has caused foetal abnormalities in animals. The main problem is its toxicity but reports of allergic reactions are numerous.
-----------------------------------------------
CLARY SAGE
“Most common use:aneurysm,breast enlargement???,cholesterol, convulsions, abdominal cramps, dysmenorrhea, mental stress,endometriosis, epilepsy,estrogen level.”
CYPRESS
“The most common use: aneurysm, bone spurs (osteophytes), bloated throat, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, catarrh, circulatory system,cerebellar dysmenorrhea, edema,”
CEDARWOOD
“The most common use: Calming, tension,tuberculosis, urinary tract infections,yoga exercises.”
-----------------------------------------------
From another EU site promoting doTerra:
ROYAL INCENSE (Botswelia frereana)
“Indications: Alzheimer's disease, aneurysm, arthritis, asthma, braininjuries, respiratorydisturbances,cancer, stroke, ….., fibroid tumors, hepatitis, …..liver cirrhosis,, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, uterine regeneration, neural viruses,warts”.
All these claims are outrageous marketing to fool people into buying overpriced essential oils in the hope they will cure their health problems. They will not.
-----------------------------------------------
From another European distributor via their blog.
LEMON
“in the case of viral infections (consume 2 drops eo 2x per day),”There is no evidence that lemon oil is antiviral in the body. In addition these people do not understand that oil and water does not mix.
“strengthens the cardiovascular system,” This is just crazy and anyway what does it mean?
“so it is excellent in blends for detoxification, anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage,” Here we go again the same old tired trash. It is unfortunate that people believe this nonsense.
“promotes cleansing of the liver and bile and digestive tract function,”Wow, discovery of the Century it would be nice to see some research references. Of course there are none!
“preventing overweight.” Now what makes you think this is anything other than marketing hype.
Summary:
The doTerra company have a long history of promoting the use of essential oils for conditions that essential oils cannot possibly treat, and/or are illegal for none medically qualified therapists to treat.
The doTerra company have a long history of indoctrinating potential distributors at conferences and training sessions. Their higher level distributors and teachers can tell potential new distributors things that they cannot put into documents and web sites in the USA and UK.
The founders of doTerra were mostly from Young Living a company that was founded by a confidence trickster – Gary Young. They used his mind manipulating methods to grow their new company. They also lie to this day about the size and nature of their company.
Associates of doTerra have published books that are packed with lies and dangerous claims. See the review on the book review on this site of 'Modern Essentials'. See also the conference reviews run by D. Axe.
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm415809.htm
Any country that is a member of the European Union is obliged to comply with their medicines regulations. In the UK this prohibits medicinal claims being made for essential oils by people that also sell them. In European countries enforcement of these laws varies a lot, but the fact they are not enforced does not mean they do not form part of the countries law.
If the claims made in the documents from 'new user' below result from current mis-education of distributors or possibly from training given some years ago, I do not know. However, what I do know is these claims are typical of what we used to see on the blogs of doTerra distributors in the USA. Those claims were that essential oils could cure everything from Cancer to Ebola.
The doTerra company is a multi-level marketing business (pyramid selling). Their publicity is bursting with lies which their distributors believe due to the clever marketing they are subjected to. This is hardly surprising since the companies' founders were ex-Young Living executives - see other articles on this site about them. doTerra recruits scientific 'advisors' to make themselves look credible while at the same time indoctrinating their distributors with false therapeutic use claims.
From Internet postings it is clear that this company are trying to spread into several European countries by holding their infamous 'seminars'. The only aim is to make lots of money by signing up new distributors who know nothing about essential oils. New distributors pay a lot of money for their stocks of oils and then often find they can't sell them as easilly as they thought.
Below is information sent to me by someone who was given dangerous advice by a doTerra distributor in a European country. Clearly that distributor knew nothing about the safety issues surrounding the use of cinnamon bark oil or any other oils. I can only presume the information came via one of the DT teachers. That is the technique they use to get around medicinal claims regulations because it is done by word of mouth during seminars and “training” events.
From a past user of doTerra oils
This lady was advised by a doTerra distributor to take cinnamon bark oil diluted in honey for vaginal inflammation. To make matters worse she was advised to “introduce a tampon with the carrier oil and a few drops of cinnamon or incense and put it in the vagina.” This of course produced acute inflammation requiring her to consult a doctor.
When the distributor was challenged about this advice they refused to believe that the cinnamon oil was responsible for this reaction. Anyone who denies that cinnamon bark oil will burn the skin and internal mucous membranes knows nothing about the issues of safe use
Cases of serious side effects caused by cinnamon bark oil are on record:
Cinnamon bark oil caused severe burns on a boy of 11 when some oil leaked in his trouser pocket. Sparks T. 1985. The Western j. of Medicine. 142. 6. 835.
Cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde) constitutes 60-90% of the oil and it has caused adverse reactions when only a half per cent solution was tested. Malten, Van Ketel, Nater and Leim. Cont. Derm. July 1984.
Cinnamaldehyde has been implicated as the leading substance responsible for allergic reactions caused by cosmetics or perfumes. Hausen B. 1988 Allergiepflanzen-Pflanzenallergene. Landsberg pp 95-96.
There are numerous reports in the dermatological literature about cinnamon bark oil and adverse reactions. Clearly this particular distributor either was never provided with such information, or chose to ignore it. One of the common marketing lies told by doTerra teachers in the past was that “if an essential oil was pure it would not cause adverse reactions”. If a new distributor does not receive sufficient education from their parent company then that company do not care about the health of their customers.
Below are extracts from a doTerra marketing file viewed via a UK web site:
CINNAMON: It does not say if they mean bark or leaf oil which it is vital to know.
“Improves the body's ability to cleanse toxins”.This is nonsense, dangerousand without any foundation. The body will excrete undesirable substances without intervention. If someone has a serious medical condition such as kidney or liver failure then dialysis is required. The concept of eliminating toxins is used to fool people who know nothing about the way the body works.
“Reduces weight-related health risks”. Marketing hype to appeal to those struggling with obesity. There is not a shred of evidence for this oil anyway.
“Helps the body adjust to reduced calorific intake”.More dishonest marketing hype with no such evidence. They also fail to say if the use is internal or external.
LEMON:
“Is a natural antioxidant and detoxifier”.You will see this marketing trash about essential oils being 'detoxifiers' all over the internet. It is a term that started in the beauty therapy trade but has become a common feature of multi-level marketing company hype. It is not true. Indeed lemon oil needs antioxidants added to stop the oil from oxidising.
-----------------------------------
Below are more serious issues from European web sites in May 2017.
The redtext are serious medical conditions which can be killers if the wrong treatment is used. In some cases they may only be treated by a doctor and others are serious notifiable infectious diseases.
TheBluetext is from the web sites.
The black text are my commnts - Martin Watt.
CINNAMON
“Most common uses: bacterial infections, insect stings, air disinfection,diabetes, diverticulitis,fatigue, general tonic, fungal infections.”Cinnamon bark oil is a well-known cause of skin sensitisation; it will also kill skin and internal membrane cells unless it is diluted.
CEDARWOOD
“The most common use: Calming, tension,tuberculosis, urinary tract infections,”
CLARY SAGE
“Most common use:aneurysm, breast enlargement??, cholesterol, convulsions,abdominal cramps, dysmenorrhoea, psychic stress, endometriosis, epilepsy, estrogen.”
SANDALWOOD HAWAIIAN
“Most common use:Alzheimer's disease, aphrodisiacs, backache,cancer, cartilage regeneration, confusion, exhaustion,”
MELISSA
“Most common use: soothing,vaginal infectionsCommon application: T (local) applicationcan be used in pure Form (undiluted).”The International experts on essential oil safety the IFRA prohibit the use of Melissa oil in cosmetic products (which would only use tiny amounts anyway). This is due to its powerful skin sensitising effects.
“Essential oils to aid in the treatment of cancer”
“Supportive treatment of cancer with essential oils is natural, has no side effects and has proven to be an effective way to suppress cancer growth as well as relief from symptoms.”This claim is 100% false. The only valid research has been on cells in lab trials.
“Supporting Cancer Treatment with Essential Oils:”
This distributor gives essential oil formulas for all these cancers: Bone cancer. Brain cancer. Breast cancer. Cervical Cancer. Colon cancer. Leukemia. Liver cancer. Lung cancer. Prostate cancer. Skin cancer. Throat cancer. Uterine cancer. I am not repeating the formulas for fear that desperate people might try them. Not one of these formulas will do anything to cure these conditions and may well interfere with conventional treatments.
WINTERGREEN (Gaultheria procumbens)
“Common way of applying: Can be applied in pure form(undiluted)or diluted 1: 1 (1 drop of essential oil to at least 1 drop of carrier oil) for topical usefor childrenand for sensitive skin. Apply to reflection points and / or directly to the area in question. Apply locally to the right place and take less oil (dilute with fractionated coconut oil for larger areas)”.This advice is abhorrent, there have been deaths recorded from using this product and it is absorbed by the skin in significant volumes unlike most essential oils.
“Properties: Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiseptic, anticonvulsant, disinfectant, diuretic,stimulant (bones),???warm”.
“French aromatherapy school: Rheumatism, muscle pain, convulsions, arthritis, tendonitis,high blood pressure, inflammation.”
“Another possible use: This oil can support acne treatment, it is used forbladder infections,bladder inflammation, watery, eczema, edema, fever, bile stones, gums,infections, removing unpleasant feelings in joints,kidney stones,drainage and cleansing of the lymphatic system,obesity, osteoporosis, skin diseases,ulcers, urinary tract diseases. Oil is known for its ability to relieve bone pain due to its high methylsalicylate content, which is similar to cortisone.”
“Precautions: Do not use during pregnancy. Do not give people with epilepsy. Some individuals are highly allergic to methyl salicylate”. Wintergreen oil is NOT a genuine essential oil. It is produced via a chemical pathway the same as chemicals from coal. In addition, it is absorbed by the skin and has caused foetal abnormalities in animals. The main problem is its toxicity but reports of allergic reactions are numerous.
-----------------------------------------------
CLARY SAGE
“Most common use:aneurysm,breast enlargement???,cholesterol, convulsions, abdominal cramps, dysmenorrhea, mental stress,endometriosis, epilepsy,estrogen level.”
CYPRESS
“The most common use: aneurysm, bone spurs (osteophytes), bloated throat, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, catarrh, circulatory system,cerebellar dysmenorrhea, edema,”
CEDARWOOD
“The most common use: Calming, tension,tuberculosis, urinary tract infections,yoga exercises.”
-----------------------------------------------
From another EU site promoting doTerra:
ROYAL INCENSE (Botswelia frereana)
“Indications: Alzheimer's disease, aneurysm, arthritis, asthma, braininjuries, respiratorydisturbances,cancer, stroke, ….., fibroid tumors, hepatitis, …..liver cirrhosis,, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, uterine regeneration, neural viruses,warts”.
All these claims are outrageous marketing to fool people into buying overpriced essential oils in the hope they will cure their health problems. They will not.
-----------------------------------------------
From another European distributor via their blog.
LEMON
“in the case of viral infections (consume 2 drops eo 2x per day),”There is no evidence that lemon oil is antiviral in the body. In addition these people do not understand that oil and water does not mix.
“strengthens the cardiovascular system,” This is just crazy and anyway what does it mean?
“so it is excellent in blends for detoxification, anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage,” Here we go again the same old tired trash. It is unfortunate that people believe this nonsense.
“promotes cleansing of the liver and bile and digestive tract function,”Wow, discovery of the Century it would be nice to see some research references. Of course there are none!
“preventing overweight.” Now what makes you think this is anything other than marketing hype.
Summary:
The doTerra company have a long history of promoting the use of essential oils for conditions that essential oils cannot possibly treat, and/or are illegal for none medically qualified therapists to treat.
The doTerra company have a long history of indoctrinating potential distributors at conferences and training sessions. Their higher level distributors and teachers can tell potential new distributors things that they cannot put into documents and web sites in the USA and UK.
The founders of doTerra were mostly from Young Living a company that was founded by a confidence trickster – Gary Young. They used his mind manipulating methods to grow their new company. They also lie to this day about the size and nature of their company.
Associates of doTerra have published books that are packed with lies and dangerous claims. See the review on the book review on this site of 'Modern Essentials'. See also the conference reviews run by D. Axe.
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