As essential oils are becoming more popular, many new essential oil brands are competing with the old, offering lower prices by using cheap and synthetic compounds to make their essential oils.

If you have wondered about which are the best essential oil brands, then read no further. I researched these top essential oil brands for year 2021 on their quality, purity, production standards, company ethics, and prices. I also added what their consumers think about their oils, what the official authorities think about their oils, and even compared them.

There are no affiliate or any money links in this informative article. I researched and tested in my time for my professional knowledge, as i believe it is the best way to learn, and I share with you. Below I add my unbiased review as I have no association with any of the essential oil brands mentioned.

To find the best essential oil brands and for this research to be valid, I bought a common essential oil from all of them, and compare it. Each day I spend my time testing each oil as an aromatherapist in training and as an average consumer. After 11 days of trying these essential oil brands and an additional two months of research, here is the result.

Below are the potentially best essential oil brands for 2021:

Rocky Mountain Oils

Located at Orem UT, Rocky Mountain Oils (RMO) operates using a company format (LLC). It was founded in 2004 by a group of wellness enthusiasts and states its goals thus: “to provide essential oils that are pure and safe to use at a cost-effective price.” RMO seeks to expand its line with new oils and purpose-built products. It uses direct to consumer marketing from its website, and through wholesalers and platforms like Amazon, avoiding the MLM model. It also works with affiliates to promote its products.

Quality assurance:

Sourcing

The company sources essential oils from suppliers all around the world. They have established long-term relationships with each supplier. Additionally, every batch of supply is GC/MS tested before acceptance. The country of origin is mentioned in the product labels and the product pages at the website. The essential oil pages also provide the botanical name of the plant, the plant part from the oil was extracted and method of extraction used.

Testing

All essential oil supplies are tested using the GC/MS test protocol that reveals even tiny amounts of any substance in the tested sample. The test results are available through a link on the product pages. The tests are carried out by independent third party labs. Additionally, Standard Operating Procedures involve continuous testing to check for any adulterants and also for true physical characteristics like look and smell. The company makes the S.A.A.F.E Promise of quality covering vetted sourcing, testing every batch of supply, third party GC/MS testing and the Standard Operating Procedure involving a series of tests.

Certifications

The company offers 10 organic oils that are grown and harvested on USDA certified farms. Even in the case of non-certified oils, the company states that they source these from farms that follow organic practices.
No other certifications are seen.

Returns Policy

The company states its returns policy thus: “We are happy to provide our 90 Day No Hassle Return Policy and Satisfaction Guarantee. Our products can be returned for any reason, even if opened, for up to 90 days. A refund back to the original form of payment will be issued after the product is returned.”

Customer Support

The company provides great customer support. The product labels provide valuable information about the oil including country of origin. The product pages contain directions for use and safety tips. Shipping is prompt and there is a 90-day return policy. The website has a Learning section with plenty of materials to learn everything about essential oils. Their Contact Us page provides physical address, phone number and a contact form to send an email.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles, including roll-ons – 82
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 86
• Organic oils – 10

Other products including kits, accessories, CBD, Supplements and more
There are separate listings by use such as cleaning, energy, wellness, mood, sleep, etc.

Pricing

The company’s prices are significantly lower than those of MLM company prices and reviewers consider these are reasonable prices for the quality delivered. Special discounts are offered to professionals.

Company Reviews

The website has a dedicated page titled Fan Reviews that lists reviews by product. Independent reviewers also have great things to say about the company including their focus on essential oils and quality, and great customer service. I also added my full review on this brand and its products here:

Better Business Bureau

The company is not BBB accredited and has an NR rating with no customer reviews or complaints at BBB during the past 36 months.

Corporate Social

The company is moving towards 100% use of recycled material for packaging and also has a recycling program for used bottles including those returned by customers.

Edens garden essential oils

Located at San Clemente CA, Edens Garden is a family owned women operated business. It was started in 2009 by Grace Martin who had been working with companies dealing with holistic products and states its goals thus: “share high-quality, affordable essential oils and make them easily accessible to everyone.”  According to their About Us page, the company has been voted #1 non-MLM essential oil company through a nationwide poll for three years in a row. It uses direct to consumer marketing from its website and through platforms like Amazon, avoiding the MLM model. 

Quality assurance:

Sourcing

The company buys oils from farmers and distillers all over the world. The growers adopt USDA practices for growing the plants avoiding pesticides and other chemicals. The company’s buyers visit the facilities to ensure that accepted standards are being adhered to. All supplies are GC/MS tested before acceptance.

Testing

The GC/MS testing is carried out by third parties and test results are available at the website from each product page. The company also guarantees that the oils are free of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, herbicides, GMOs or harmful chemicals. According to the company: “Our team of experts spend countless hours researching, formulating and testing products before sharing them with our EG community. We’ve taken the time to find healthier ingredients, more sustainable production and advanced blending techniques to make sure we offer the highest quality at the highest value possible.”

Certifications

The company states that they source the oils as far as possible from suppliers who follow organic practices. It also states that they do not test their products on animals and believes in cruelty free practices. Two of the essential oils are certified organic.  Other than these no certifications are seen.

Returns Policy

There is a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy. 

Customer Support

Edens Garden provides a lot of details about each product on the products page. These include botanical name of the plant, the plant part from which the oil was extracted, country of origin, extraction method used and the GC/MS test report. The pages also have usage instructions and safety/ shelf life information. They also maintain a blog that is updated with educational material on essential oils. Their Contact Us page has physical address, phone number and contact form for sending emails. There is also a separate email address for those who want to contact the company’s aroma therapists.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles, including roll-ons – 158
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 88
• Other products including Roll-ons, Carrier Oils, Sets, Body Care products, Diffusers and accessories 

Pricing

Edens Garden prices are at the low end and they avoid wholesale pricing to keep the prices for the final consumer low.

Company Reviews

Reviewers have good things to say about Edens Garden, including the large variety of products they offer. They have also been voted #1 non-MLM essential oil company. You can read my full review here:

Better Business Bureau

The company is not BBB accredited and has a D- rating for not responding to the two complaints received over the last 36 months. There are three customer reviews at BBB with an average rating of nearly 4 out of 5.

Corporate Social

Under their Seeds of Goodness program “a percentage of all profits are given back to a variety of organizations that are doing their part to help build a better tomorrow.”

Plant Therapy Essential Oil Brand

Located at Twin Falls ID, Plant Therapy is a fast growing essential oil brand. Started in 2011, the company grew from an original 1200 square foot facility to over 75000 square foot, plus its own offline and online stores. Marketing is through online and physical retail outlets, using an affiliate program to expand its user base.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources oils from different countries, and states its sourcing policy thus: “Before we even obtain a sample of the oil, we find out everything we can about the farmer, distiller or supplier. We research the background, reputation, commitment to quality” and only then move to looking at the sample. The product pages of essential oils include their country of origin, the specific plant part used to extract the oil and the extraction method.

Testing

In late 2014, Plant Therapy introduced batch-specific GC/MS testing of its essential oils and started printing batch codes on every bottle from 2015. Tests start at sourcing and continue with in-house aroma therapists doing organoleptic testing for smell, and the oils being tested for color, consistency and appearance before being sent to a third party for GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectroscopy) testing. Towards late 2015, the company also became a USDA certified organic facility and had 12 certified organic essential oil blends by 2017.

Certifications

In addition to the organic facility certification from USDA in 2015, Plant Therapy became an EPA Green Power Partner and also gained cruelty-free Leaping Bunny Certification in 2018.

Returns Policy

There is a 90-day, no-questions-asked return policy. Even the cost of return is borne by the company.

Customer Support

Plant Therapy lists the botanical name, extraction method, country of origin, plant part, aromatic scent and GC/MS report on every single essential oil product page. You can also see each essential oil’s GC/MS report by going to its product page and clicking on Test Reports. Plant Therapy has a great Contact Us page with Google Maps, separate contact emails for different tasks such as support, wholesale and retail, as well as phone numbers to contact each.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles, including roll-ons – 167
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 66
• CBD products – 30

Other products including Carrier Oils, Sets, Body Care products, Diffusers and accessories

Pricing

Plant Therapy prices are among the lowest.

Company Reviews

Reviewers have given high ratings to Plant Therapy and its focus on quality and safety. Read my review here:

Better Business Bureau

The company is not BBB accredited and has an A+ rating at BBB. There are eight customer reviews at BBB with an average rating of 4 out of 5. There were two customer complaints at BBB during the last 36 months and both were closed.

Corporate Social

The company’s social commitment is evident from its care for customers, employees and environment. It had worked with a top essential oils expert to develop a line of kid safe products. It also got organic certification for several of its products, and joined the eco-movement becoming a Green Power Partner. The company’s care for its employees has earned honorable mentions as the best place to work in Idaho.

Aura Cacia essential oils and brand information

About the company brand

Located at Norway IA, Aura Cacia has been in business since 1982. It became part of Frontier Coop, a cooperative organization of wholesalers, in 1993. In addition to the rather unique cooperative format of business, both organisations share the values of nourishing people and the planet. Under the cooperative format the business is managed by wholesalers who buy and resell the products. Customers can buy the products directly from Aura Cacia website.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

Aura Cacia sources oils from suppliers all over the world. They select suppliers who share their concerns about “worker safety and fair treatment, sustainable growing practices, environmental stewardship, community involvement and essential oil purity and quality.” Shipments of oils received from the suppliers undergo GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectroscopy) testing

Testing

Aura Cacia website says that that they were among the pioneers for GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectroscopy) testing of essential oils. All supplies received from suppliers are GC/MS tested and the company says that the testing coupled with careful selection of suppliers and close relationship with these trusted suppliers ensure the quality of the oils. The test results are, however, not seen published.

Certifications

The company offers a line of 38 organic essential oils including Bergamot, Black Pepper and Blood Orange. These were extracted from plants certified as organic by Quality Assurance International.

Returns Policy

Returns policy is not clearly stated. Instead there is a message: “For assistance with all returns please call Customer Service” giving a toll-free number to call.

Customer Support

The peel-back labels on the bottles provide a great deal of helpful information including “dilution rates, recipes, sourcing info, and an ingredients list.” Product pages at the website provide the botanical name of the plant, plant part, country of origin and extraction method, and helpful information for using the product. The company offers good customer support providing email and physical addresses, phone numbers and live chat. The process of returning a purchase is also initiated by contacting them.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles – 96
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 61
• Organics – 38
• Roll-ons – 16

Other products including Kits, Body Care and Bath products, Diffusers and accessories

Pricing

The prices are not budget prices but are also not high as those offered by MLM companies.

Brand Reviews

Reviewers are happy with the product quality, variety of products and Aura Cacia’s concern for people and the planet. Read my full review of the Aura Cacia essential oils brand.

Better Business Bureau

The company is not BBB accredited and has an A+ rating at BBB. There have been no customer reviews at BBB while one customer complaint at BBB was closed during the last 36 months.

Corporate Social

The company has created the Aura Cacia Positive Change Project, an annual grant program that supports organizations helping women all over the world to transform their lives.

Fabulous Frannie

About the company brand

Located at Marietta CA, Fabulous Frannie reveals little about the organisation. The About Us and Contact Us pages do not reveal the physical location of the business nor the people behind the venture. The business was established in 2018 and has adopted the company format for doing business. The company sells its products from their site and also through platforms like Amazon.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

Oils are sourced from farmers and suppliers from different countries with whom the company has established “close and long-term” relationships. The suppliers produce GC/MS certificates. The company states that it has these certificates available for each batch they purchase.

Testing

Other than the GC/MS certification of all supplies as above, no other tests seem to be carried out. The website and product pages do not mention any other tests. 

Certifications

Regarding certification, here is what the company has to say: “Contrary to popular belief, there is no agency which provides “certification.” Some essential oil companies may use terminology like “certified pure therapeutic grade,” but itʼs purely a marketing strategy.” As to organic certification: “Most plants that produce essential oils have the natural ability to defend themselves against pests and donʼt need pesticides, however, this is not always the case. Sometimes growers will experience fungal issues and use chemicals to prevent the loss of crops. If the plant has been sprayed, the chemicals will not distill since their molecules are too large; theyʼll be left behind with the unused plant material.”

Returns Policy

The company has a seven day return policy. “If you are not 100% satisfied with the product, you can return the product within that period. Damaged goods are replaced against proof in the form of a digital or cell phone image, free of cost.”

Customer Support

The company provides key information about each product on the product pages, including: botanical name of the plant and the plant part (from which the oil was extracted), method of extraction, country of origin, safety information and best oils to blend with. The contact us page at the website provides email address, and phone and fax numbers.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles – 107
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 50
• Other products including Chakra Oils, Sets, Body Care and Bath products, Soy Candles and Melties and accessories 

Pricing

The prices they offer are generally on the lower side, much lower than those of companies using the MLM marketing model.

Company Reviews

As a two-year old company, Fabulous Frannie seems not to have attracted reviewer attention. A ReviewMeta page that analyses Amazon customer reviews reports an adjusted rating of 4 out of 5 for the company. Also i did my personal review on the Fabulous Frannie brand and its essential oils here:

Better Business Bureau

The company is not BBB accredited and has an A rating at BBB. There have been no customer reviews or complaints at BBB during the last 36 months. The BBB page also mentions the location of the company at Marietta CA.

Corporate Social

The company does not seem to be engaged in any special social responsibility activities.

Revive: Company + Essential Oils Information

About the company brand

Located at San Francisco CA, Revive is another essential oil brand that does not reveal much about itself. There is no About Us page and the social media pages for the business also do not reveal information about the people behind the venture. Revive sells its products from its website and also through platforms like Amazon.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources the oils from different countries, where these are grown in the wild without application of pesticides and fertilizers. In effect, this means that the plants are organic. The oils received are GC/MS tested in USA.

Testing

The GC/MS tests are carried out by Dr Poppas and his Essential Oils University. The results of the tests are available at a page on the company’s website. In addition, the oils undergo a battery of 20 internal tests listed on the FAQ page of the website.

Certifications

11 of the essential oils have received USDA organic certification.

Returns Policy

There is a 100-day return policy supplemented with refund of even the cost of shipping.  

Customer Support

The product pages of essential oils at the website give details like the botanical name of the plant, the plant part from which oil was extracted and country of origin. The contact us page provides contact details, the physical location of the business and a text chat option.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles – 116
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 91
• Roll-ons – 25
• Other products including, 30ML packs, kits and accessories

Pricing

Revive prices are at the low end and much less than those of MLM companies. In fact, there is a price comparison chart at their website comparing their prices to MLM prices.

Company Reviews

A Reviews page at the website has 681 five-star ratings from customers out of a total 724 reviews. Reviewers generally have good things to say about the company, including its practices of extracting oils from wild plants and the 100-day refund with cost of shipping.

Read full review here:

Better Business Bureau

BBB does not seem to have any information about the business.

Corporate Social

The company does not seem to be engaged in any special social responsibility activities.

Now – Essential Oils

About the company brand

Located at Bloomingdale, IL, with offices at Sparks, NV and Roselle, IL, essential oils are just one of the product lines offered by NOW® Foods, who has been in the business of natural products since 1968. The company’s stated goal is to empower people to lead healthier lives. Now® Foods markets supplements like Vitamin D-3, beauty and health products like Avocado Oil, sports nutrition like Whey Protein Isolate, natural foods like Green Tea Powder and pet health products like Flea & Tick Spray in addition to essential oils. The number of its products exceeds 1400. Now® sells its products through local health food stores and a Store Locator helps you find a store nearest to you.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources its oils from suppliers around the globe. It screens and audits every supplier to assess their capabilities, practices and compliance standards. Additionally the company carries out identity and safety testing of the raw materials to ensure that they meet rigorous specifications for purity and is free of pesticides/ chemicals, heavy metals and adulterants.

Testing

At its plant, the oils undergo several physical and physiochemical tests including:

• Instrumental testing such as Refractive Index, Optical Rotation, Specific Gravity, Gas Chromatography (GC), and Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS);
• Organoleptic Evaluation, focusing on appearance and odor.

The company’s website has a whole page describing these tests and their significance. All tests seem to be carried out at the company’s state-of-the-art lab.

Certifications

Oils are certified as organic if the supplier produces a certification from Quality Assurance International that the plants are grown organically. . The supplier produces their organic certificate issued under the authorization of Quality Assurance International.

Returns Policy

For returns of products purchased directly from Now Foods and for product feedback, customers can use a link on the Contact Us form.

Customer Support

Product pages provide helpful information on usage and safety of the product.  There is also a page dedicated to safety data sheets for all essential oils. The Contact Us form provides physical addresses and phone numbers for the different offices of the company, and a contact form that can be completed and sent to the company.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles – 57
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 25
• Organic oils – 22
• Other essential oil related products include kits

Pricing

The prices offered by Now® are the lowest. In fact, the prices are so low that many prospects wonder whether the company is supplying high quality products. It is possible that the company can afford such low prices owing to the fact that it has profitable products in other lines.

Company Reviews

Reviewers generally have good things to say about the company and its low prices, which one reviewer attributes to bulk purchases and resultant savings plus profits from the non-oil lines of products. I reviewed this brand here:

Better Business Bureau

The company has been registered at BBB since 7/12/2018 and it has an A+ rating. As this is a multi-product company with essential oils being only ore line of products, the few customer ratings do not seem to be relevant for the essential oils business.

Corporate Social

Now Foods make donations to many organizations engaged in meeting local and world needs and disaster relief, and conservation activities.

Young Living Essential Oils

About the brand

Located at Lehi, Utah, Young Living has offices in Australia, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Singapore, as well as farms around the world. It was started as a small organic herb farming and distillation operation in 1993 and started as Young Living next year. The company uses the MLM model of marketing. It enrols members who get 24% off the retail price and get other benefits, including commissions for enrolling others. 

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources oils from farms that follow specified standards for planting, growing, harvesting, distilling and producing essential oils. The farms include their own farms, partner farms and Seed to Seal® certified suppliers. The company engages experts to validate that agreed standards are being upheld. All supplies are tested before acceptance and those that fail the tests are either not purchased or are rejected.

Testing

The company has set up a state-of-the-art lab for carrying out quality control tests. Their quality control team uses a battery of physical, chemical, and microbiological scientific tests to measure the exact components and properties of our essential oils. “Testing begins at our farms and continues all the way through the final stages prior to shipment to our customers.”

Product pages at the company’s website do not consistently indicate the extraction method used for each essential oil. Some pages do; others do not. GC/MS test results are also not clearly displayed. These do affect the otherwise high quality image.

Certifications

The company has developed its own Seed to Seal® quality control program. The program is based on “Source, Science and Standards.”  Sourcing is from farms that follow specified practices. Science is represented by a state-of-the-art lab the company has set up. The standards component involves improving farming and quality control practices on a continuing basis. No external certifications are seen obtained.

Returns Policy

The company’s website does not mention any returns policy clearly. It is likely that returns can be done by contacting them through the Contact Us or Live Help links.

Customer Support

Young Living does not seem to reveal clearly how their products are extracted and distilled. Some product pages indicate that the relevant product was obtained using a specific method. Other product pages do not mention the extraction method. Test results are also not published. The Contact Us page provides extensive contact options but seems focused on MLM members rather than final users. There is also a Live Help link at the top of the website.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles – 88
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 77
• Dietary oils – 48
• Other products include roll-ons, massage oils, body care products and health supplements

Pricing

Young Living prices are quite high among essential oil companies. 

Company Reviews

Reviewers mention the MLM model and high prices of the company, as also the run-ins with FDA that company had. They feel that the company was able to survive these because of the high quality of its products. 

Full Review on the Young Living Brand and its Essential Oils here:

Better Business Bureau

Young Living is not a BBB accredited company. Its rating at BBB is NR, indicating that the organisation does not have sufficient information to provide a rating. 91 complaints against the company have been closed during the last 36 months and the average of 76 customer ratings is 3 out of 5 (a low rating attributed by one customer, who has given a five-star rating to the company for quality, to possible poor deliveries during the Covid19 pandemic).

Corporate Social

Young Living “appreciates and celebrates diversity” and “supports a culture of inclusion that we extend to our employees, customers, and business builders globally.”

Healing Solutions Essential Oils & Company Information

About the company

Located at Phoenix AZ, Healing Solutions states its goal thus: “… to provide our customers with the same high quality essential oils and blends that would usually be found only in small boutiques. To do this, we work exclusively with some of the world’s most renowned essential oil suppliers.” The About Us and Contact pages do not provide details about the persons behind the venture. The company sells its products directly from its site and through platforms such as Amazon, and does not use MLM.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources oils from all over the world and the country of origin is mentioned on the product labels. Fuller details about sourcing are not available. 

Testing

The company has set up an internal lab and has started GC/MS testing of its oils. It was in the process of expanding the testing to all the oils. In the meanwhile test results are available on a dedicated gc-ms-results page and also from the pages of the products which have been tested

Certifications

Many of the oils sold by the company are certified as organic by USDA and there are dedicated listings for organic oils and blends at the website.

Returns Policy

An unusual feature is the lifetime guarantee the company provides. If a buyer feels dissatisfied with a purchase anytime, the person can contact the company and they will “find a way to make it right.”

Customer Support

The company offers its products in 10ML, 30ML and 60ML bottles and buyers can save money by buying the larger size packs. The product pages provide a good deal of helpful information, including a link to test results. The Contact Us page provides physical and email addresses, phone number and a contact form.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential and Carrier oil singles – 152
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 29
• Other products include diffusers and sprays, and numerous other products related to oils.

Pricing

Healing Solutions prices are not cheap but are also not as high as those of MLM suppliers. 

Company Reviews

Though it has received generally good customer reviews, there are some complaints about leaking bottles owing to loose caps. Read my full review about Healing Solutions company and it’s essential oils here:

Better Business Bureau

The company is not accredited with BBB. However, it is given an A+ rating based on BBB’s view on how the company is likely to deal with its customers. There were no customer reviews at BBB and there has been just one complaint about the company at BBB during the past three years.

Corporate Social

No special corporate social responsibility activities are evident from the website.

Plant Guru

About the Company Brand

Located at Plainfield NJ, Plant Guru describes itself as a small family business that focuses on providing essential oils at affordable prices. Their website states that they do not use advertising or MLM and has no marketing plan. However, they do invite site visitors to become wholesalers provided they can submit a W-9 form and tax id. They also offer private labelling of the oils.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

Plant Guru says that they source oils from suppliers who meet USDA standards and that all oils undergo third party GC/MS testing. However full details about sourcing practices are not available and the product pages do not mention the country of origin. The product pages of essential oils do mention the plant and plant part from which the oil is extracted and the extraction method used.

Testing

The company’s oils are tested by an independent Canadian laboratory, the Laboratoire Phytochemia, Test results are available on a dedicated gc-ms-tests page and also through a link on the product pages. Some products, however, do not appear to undergo these tests and are marked “Coming Soon.”

Certifications

The company lists 11 essential oils as organic. Certification methods do not seem clear. Several other products under the Herbs & Ingredients are also listed as organic.

Returns Policy

Return policy is not clear as we could not find any mention about it at the website. It is likely that customers who want return products can do it by contacting them through the Contact Us page.

Customer Support

The company offers its products in 5ML, 10ML, 30ML, 2OZ and 4OZ bottles and buyers can save money by buying the larger size packs. The product pages provide helpful information, including a link to test results. The Contact Us page provides physical and email addresses, phone number and a contact form.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential oil singles (including 11 organic) – 99
• Blends of two or more oils and roll-ons – 34
• Other products include diffusers, carrier oils, herbs/botanicals, butters and a few other products.

Pricing

Plant Guru’s prices are quite affordable with its 30ML prices comparable to 15ML prices of other low price sellers.

Company Reviews

ReviewMeta that analyses Amazon reviews has given an adjusted rating of 4 out of 5 for Plant Guru after analysing 18705 reviews (many of which were removed as unnatural). 
Read my review on the Plant Guru brand on this page.

Better Business Bureau

The company is not accredited with BBB. It is given an F rating for failure to respond to three customer complaints. There was one customer review at BBB with a rating  of 1 out of 5 and 8 complaints have been closed at BBB during the past three years.

Corporate Social

No special corporate social responsibility activities are evident from the website.

doTERRA: Essential Oils, Company & Brand Information

About the company

Located at Pleasant Grove UT, doTERRA (a word that means “Gift of the Earth”) was founded in 2004 by a group of healthcare and business professionals. The company uses the MLM model of direct marketing, justifying it on the grounds that it allows customers to buy products from someone they know and trust, and also allows the sellers to achieve financial independence.

Quality assurance

Sourcing

The company sources essential oils from farmers and distillers in over 40 countries. It has developed a Co-Impact Sourcing® program under which the company educates the suppliers, who live mostly in developing countries, and tries to make a difference in their lives. It has also developed a relationship of trust with these suppliers, who follow the rigorous quality standards as per the agreements.

Testing

The company has also developed a quality control program to produce oils that are CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade®. The program involves protocol for “a rigorous examination of every batch of oil, along with third-party testing to guarantee transparency.” It has created a state-of-the-art testing laboratory in-house and mentions that on an average it runs 176 analyses on the life of a single oil. By entering the unique quality ID on the bottle, buyers can view GC/MS test results provided by an independent third party lab.

Certifications

doTerra does not  seem to place much emphasis on organic or external certifications even though it says that it sources oils from farmers who do not use pesticides or other chemicals.

Returns Policy

Returns policy is outlined on a Returns Process page thus: “Approval from doTERRA, either by telephone or writing, must be received prior to the return of the shipment. This is to help us assist you best so that you can receive your refund, exchange, or replacement quickly and promptly.” Forms are provided for returning products.

Customer Support

Product pages of essential oils indicate the plant part from which the oil was extracted and the extraction method used, in addition to a lot of other helpful information. The contact us page provides physical and email addresses, specific contact points, phone numbers and a live chat.

Products

The company lists:

• Essential and Carrier oil singles – 68
• Blends of two or more oils including roll-ons – 58
• OTC products (such as Sanitising Mists) – 16
• Other products include accessories such as diffusers, body care products, salon and spa products and health supplements.

Pricing

doTerra prices are on the high side, a phenomenon common to MLM companies.

Company Reviews

doTerra products have generally received good reviews at Amazon. Metareview indicates some products with a rating of 4.9/5 and others with 4.4/5. Even if their essentil oils are good, web reviews by aroma therapists indicate dissatisfaction with their practice of appointing unqualified persons as sales representatives under the MLM arrangement. Some of these representatives might make false claims about the products in their eagerness to sell these and this could harm the users.
This is normal in the MLM Companies as there is competitivenes between coleagues.
Read my full doTERRA brand review.

Better Business Bureau

doTERRA International, Inc. is a BBB accredited company that has been given an A+ rating. Average of 39 customer reviews is a rating of 3 out of 5. There have been 36 customer complaints were closed at BBB during the past 36months. BBB page mentions about an FDA warning to doTerra for claiming on social media that Covid19 can be treated or prevented with their products, and also for stating the doTerra representatives are likely to earn substantial incomes

Corporate Social

The company is actively engaged in helping the communities of farmers, harvesters and distillers located in developing countries from whom they get their supplies through their Co-impact Sourcing® and Healing Hands Foundation® programs

Need to know information before choosing an essential oil brand and using essential oils

Why use essential oils?

Studies have found that certain essential oils deliver therapeutic benefits. For example, 

• Lavender oil has antibacterial properties and can remove foot odor if you apply it to your feet before bed
• Peppermint oil (mixed with olive oil to avoid skin irritation) can be massaged on your forehead and temples to numb the pain of a headache. 
• Eucalyptus oil can be used for a steam treatment to relieve congested sinuses.

Other than a few such proven cases, many other claims about the therapeutic benefits of different essential oils might not be correct. 

However, the oils deliver a major benefit in the form of their aromas.

Foul odors can upset you in a big way. On the other hand, nice smells can lift your mood, and certain fragrances can transport you to a different virtual world. This is the major benefit of essential oils as a class.

Use a diffuser to spread the aroma around your space, whether it is your room, car or office space. Or carry it around with you using a necklace diffuser. You should find life much better!

Let us now look at some practical things about essential oils. 

Producing essential oils

Essential oils are produced by extracting oils from plants or plant parts like stem, seed, fruit, flower, bark or root. There are different extraction methods. The most common methods are:

• Steam Extraction: Steam is passed through the biological (plant or plant part) under pressure. This resultant steam and oil mixture is then passed through a condenser to another vessel. Oil and water separates naturally in this vessel and are separated.
• Cold Press: This is a physical process where oil bearing sacs in the peels of citrus fruits like orange are pierced and the peel is subjected to physical pressure. Oil flows out from the peels.
• Solvent Extraction: Using the above methods might not be optimal in the case materials like flowers. In such cases, the materials are dissolved in a solvent that dissolves the oil, fatty acids and waxes contained in the biological. The solvent is then removed and alcohol is used to separate the oil from fatty acids and waxes.

The first two of these methods yield the purest oils and is used wherever possible by oil producers who care for quality.

Ensuring purity

The concentrated oils are typically expensive and some producers might adulterate oils with cheap substances like synthetics and cheap oils. Also, unless the oil extraction is carried out in an extremely clean environment it might happen that the essential oil gets contaminated with extraneous materials.

Professional distillers tend to carry out a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) test on every batch of oil they produce. The GC/MS test can reveal even tiny amounts of any substance in the tested sample. Essential oil companies that buy oils from these producers ask for the GC/MS test results before accepting each batch of oil.

Ensuring aromatic and therapeutic qualities

Sourcing the oils from their original locations is a key requirement to deliver an authentic experience. Plants grow best in their natural habitats – soils, climate, elevation, etc. Additionally, traditional growers in these original locations would have gained invaluable insights about growing healthy plants. These cannot be replicated if the cultivation is relocated.

In addition to the GC/MS test, companies typically carry out other tests to ensure that their oils deliver the authentic aroma and the therapeutic benefits associated with the oil. Tests like organoleptic tests check the look and smell of the oils before they are bottled. 

Unlike GC/MS tests, which are often carried out by independent third parties, these additional tests are usually carried out in-house.

Comparing essential oils and choosing the best essential oil brand for you

If you are serious about enjoying the benefits of essential oils and want to find the best essential oil brand for you, then follow these steps:

1. In my post i have mentioned reviews, but you can go in more depth by reading reviews of company brands and the quality of their essential oils.
2. Compare essential oil products side by side as i have in the table above.
3. Once you identified few potential brands for 2021 from the list above, do your research and try their essential oils and see what works for you. 

You might be a person who enjoys essential oils, or someone who want to sell them or even do both. No matter what is your goal for getting involved with essential oils, these steps will be same. Find out which essential oils or company brand works best for you by personally comparing, testing and excluding previously made assumptions written on internet.

I wish you all the best and enjoy 😉