doTERRA Review (2023): Better Than Other Essential Oil Companies?

Updated On: November 27, 2023

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Welcome to my doTERRA review. My goal is to answer common questions like: how much it costs, if it's a scam, and if you can actually make money with it. The end goal is to help you understand if it's a good fit for you personally, and if there are any better alternatives out there.
doTERRA Review

This doTERRA review has been throughly researched with information and testimonials that are available online to anyone in the public. Any conclusions drawn by myself are opinions.

Table of Contents

Program At A Glance

What I liked
Great support system
Earn free products through loyalty programs
Fast track bonus
What I Didn’t Like
It has a signup fee of $35
No proprietary oils
Products are a little expensive

Choosing the best MLM to join might be challenging because potential recruiters and detractors are constantly lurking around the corner.

I’ve been on the receiving end of those recruitments and have also been the one doing the recruiting.

The reality is that there’s no such thing as one single best MLM business for everybody.

What works for one person will not work for another, and that’s just the way it is.

One person may enjoy makeup/beauty MLMs, while another doesn’t, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

One person might benefit from weight-loss MLMs, while another would benefit from a weight-gain product instead.

For today’s review (as I did in my last MLM review on Young Living), I’ll be focusing on another essential oil company, dōTERRA.

For those unaware, the global essential oils market was estimated at $7.03 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.65% from 2019 to 2026, reaching $14.6 billion by the end of 2026.

So anyway, as I was saying earlier, I’m going to uncover dōTERRA to decide if it really is the best MLM business out there.

I’ll talk about whether multi-level marketing is the right online business for you.

MLMs like dōTERRA are a bit of a mixed bag. They CAN be a legitimate way to make money, but some have a reputation for literally ruining people’s lives – so it’s important to know what you’re getting, since each one is unique.

Like most of my readers, you were probably introduced to this one via a friend or some influencer you trust online.

And it makes sense why so many people recommend them:

Making money outside of a 9-5 can be… life-changing, to say the least.

So in this article, I want to help you explore two things:

  1. If MLMs are actually a worthwhile business to pursue
  2. If dōTERRA is a worthwhile MLM

Before that, I want to clear the air on something.

There are A LOT of people out there who bash all MLMs in any form. However, I’m not one of those people.

Instead, I want to genuinely educate you about them so that you can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

If you’re unfamiliar with what MLMs actually do:

They’re businesses in which you pay money to a company for the ability to sell their products.

Sometimes the products are actually kind of decent (I still remember my mom throwing Pampered Chef parties when I was younger).

Other times the products are really poorly made and come with a high price tag.

Typically, the only way to really make money is to get people (mostly friends & family) to sign up with you for a recurring subscription.

If the product is 100% legitimate & valuable, it’s entirely possible to get people to sign-up and continue paying you.

If the product is subpar, you’ll usually burn those bridges kinda quickly and end up with $0 coming in each month.

The biggest issue I’ve seen is that this puts significant stress on your personal relationships, as you’re reliant on selling to your “network.”

Think about it: if you KNEW that every time your friend Sally called, she’d be trying to sell you on one of her products… you’d eventually stop answering Sally’s calls.

Now, this doesn’t mean MLMs are outright bad… it means you need to know what type of MLM you’re getting yourself into before you sign up.

Again, some MLMs provide real value to people, but MOST don’t – and so in this article, I’m going to explore what the case is with dōTERRA.

But before that, I want to ask you a question: what if there was a way to build actual recurring, semi-passive income?

Income that:

  • Doesn’t have inventory
  • Doesn’t make you sell to your friends & family
  • Doesn’t force you to recruit people onto your “team”

Something that you could make anywhere from $2,000 – $10,000 with consistently, month after month?

A stream of income that you can build as high (or low) as you feel like building it?

If that sounds interesting, you might want to think about using the Digital Rental Method.

If you wanna see what dōTERRA looks like on the inside, keep reading.

What Is dōTERRA?

What Is doTERRA

The company dōTERRA, located in Pleasant Grove, Utah, sells essential oils and associated goods via a global network of over a million independent salespeople known as Wellness Advocates.

Former employees and executives from Young Living and other network marketing companies, led by David Stirling, Dr. David Hill, and others, established a company in 2008 and named it dōTERRA. This Latin word means “Gift of the Earth.”

dōTERRA currently has offices in 17 countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, in addition to the United States.

In addition to its oils, which consumers (like your family) and healthcare providers use, the company also sells oil-infused products, such as personal care and spa products, dietary supplements, and healthy living products.

It has approximately 3,000 employees in the United States.

When you learn more about dōTERRA in this review, you’ll see that the strategic approach of the company revolves around two major objectives:

  1. Promoting a wellness lifestyle and educating people about the numerous benefits of doTERRA essential oils.
  2. Offer a continuously expanding range of essential oil-related products to sell and recruit others into the MLM sector through their Wellness Advocates.

According to Emily Wright, the company’s Founding Executive and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, the company was founded with a social enterprise mentality.

dōTERRA’s central mission is to improve the lives of its customers through natural products and education,” she said.

The company has two social initiatives, the dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation (HHF) and the supply chain program known as “co-impact sourcing,” which was initiated in 2013 and has also contributed to the company’s social purpose.

Where Is dōTERRA Headquarters?

dōTERRA‘s international headquarters may be found in the lovely city of Pleasant Grove, Utah.

This shows the incredible potential and expansion of the organization.

The campus, which spans over 610,000 square feet and is open to the public, is home to doTERRA’s 3,000 corporate employees.

How Are Essential Oils Extracted By dōTERRA?

How Are Essential Oils Extracted By doTERRA

dōTERRA essential oils are extracted in two ways: The steam distillation process and expression.

Steam Distillation:

Steam Distillation

A lowheat steam distillation process is the most common way of extracting essential oils.

Pressurized steam is circulated through plant material in this process.

The plant’s natural oils are released and taken out by steam.

The water and oils separate automatically as the steam cools and the oil is collected.

Temperature and pressure must be carefully controlled to ensure the best essential oil quality extract with the right chemical composition. 

The oil won’t release if there’s insufficient heat or pressure; if there is excessive heat or pressure, the oil’s composition and potency will be compromised.

Expression

doTERRA_Science_FB_ColdExpression

Expression, also known as “cold pressing,” doesn’t use heat, unlike steam distillation.

Oil is extracted from the product under mechanical pressure in this process.

All of dōTERRA’s citrus oils, namely Wild Orange, Lemon, Lime, Bergamot, and Grapefruit, are extracted from the rind using expression.

Is dōTERRA A Good Product?

Is doTERRA A Good Product

Strong “green” consumerism and the rising allure of natural substances for use in food preservation and sensory elements boost the market for dōTERRA essential oils.

When it comes to product research, today’s buyer is much savvier, especially in light of recent Doterra reviews about the risks of different chemicals and the use of artificial additives in our foods and household products.

Simply put, people are becoming more interested in purchasing natural, holistic, and healthy alternatives to their products.

Essential oil enthusiasts love that these potent organic compounds are all-natural and can be incorporated into various health, wellness, and skincare products.

DoTERRA has done a better job than other companies at capitalizing on this new mega-trend.

I’m not just referring to rubbing tea tree oil onto the skin or diffusing doTERRA Lavender oil from an aromatherapy diffuser.

It’s an entire line of essential oil-infused items, including shampoo, deodorant, skin cleansers, lotions, nutritious shakes, and dietary supplements (for adults and children), among other things.

They also have the doTERRA Kid’s Oil Collection, made up of gentle blends that are said to be suitable for children of all ages.

These kid’s oils are intended for use under the supervision of an adult. Keep these products out of reach of children under the age of three.

Do dōTERRA Oils Actually Work?

Do doTERRA Oils Actually Work

Essential oils and their medicinal benefits have been the subject of extensive research. But despite this, the field of science is still in its infancy.

I’m not aware of any research that has incorporated DoTERRA oils. However, there’s no evidence to suggest they wouldn’t work based on client feedback.

The brand would not have been as well-known if the oils were of poor quality. Some people are doubtful about the assertions made on their products as being “therapeutic grade essential oils.”

For instance, there isn’t any evidence to suggest that their Onguard oil will help improve immunity.

But it isn’t because they have been proven false.

It’s just that no trials have been completed yet.

For so many years, folk medicine practitioners, such as that of the Ayurvedic and Ancient Chinese Medicine systems, have promoted alternative health practices, such as using different essential oils.

They are repeatedly shown to be right.

Now that Western science is catching up with them, they realize that folk medicine can be very beneficial when used as part of a larger plan.

Are dōTERRA Essential Oil Products Pure?

Are doTERRA Essential Oil Products Pure

Each bottle of dōTERRA essential oil meets rigorous quality requirements thanks to the CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade process, which ensures that the oil is 100% pure and has no harmful additives or traces of synthetic chemicals or pesticides.

To ensure accountability, the CPTG procedure involves a thorough inspection of each batch of oil, as well as third-party testing.

dōTERRA starts the CPTG testing procedure shortly after distillation, which involves examining each oil’s chemical composition. 

The second round of testing is performed at the dōTERRA production facility to guarantee that the oils distilled and tested in the first round are the same ones that arrived at their facility.

Before the oils are packed into bottles and delivered to customers, a third study of the chemistry of the dōTERRA‘s oils is undertaken.

Each test verifies that doTERRA’s oils are free of toxins and that there have been no unexpected changes throughout production.

Is MLM dōTERRA A Pyramid Scheme?

Is MLM doTERRA A Pyramid Scheme Business

This analysis concludes that the classification of dōTERRA as a pyramid scheme is very subjective.

According to Wikipedia…

“A pyramid scheme is a business model that recruits members by promising payments or services in exchange for enrolling new members into the scheme, rather than providing investments or product sales” .

Members are not purely reliant on recruiting for income because the business has a legitimate product to sell.

I can’t label this company as a pyramid scheme just because some aggressive dōTERRA Wellness Advocates (who the company can’t always control) push ethical margins when recruiting.

Furthermore, the products are of exceptional quality and undergo extensive testing to ensure their purity.

That really is a lot of investment and effort to develop and grow their products.

Therefore, while many believe all MLMs are pyramid schemes, dōTERRA is not one.

Based on the company, it is entirely possible to build a profitable, successful MLM business.

However, people tend to have better success with business models that don’t involve MLM.

My #1 pick proves this.

And unlike dōTERRA, it actually provides real proof of real success from real people as recently as a few days ago.

Can I Make Money With dōTERRA As A Wellness Advocate?

Can I Make Money With doTERRA Business As A Wellness Advocate

There’s a lot that comes along with MLM that many people struggle with.

In fact, check out my Top 5 Reason Why Most Network Marketers Fail.

Now, don’t get me wrong…

You can certainly make money with Network Marketing, but if you’re gonna put in the amount of grueling work to do this business (which, trust me, isn’t easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money while you’re learning the ropes.

The program that helped skyrocket my online business to $40,000+ per month is so simple that making money really does become second nature.

To answer that, let’s take a look at their compensation plan.

What Is dōTERRA’s Business Compensation Plan?

What Is The MLM DoTERRA Business Compensation Plan

In four distinct methods, Wellness Advocates, distributors, and prospects in dōTERRA‘s business opportunity may earn compensation:

  • Retail Bonus – All of your retail purchases earn you a 25% commission.
  • Fast Start Bonus – Within the first 60 days, earn a higher percentage from your first three downline levels (20% for Level 1, 10% for Level 2, and 5% for Level 3).
  • Power of Three Bonus – The Power of Three Bonus is a $50, $250, or $1,500 monthly bonus. Structure and team volume will help distributors accomplish these goals. As you build the structure required to qualify for Power of 3, you can also build the organization required to rise through the ranks of dōTERRA leadership. This would mean the 3 distributors will purchase more than the usual purchase.
  • Unilevel Bonus – You can earn a percentage of your downlines’ overrides up to seven levels downwards. You will need to encourage your downlines to purchase more and more.

Unilevel bonuses are where you’ll find your genuine passive revenue. dōTERRA differs from other essential oil brands since its unilevel commissions rise as one moves down the tiers.

What Is The dōTERRA Loyalty Rewards Program?

What Is The doTERRA Loyalty Rewards Program

Monthly orders are automatically placed as part of the Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP). With it, you may personalize your recurring monthly order, rack up points for freebies and bonus eligibility, and more.

The dōTERRA Loyalty Rewards Program is briefly described here:

  • The Loyalty Order must be processed each month before the 28th of the month.
  • If necessary, you can schedule a Loyalty Order after the 28th of the month using the “Proceed to Checkout” button, but any date after the 28th cannot be stored as a recurring process date.
  • A minimum of 1 Product Volume (PV) must be the value of your order.
  • You won’t be able to place the order on hold or skip a month. You may, however, reduce the order size to something more manageable for you or adjust the date of your order to coincide with a payday.
  • If you aren’t home to receive your package, you can change the mailing address to a more convenient location.
  • Ensure all changes are made and saved no later than 11:59 p.m. the day before it’s processed (Mountain Time).
  • You can get a percentage of your order’s PV points for each qualifying Loyalty Order you place. This can be exchanged for free products later.
  • When calculating points, consider the PV of your order, not the dollar amount.
  • The percentage of points that you earn can vary. Everyone begins with a 10% level.
  • The percentages increase depending on how many months you’ve ordered 50 PV or more and how long you’ve been on your LRP without canceling.
  • For every 50 PV orders or more for three consecutive months, your percentage will increase by 5%. At 30%, you’ve reached your limit (after thirteen months of consistent orders above 50 PV).
  • Orders with less than 50 PV do not help you increase your percentage or earn points, but they help you keep the ones you’ve already earned.

dōTERRA Products: Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Check out what some buyers think about dōTERRA‘s Lavender oil below!

(Out of 3,711 customer reviews, 87% gave 5-star ratings, 7% gave 4-star ratings, 3% gave 3-star ratings, 1% gave 2-star ratings, and 2% of the customer reviews gave a 1-star rating.)

The following are a few customer reviews you can find on Amazon:

“With the amount of time I’m now spending at work, I’m in desperate need of some downtime when I get home. After some research, I decided to purchase both the doTERRA Lavender Essential Oil, 15 ml, and the Silent Mind Antique Design Tibetan Singing Bowl Set With Mallet & Silk Cushion For Meditation, Chakra Healing, Prayer, Yoga, and Mindfulness Perfect Gift. I dab a little amount of the oil on my temples, hit the singing bowl a few times, and close my eyes. I will open them feeling fully cleansed of the day by the time the bowl has finished ringing. Though it isn’t overpowering, it is the most authentic-smelling lavender essential oil I’ve bought. It makes it so easy for me to fall asleep, and it’s also perfect in the water!”

-Irene Mendoza

“I can only use dōTERRA essential oils. For several years, I worked for dōTERRA. I’m a reiki practitioner and natural fitness and wellbeing consultant. In contrast to most other brands, dōTERRA’s purity and efficacy are unrivaled. It’s true that a little goes a long way. You can smell the difference even with scent, so whether you’re using it topically or with other herbal therapies, dōTERRA is the way to go. Lavendar is something I put in lotion with cbd and their peppermint essential oil, and it helps with muscle pain and relaxation. It’s ice hot in a normal way. Lavendar also aids in my sleep and reduces my anxiety. dōTERRA is the very best! It isn’t the cheapest, but as I previously said, a little goes a long way and it works wonders.”

-Jahara Abbassi

Are There Alternatives To dōTERRA?

Other MLM Companies To Choose From

Yes, there are plenty of MLM companies to choose from if you want to pursue this business model. Here are just a few: 

Is dōTERRA A Scam?

Is It A Scam

So, time for the $1,000,000 question: is dōTERRA a scam?

No, not technically. They aren’t going to run off with your money and not give you what you paid for. It’s 100% possible to make money with this program.

That being said, it’s not nearly as simple as they want you to think it is.

There’s A LOT of work to be done upfront and no guarantee that you’ll be successful. The commissions are also fairly small.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for doing hard work now, so that I can reap the benefits later.

But if you’re going to work really hard for 3 months, and your reward is a $100 check… it’s not really a great opportunity.

Read Our In Depth Breakdown Of The Top 5 OppMLM Courses For 2024

Did doTERRA Make The List?

If I’m gonna do that, I want the rewards to be HIGH and virtually guaranteed.

I’d rather put in that same 3 months of work (in my spare time) & build a handful of Digital Rental Properties that each produce $500-$2,000 checks every single month afterward (AKA recurring income).

And the cool part is that you can do it in a lot less time than 3-months (I personally did it in my first 2 weeks of using the Digital Rental Method).

Unlike with MLMs, you can do it from anywhere in the world, so it’s a genuine “laptop-lifestyle” business.

All you need is an internet connection.

Some of my friends are Digital Rental Method that run their 6-figure businesses from:

  • Camping trips at national parks
  • Beachfront in Hawaii
  • On the road in a camper van (with a pet pig!)

They focus on living an enjoyable life first, and focus on income second. All thanks to this program

They can take weeks or months off, and money keeps rolling in.

Living happily is the top priority.

If the thought of living perpetually at your dream vacation spot interests you, using the Digital Rental Method might be for you!

What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2022?

Make Money Online With Digital Landlord

I’ve personally tried all of the major online business models:

  • I’ve sold fidget spinners through Amazon FBA
  • I’ve drop-shipped a toilet bowl putting green on Shopify
  • I’ve sold women’s health supplements via Clickbank affiliate marketing

And I made money with all of them, so trust me when I say: there is no “perfect” business model.

I’ve also been on the other side of old friends trying to sell me their fancy new MLM products.

That being said, my #1 recommendation for making real money online is, hands-down: being a Digital Landlord.

Whether you’re a complete newbie, or you’ve been around the block before but have never had that “big win” to propel you forward, using the Digital Rental Method is for you.

Why?

Time: If you’ve got a spare hour or two each day, you can do this. If you want to drop everything and go all in, you can do this. More time obviously means faster results, but even putting in a few hours per day is enough to see real success.

And because of that flexibility, you don’t need to trade your time for money. Once the income starts, it’s recurring.

That means you can take a month off, travel the country, pursue a passion project, chill on the beach, or charter a boat across the world.

But you can only do that once you’ve created an income stream that doesn’t require YOU to be there all day, every day.

Ownership & Control: With MLMs, you don’t really “own” anything – everything belongs to the MLM.

If you read the contracts, they can kick you out or change your commission at any time (it’s happened recently in a few high-profile MLM cases).

Why pour your soul into a business that could be taken away from you at the drop of a dime?

With the Digital Rental Method, you literally own all of the assets, which means you have ultimate control.

Big Margins: With MLMs, you’re often going to have really slim margins. That means you need to have a VERY large network to make serious money. This usually entails spending A LOT of money on ads and other methods for recruiting members.

using the Digital Rental Method, your profit margin is nearly 100%. Watch here to learn how.

Just a reminder: these Digital Rental Properties are worth (at a minimum) $500/mo in semi-passive income. And each time you create another one, your income increases, and the effort put into creating the next property decreases.

Best-case scenario, you have properties bringing in over $3,000+/mo on auto-pilot.

It’s Effectively Copy-Paste: Here’s my favorite part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up, you can literally copy-paste another version of it and find another willing “renter” in a few days. DOUBLING your income doesn’t get much easier than that…

If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you would need to sell twice as much inventory. And I can guarantee you, that’s a lot harder than a few clicks & a phone call.

You’re Helping REAL People: My biggest gripe with MLMs is that you’re likely going to ruin your personal relationships.

The MLM may have convinced you that you’re actually helping people, but it’s often not really true.

But With the Digital Rental Method, you’re helping solve REAL problems that people are ASKING for help with:

Small local businesses around the world need one thing: customers. Without them, their business would fall apart. If you can provide those customers, they’re going to be really happy – and they’re going to pay you for it.

You’re helping a struggling mother or father put food on the table for their families, put their kids through college, or simply live life a little bit more comfortably.

Having this type of impact on the world is what will help you sleep soundly at night.

So, the rest is up to you. You could keep looking at other MLM programs like dōTERRA, which might make you money 12 months from now.

You could keep researching and researching for the next few months (or few years), never making a concrete decision.

OR, you can look deep inside, think about those dreams, hopes, & desires, and make the decision to ACTUALLY make it happen, just like it has for thousands of other students before you.

Making a fortune while actually helping real people that need it.

If this sounds like you, click here to see how it all works.

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