are essential oils safe to be ingested?

​Are essential oils safe to ingest?  What are the benefits? Should you include taking oils internally in your daily regimen?

First know this:  Not all essential oils are created equally.  Many oils from other companies are useful only for their scent and are not for topical or internal use.  They may be 100% synthetic.  Because there is no external regulation, some companies only have a "fairy dusting" of essential oils -- even if they say they are pure or organic or "therapeutic".  These impure oils will often cause allergic reactions and headaches.  Zero therapeutic value.  Not cool.

Even though doTERRA is a relatively new company (founded in 2008), we are the number one essential oil company for a reason.  Because of the spectacular results people get from using our oils, our wholesale members get what our third-party testing protocols prove:  our oils are 100% pure and consistently potent in their chemical make-up -- so they work.  If they don't meet our standards, they are thrown out.  

If you've never tried certified and pure essential oils, you've never really experienced the real deal -- pure, potent, consistent, unadulterated oils.

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The truth is, essential oils are powerful therapeutic agents capable of transforming health
 in an all-natural way. Many essential oils are safe for internal use. Excluding this method of application would eliminate perhaps the most powerful mode of administration. The ever-expanding body of essential oil research continues to confirm the safety of internal application and validate its many therapeutic uses. 
~~ Dr. David Hill
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So what about ingesting oils?  Taking in consideration the whole marketplace of essential oils (admittedly some are a little shady) -- a blanket statement that oils are unsafe for ingesting is true. The vast majority of the essential oils on the market are synthetic and would be dangerous to ingest. You wouldn't drink your perfume! 

(Side note:  as a confirmed former perfume, air freshener and candle addict -- I no longer use any of those since they add more unnecessary synthetic toxins to my home.  I wear essential oils as perfume and make my own - really simple and inexpensive - air fresheners.)

But think about it -- some oils must be safe for ingesting, right?  Do you eat vegetables or herbs?  Lemongrass, basil, cilantro, fennel, ginger? Do you add spices to your food?  Rosemary, peppermint, dill, oregano, pepper, lemon zest?  If you are eating your veggies or spicing things up in the kitchen, you are ingesting essential oils and receiving some therapeutic value from them -- mostly digestive!  

Food is medicine.  Our great, good God made it that way.

But ... yes, essential oils are very concentrated, very powerful and should be treated with respect.  The great thing about that is that is what makes them such a great value -- you only need a drop or two for them to be effective.  And they are naturally shelf-stable.  With the exception of the citrus oils, essential oils will last for years.  Unlike vegetables or herbs and spices, they don't go stale or lose their effectiveness over time.

The FDA maintains a list of essential oils that are "generally regarded as safe" or GRAS for dietary use (check out the list here). Of course before you ingest a doTERRA oil make sure you see a supplement facts box on the label letting you know it's safe for dietary use. Use common sense and at the beginning, use a coach along the way (me!) to teach you how to safely and effectively use your oils.  

I ingest oils daily.  I place a couple of drops of Frankincense under my tongue every morning for brain health.  I take a mixture of Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint for seasonal issues.  When fighting an environmental threat, I pull out the big guns such as oregano.  I drink Lemon in my water all day -- for the great taste and also as a gentle detox.  I use many other essential oils internally as needed.

Here's the bottom line:  For me and my family, I trust only doTERRA, backed up by their own internal regulation and third-party testing to deliver pure and potent oils.  I choose to ingest only certified and pure oils, and of course only the ones deemed GRAS as shown by the supplement box on the side of the bottle. I've done my due-diligence in learning about this natural form of self-care and have found that essential oils are more safe and more effective -- wildly so.

Your take-away?  Learn about your oils by reading and asking questions.  Learn a few cautions and rules about using essential oils safely.  Once you join my team, you can jump into our private Facebook users' groups and learn from the experts.  Overall -- Use common sense (don't down a bottle of basil in one sitting), trust your instincts and love your oils!  

More about oil safety and common sense guidelines.

And my number one tip?  Reach for your oils -- FIRST!

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If you are wondering how to buy dōTERRA and get your own wholesale shopping portal and password for 25% off, click here.

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​Look for me over on Facebook -- Hope Bennett Reese -- for daily tips and current specials.

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Do you want to know what the BEST and SMARTEST way is to start with essential oils?  Here it is ... with me and my awesome team!  We will give you tools to get started, plus on-going support through classes, *private* on-line support groups, team-only emails and more. A trusted, guiding hand is so important when you're just getting started learning how to take control of your health.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, it really doesn't matter where you live -- our help is right at hand! You'll become an essential oil expert with our assistance.

And please, please remember -- One of the most vital things you must know about essential oils is not all essential oils are created equally. Many - if not most - brands should not be ingested as they are not tested for purity.  In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic.

Caring is sharing!  Please like and share- thank you!

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