Which Essential Oil Company is the Best? Information on the Aura Cacia Essential Oils

Which Essential Oil Company is the Best? Honestly, I believe it is your personal preference which company you feel comfortable with. There are many good essential oil companies out there. I personally chose to purchase and use the Aura Cacia Essential Oils. I have researched this company on their website and searched the reviews on Google. I have provided my research in this blog but again, I believe it's your choice and your research and due diligence on the company and your decision on which company to purchase essential oils from.

Other Essential Oil Companies

DoTerra 

Young Living

Heritage Oils

Native American Nutritionals

Now Essential Oils 

Edens Garden

Mountain Rose Herbs 

Aura Cacia (research included in this blog) 

and so so so many more out there. 

Another great site to check out is HERE at www.wholenewmom.com. She has researched a few of the EO companies I mentioned above and actually has a 2 Part article on her extensive research. It's worth a read if you are looking for research on other essential oil companies.  

Why do I Use Essential Oils? 

I was originally introduced to essential oils by a friend of a friend who invited me to an "Oil Party" for DoTerra. I was intrigued by the presentation on the natural effects of essential oils on the body and how the body reacted to such small amounts of the oils and how powerful they are and how they can help with common ailments and more complex ailments.  Then came the sales pitch......I call it Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) however many of the oil companies don't call it that. They pitch it as a savings program. But you have to pay an annual fee to get the discount and still those discounted prices were out of my budget. I did purchase the OnGuard Oil Blend. I liked it however I thought it was very expensive. I would liked to have purchased additional oils at the time but again, many were out of my budget.

Some of my friends, family and co-workers suggested I use essential oils during cold/flu season for my little one who had a horrible winter 2013. She was sick from October - February with coughing spells until she puked. She would be sick for 2-3 weeks then okay for 1 week then it would start all over again. Finally, after mom's intuition of saying "no, this is not a cold or allergies" and being persistent with the Dr. to find out what the heck was wrong with my 3 year old daughter, the Dr. finally ordered a chest x-ray which came back as viral pneumonia. After all the pokes and prods, blood draws, 2 rounds of 2 different antibiotics, an inhaler of Albuterol, which she had an allergic reaction to (her lungs spasmed and she coughed until she would puke, turned pale in face, blue lips and couldn't breath)....... OMG! I about lost it! My poor baby! Ok, deep breath........ that was then and it's over now. I started her on a probiotic and organic multivitamin along with a daily dose of Zyrtec.

After all of this I decided to research these essential oils to see what they were all about and be prepared for the next year of cold/flu season. The 2014 cold/flu season to say the least was nothing like 2013, thank God.  I'm a paralegal so I love to research and that is exactly what I did and am so glad to have found these oils. I honestly believe running the Thieves Oil and Allergy Trio during cold/flu season cut down on our family getting sick. It has helped all of us,not just my little ones. I can only remember when we all got sick just before Christmas 2014 but that was about it, no continued bouts of coughing, or runny noses and I believe using the oils aromatically and topically cut down on the severity and length of the sickness.

So, what essential oils do I use and Why????..........

My Research  on Aura Cacia Essential Oils 

(Information taken from their websites)

Aura Cacia was founded in 1982 in Weaverville, CA. When Frontier Natural Products Co-Op purchased the company in 1993, Aura Cacia was well-established as the market leader in aromatherapy.

Frontier Co-Op had been selling essential oils in response to member requests since 1978 and already had expert quality testing and sourcing capabilities in place.

The combination of established quality expertise and the market leadership of the Aura Cacia brand melded into a popular, premium-quality aromatherapy line.

Aura Cacia continues as the quality leader in aromatherapy today via their Source to the Shelf (TM) Strategy. Their ethical and sustainable sourcing program, Well Earth(TM), and their in-house sophisticated testing capabilities, which allows them to guarantee the quality of their essential oils.

In the face of increasing adulteration and quality exaggeration in the marketplace, they believe this is peace of mind for their customers.

Who is Frontier Co-Op? 

Frontier was founded in 1976. It is organized as an Iowa cooperative, owned by more than 30,000 wholesale customers. Each member has one share and one vote. The members elect a Board of Directors that hires Frontier's CEO and oversees the business in the interest of the members. Member/owner investment provides the capital for the business to operate, and the Co-op's annual net income is divided among the members according to patronage.

They offer more than 82,000 products across more than 260 brands -including their own brands of Aura Cacia, Simply Organic and Frontier.

Products sold under their own brands are: Frontier bulk herbs, spices, teas, food ingredients, and seasonings; Frontier bottled spices, seasonings, and flavors; Simply Organic spices, seasonings mixes, and flavors; and Aura Cacia essential oils, skin care oils, and personal care products. They also manufacture private-label spices and essential oils.

The Aura Cacia Philosophy 

 Aura Cacia's goal is to make aromatherapy easy! They offer an extensive selection of high quality essential oils and aromatherapy products for all ages and spaces.
They accomplish this with:
Source to the Shelf (TM) Strategy.  This is their own ethical and sustainable sourcing program, Well Earth (TM), in addition to their in-house sophisticated testing capabilities, allows them to guarantee high-quality essential oils that deliver true aromatherapy benefit. Aura Cacia refuses to carry anything less.

Full Ingredient Disclosure. Every ingredient used in Aura Cacia products - down to the individual essential oils - is listed in order of its quantity in the ingredients. You will never see vague terms such as "botanical fragrance" in the ingredient lists. They want customers to know exactly what they are getting when they purchase the products.

Environment-Friendly Policies. Environment is top-of-mind when selecting ingredients and packaging materials for their products. They strive to use recyclable packaging, minimize excess packaging, and utilize post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials when possible.

Animal-Friendly Policies. Aura Cacia products are not tested on animals any no animal by-products are used with the exception of beeswax


Aura Cacia Gives Back
The Aura Cacia Organic 1% Fund. "At Aura Cacia, we give back 1% of the sales of our organic products to support organic farmers and their communities."

The money from individual purchases provides opportunities for the people whose skill and commitment is essential to the high quality Aura Cacia aromatherapy products you enjoy.

The 1% Organic Fund originated with the re-launch of organic essential oils in 2010. Their first project was to build a preschool in Madagascar, where they source organic Ylang Ylang EO. The school helps hardworking parents realize their dreams for their children's education and offers a new world of opportunity for generations to come.

Aura Cacia 1% Organic Fund includes all of their organic products. Click here to view a video of the preschool Aura Cacia 1% Fund build in Madagascar.

Sourcing Matters to Aura Cacia 

Aura Cacia is able to find and develop ethical sources of high quality products because they travel directly to the source of the ingredients around the world. This helps to ensure that the ingredients meet their high quality standards and that the suppliers are committed to:

• Worker Safety and Fair Treatment 
• Sustainable Growing Practices
• Environmental Stewardship
• Community Involvement 

Direct Sourcing allows Aura Cacia to establish personal relationships with the farmers. At the core of these relationships are their shared values - not just about quality and the environment, but about people as well. Aura Cacia shares the belief that it's important to respect and care for others in life and in business. 

Aura Cacia Essential Oil Quality 

Every Aura Cacia essential oil must pass a battery of tests to ensure its authenticity and quality. They perform four major tests in the scientific analysis on every essential oil. 

The Four Test are: 

1. Gas Chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) 
2. Specific Gravity 
3. Optical Rotation
4. Refractive Index

HERE is a link to their website for more information regarding the quality testing.

Aura Cacia tests every pre-shipment sample of essential oils before making a purchase. Then, after purchasing the essential oil, every shipment is tested again to make sure it continues to meet all quality and purity standards. Their extensive testing provides complete confidence that the Aura Cacia brand of oils are 100% pure and authentic, and they offer a quality guarantee to their customers.

Many other oil companies market "therapeutic grade oils" however, there is no such grading system for essential oils. Companies use this term in marketing to try to differentiate aromatherapy oils from essential oils used in flavoring and food. Aromatherapy oils should be pure, complete and unadulterated high quality oils. But because the term "therapeutic grade" isn't based on established standards or regulation, it can be - and often is - used without regard to the quality of the oil.

You can also view their FAQ page which answers a lot of questions regarding their oils and the quality and testing practices.

Conclusion 

From my research on the company and their sustainability and the information they provide on their websites www.auracacia.com and www.frontiercoop.com, I feel very comfortable using the Aura Cacia Essential Oils. I like that the company has been around for a number of years (longer than other EO companies) and they give back to the communities in which the oils are farmed.

** Also, a HUGE factor for me in choosing the Aura Cacia brand of essential oils was the price. I have joined their buyer's club and receive discounted pricing which is even better! 

One Example of Pricing between Aura Cacia and 2 other top Essential Oil Companies: 

                          Aura Cacia (SRP)          Top Company 1 (SRP)                 Top Company 2 (SRP)

Lavender 15ml     $12.29                          $28.00                                           $30.92

Really!? WOW! That is a HUGE difference in price. For a mom on a budget wanting to help out her family in a more natural way this is a big savings.

I hope this information has helped you to have a little more understanding of the Aura Cacia Essential Oils brand.

I have not been paid by Aura Cacia or Frontier Co-op for this blog article. This blog contains my own findings and research. I am not a retailer of the products at this time, just a mom wanting to spread the word about the benefits of using essential oils!


References: https://www.auracacia.com/ and http://www.frontiercoop.com/


   

Disclaimer:The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or prescribe any of these products for you or your family. In the case of illness you should contact your health care professional. In no instances shall the owner of this website or its affiliates be responsible or liable for any damages whatsoever resulting in connection with the use of this information, products, or its publication. The decision to use any information from this site is the sole responsibility of the reader.