Comparison Cost of Essential Oils

Adding something new like essential oils to your healthy lifestyle can feel expensive at first, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Really, it's all about perspective. And if you have a small budget, like us, you can ease into it gradually by buying one bottle a month--or every other month. Once you realize how effective they are and are using them regularly, you'll use the oils up more quickly, of course. This had me a bit worried at one point, but a friend of mine pointed out that when your child is sick you spend at least a co-pay of $20, if not more. The doctor may or may not prescribe antibiotics--depending on what the illness is (and in our case it's normally a virus, so seeing a doctor isn't of much help)--which may or may not work. On the other hand, you could pay more or less $20 for a full bottle of an oil that would yield many doses and help in numerous ways. Of course, there is a place for antibiotics and you must use your own experience and common sense in deciding what needs to be done in any given situation. But in my family's and many others' experience, pure essential oils, like doTerra's, really do work to lower fevers, boost the immune system, ease pain, soothe, etc, etc. With no side effects.

So...for those just getting into this, exactly how expensive are essential oils?

I found a couple of breakdowns that were helpful to me and that I wanted to share with you:

Amber at doterrabyamber.com includes a complete list on her great blog, but here I will just include some of the most popular oils:

Cypress .07
Eucalyptus .06
Frankincense .28
Lavender .09
Lemon .04
Marjoram .08
Melaleuca .08
Oregano .08
Peppermint .07
Rosemary .06
Wild Orange .05
Wintergreen .07
Balance .08
Breathe .08

Citrus Bliss .05
Deep Blue .39 (10 ml)
DigestZen .13
OnGuard .13
Slim & Sassy .10

Most nights after my shower I like to use a drop of Melaleuca (aka Tea Tree) mixed in a few drops of fractionated coconut oil as a facial cleanser/moisturizer. This nourishes the skin, kills germs, and doesn't clog pores, and is the best thing I've ever found for my face. As you can see from the above list, my daily cost for this facial treatment is eight cents (plus a few drops of the coconut oil, which is even less expensive per drop). I dare you to find a facial astringent/moisturizer that inexpensive that works as well! :)

On that same website, is a very interesting comparison of the price of treatment with essential oils vs. the price of traditional western medicine.

Another website I found explains why it can be argued that essential oils are "Much, much, much cheaper than over the counter and prescription drugs." She tells a true story about how diarrhea in a young child was fixed using DigestZen when other (more expensive) remedies had no effect. (DigestZen has helped me several times when I've had indigestion, so I know personally that it works.) And the total cost for this last method? Twenty-six cents. 

The blog author continues by saying: "There are around 250 drops in a 15ml bottle. If you are using 2 drops per application, you can use that oil 125 times before it’s gone! Talk about cheap! And the BEST part is.. most essential oils have a 1-2 year shelf life and depending on the oil it could have a shelf life of 5 or more years!" (Frankincense, for example, while more expensive than many oils, has an indefinite shelf life and actually gets better with age.)

So, as with most things, this is all about perspective. And once you take everything into consideration, trying essential oils for yourself, I think you'll understand what all the hype and excitement are about!