There are many essential oil companies on the market – so how do you decide what company to choose? At thehomestead.guru we made the switch to doTERRA essential oils after trying a variety of brands. What was the deal breaker for our family? QUALITY.
Quality at the Source
doTERRA utilizes a process called co-impact sourcing which allows developing countries the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty. On time payments, beneficial infrastructure (roads, wells, schools, clinics), and better living conditions increase the well-being of the growers, harvesters, and distillers.
Their commitment to help the people who produce the oils allows them to sign exclusive contracts for rare and powerful oils grown in their indigenous habitat. This means you literally cannot find the same oils on the market anywhere.
Watch this video on co-impact sourcing to see how doTERRA provides the best essential oils:
Quality in the Bottle
When you choose doTERRA, you are choosing essential oils gently and carefully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy.
Peak Harvesting
Anyone who has eaten fruits or vegetables is aware that these foods have the best flavor and texture at their peak ripeness. Eat it too early and that piece of produce will be tough and bland; too late and it will be soft with an especially sweet or slightly fermented flavor. Much like fruits and vegetables, plants also have a peak in their production of essential oils. It is important to harvest essential oils during this peak period not only to obtain the largest quantity of essential oil, but also to ensure that the chemical composition is optimized for maximum potency.
The production peak varies from plant to plant. To discover the optimal harvesting time, harvesters and distillers work for years to test the essential oil production of plants throughout the day, season, and year. Once the peak harvest time is determined, plants are always distilled at that same time in the future. The most successful and trusted growers will have years of patient experience working with that plant to ensure that it is always harvested at only the right time.
Rigid Testing
Each doTERRA essential oil is also carefully and thoroughly tested using the strict CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® quality protocol. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade doTERRA essential oils.
While there is a science to the distillation of essential oils, it is also an art. Distillers not only rely on years of experience, they also employ modern technologies and techniques.
The most common method of extracting essential oils is a low-heat steam distillation process. In this process, pressurized steam is circulated through plant material. The essential oils are liberated from the plant and carried away by the steam. When the steam cools, the water and oils naturally separate and the oil is collected. To ensure the highest quality oil extract with the correct chemical composition, the temperature and pressure must be closely monitored. Too little heat or pressure and the oil will not release; too much, and the oil’s composition and potency will be affected.
Steam Distillation
Steam distillation is the most common way to extract aromatic compounds (essential oil) from a plant. During the steam distillation process, steam passes through the plant material. The combination of heated steam and gentle pressure causes the essential oil to be released from microscopic protective sacs. As the vapor mixture flows through a condenser and cools, it yields a layer of oil and a layer of water. The essential oil rises to the top and is separated from the hydrosol (floral water) and collected.
Some have asked about the difference between first distillations in comparison to complete distillations. The temperature for steam distilling is usually between 140–212 degrees Fahrenheit. Since different plants require different pressures, times, and temperatures, using this particular distillation method makes it possible to adjust the temperature based on the plant type, making it a very effective and precise way to obtain the purest compounds.
Expression
Unlike steam distillation, expression, sometimes referred to as “cold pressed,” does not involve heat. In this process, oil is extracted from the product under mechanical pressure. doTERRA uses expression to extract all of its citrus oils, such as Wild Orange, Lemon, Lime, Bergamot, and Grapefruit, from the rind.
Proper distillation requires a consideration for the uniqueness of pressure, temperature, time, and harvesting practices, each of which may be as diverse as the plants themselves. A poor distillation process can alter or destroy the necessary aromatic compounds that comprise the essential oil, leaving a substance far different from the intended goal and something that would not be used to support health and wellness. For this reason, the best distillation artisans dedicate their efforts and work to only a few select plants. This focused effort develops proper knowledge and experience, helping ensure congruency between the oil chemistry of the plant and its distilled form.
