the obscure oils: why does doTERRA offer so many essential oils?

By now, hopefully y'all are pretty familiar with the uses for our TOP 10 oils.  If not, let me know! If you're a member of my private Facebook support group (members only!), there's a file that lists 150 uses for those 10 oils -- go take a look!

Wonder why doTERRA offers dozens more oils than these admittedly popular, powerful and versatile oils??

What makes essential oils "work" are these complex chemicals called "volatile aromatic compounds". These compounds are small organic molecules that tend to change quickly from their solid or liquid state to a gas at room temperature. They are called volatile because they change state quickly. The physical and chemical properties of the volatile aromatic compounds that compose essential oils allow them to quickly move through the air and directly interact with the olfactory sensors in the nose and to be absorbed into the skin.

The type of volatile aromatic compounds present in an essential oil determines both the oil’s aroma and the benefits it offers. 

Over 3,000 varieties of volatile aromatic compounds have been identified to date. The nature of an essential oil varies from plant to plant, within botanical families, and from species to species. The delicate ratio of aromatic constituents found in any given essential oil are what make it unique and give it specific benefits. 

Let's look at just two oils in the mint family, that on the surface seem very similar: Spearmint and Peppermint. 

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SPEARMINT 
from Wikipedia ...
The most abundant compound in spearmint oil is R-(–)-carvone, which gives spearmint its distinctive smell. Spearmint oil also contains significant amounts of limonene, dihydrocarvone, and 1,8-cineol.

doTERRA's Spearmint has a sweet, refreshing aroma that is cleansing and uplifting, making it ideal to evoke a sense of focus and positive mood. Spearmint is very different from Peppermint, making it a milder option to use on children and those with sensitive skin.  Our Spearmint promotes digestion and helps reduce occasional stomach upset

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PEPPERMINT
from Wikipedia ...
The chemical composition of the essential oil from peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. The main constituents were menthol (40.7%) and menthone (23.4%). Further components were (+/-)-menthyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene.  

doTERRA's Peppermint is extremely high in Menthol content and is used for occasional stomach upset and promotes healthy respiratory function.


THEY ARE BOTH MINTS BUT VARY WIDELY IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND THEREFORE IN THEIR THERAPEUTIC USE.
You can see that, chemically, these oils could not be more different.  Peppermint is mostly menthol.  Spearmint is mostly carvone and limonene.  

The scientists and essential oil experts at doTERRA understand these things and this is why they offer so many oils:  the chemical make-up determines the therapeutic use of the oils.  

So this month we will learn about some of the more obscure oils.  These are oils that you may not be very familiar with, but still have a valuable role to play in your essential oil toolbox. Stay tuned for lots of learning! 

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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.

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