So ... doTERRA

[polecat]

Apparently the FDA is not amused.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementAct ... 415809.htm

The violations cited in this letter are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of violations that exist in connection with your products. While FDA has mentioned specific dōTERRA Essential Oil products in this letter, there are drug claims being made by your consultants for a wide range of your dōTERRA Essential Oil products. As such, the cited violations in this letter should not be viewed to apply solely to the specific products mentioned in this letter. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your products are in compliance with all requirements of the Act and federal regulations. You should take prompt action to correct the violations cited in this letter. Failure to implement lasting corrective action on violations may result in regulatory action being initiated by FDA without further notice.

We note that some of your products are marketed as dietary supplements, but are marketed for topical use. Under section 201(ff)(2)(A)(i) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(ff)](2)(A)(i)], a dietary supplement is defined, among other things, as a product intended for ingestion. Topical products are not dietary supplements. In any case, the claims referenced above in this letter are drug claims, which are not suitable claims for dietary supplements. As such, whether or not they are intended for ingestion, the above-mentioned dōTERRA Essential Oil products are drugs under section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Act and not dietary supplements under section 201(ff) of the Act.

We request that you notify this office in writing within 15 working days from your receipt of this letter of the current status of your corrective actions and the specific steps you have taken to correct the noted violations. In your response, include documentation of your corrective actions. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, we expect that you will explain the reason for your delay and please include a timetable for the implementation of any remaining corrections.

[ViolaSebastian]

:clap: How much you want to bet that the fundies will just think this is ebil guberment overstepping its bounds and being a puppet to big pharma, though?

[ILoveJellybeans]

Hahahahahaha that is awesome. They should learn, you cant just pull facts out of your ass, they need to be backed up by science, and if you want to create a product to cure illnesses, you cant just sell it to anyone, it needs testing first to make sure it actually works, and wont make you worse or kill you or anything.

[lilwriter85]

:clap: How much you want to bet that the fundies will just think this is ebil guberment overstepping its bounds and being a puppet to big pharma, though?

Yep, that will happen with the fundies. Mormon mommy celeb NieNie was just at the conference as a speaker. I also recall some other fundie type bloggrs have been doTERRA reps IIRC. I recall, Raquel was or is a rep for an essential oil company.

[HereticHick]

What a freakin' coincidence--I had never heard of doTerra until yesterday, when a conservative (but not fundie) friend in rural Idaho mentioned it on Facebook. She doesn't sell it---she's just organizing a church craft fair and mentioned that reps of soTerra or other sell-from-home businesses could get a booth.

[Tesseract]

Good for the FDA! It's not just the fundies. Sadly, a friend of mine, with an advanced degree in one of the sciences, sells this stuff, too. She is bright, has some alternative beliefs, yet embraces traditional medicine. Somehow she went down the rabbit hole. :shrug: I just don't get it.

[ThisOlGirl]

What a freakin' coincidence--I had never heard of doTerra until yesterday, when a conservative (but not fundie) friend in rural Idaho mentioned it on Facebook. She doesn't sell it---she's just organizing a church craft fair and mentioned that reps of soTerra or other sell-from-home businesses could get a booth.

Ha! I'm in idaho, and I've seen a lot of the doTerra car stickers lately. It's like doTerra is the new Melaleuca.

[ViolaSebastian]

Good for the FDA! It's not just the fundies. Sadly, a friend of mine, with an advanced degree in one of the sciences, sells this stuff, too. She is bright, has some alternative beliefs, yet embraces traditional medicine. Somehow she went down the rabbit hole. :shrug: I just don't get it.

I forget the comedian, but there was one that used to say "if holistic medicine worked, they'd just call it medicine."

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I have a friend who just went to the big conference. I never comment on her stuff because that would be mean, but I just cannot believe people are SO into this. I am all for holistic treatments, I myself have found success with herbs, chiropractors, meditation, etc, but they promote this like its a cure all. Then I read the thread in the Duggar forum where someone said you should NEVER ingest the oils and I was so confused that I just decided not to ever buy any (I was thinking about the ones for allergies) because I feel like the people selling these have no idea how they should be taken.

[Emme]

Young Living got a very similar warning too. Glad for this!

[lilwriter85]

Article from the Washington Post. Young Living was marketing oils as a cure for the ebola virus

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-y ... -or-cures/

[polecat]

Article from the Washington Post. Young Living was marketing oils as a cure for the ebola virus

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-y ... -or-cures/

The link from the FDA says they were doing a lot more than that.

I'm glad to see they're cracking down on these charlatans.

[hoipolloi]

It's great to see the boom being lowered on these quacks.

Wonder if some of the fundie pushers will get the word? Yes, LL (vitafamiliae.com/essential-oils-life/), I'm looking at YOU.

[RandomTrivia]

:clap: How much you want to bet that the fundies will just think this is ebil guberment overstepping its bounds and being a puppet to big pharma, though?

The commenters on the Washington Post article have already gone there, along with the anti-vaxxers. Also, one of the commenters referred to drinking urine for the antigens, which I think should be an automatic win on any fundie/conspiracy-theory bingo card.

[AuntCloud]

:clap: How much you want to bet that the fundies will just think this is ebil guberment overstepping its bounds and being a puppet to big pharma, though?

Natch. Using fact-based evidence and logic against fundies is like using a cease-and-desist against zombies.

[polecat]

The commenters on the Washington Post article have already gone there, along with the anti-vaxxers. Also, one of the commenters referred to drinking urine for the antigens, which I think should be an automatic win on any fundie/conspiracy-theory bingo card.

:ew:

[Rainytown]

To say that I am thrilled to see this is an understatement. We live in a small town. The town's Facebook page has been overrun by the doTERRA devotees. They believe their "essential oils" will cure anything and are CONSTANTLY pushing them on everyone.

My favorite little tidbit: Someone in our town used to live in Arizona and has a friend there whose two large dogs were bitten by what I believe was a cobra. The antivenom wasn't working as well as the vet hoped. Of course, one of the local doTERRA reps insisted that all the dogs needed was "essential oils". I asked her if she had a medical degree and what school she studied at. She responded that doctors don't study "essential oils" and she had more education in them than any MD. Another poster chimed in with "Well, then, I guess going to medical school is a waste of time and money, isn't it?" Mercifully, she was shamed into silence.

I can't imagine what's going to happen when the above letter is posted. ;-)

[anniebgood]

I know someone who's a trauma surgeon and for a while there he was over run by essential oil devotees.

To prove his point about homeopathic and essential oils, he even went to a homeopathic doctor just to see what the fuss was. She wanted to know all sorts of nonsense, did he love his mother and father, was he a good husband. She said he had problems with his liver and fundascopically diagnosed him with depression. You can imagine how that went over.

I just tweeted him the two links. In between trauma calls he can laugh himself silly because he was right. Fraud is fraud.

:clap: :clap:

[RecoveringFundie]

I'm actually a pediatric nurse practitioner and have 2 masters' degrees in nursing. I work at a top-10 nationally ranked children's hospital in oncology---and have also worked in primary care and solid organ transplants.

I also have gotten really into essential oils over the last few months. I've been using them for years for cleaning products, but never for anything else. I got to this point because I broke my back several years ago and have dealt with chronic pain ever since. I literally got to a point where there was not much else I could do---no treatments, no medicines left to try (I already take methadone for chronic pain) and my life is completely out of control because of the pain.

I spoke with my pain management physician about trying some alternative therapies and he was all for it. I've actually been having a ton of success with managing my pain with essential oils. Not every time and it's certainly not something that I think is for EVERYTHING. But I have been able to cut back on my medication because of it. All of this has been in coordination with, and with the blessing of, one of the top pain management physicians in the country.

I believe in everything in moderation----and I think the majority of people (at least that I have encountered) who use essential oils believe that as well. I think the majority of people who are crazed about it are on one end of the extreme vs. the average user---just like with everything. Last week my husband got really sick with a cold. I had just had a surgical procedure so I was really freaked about getting sick---and I always get sick when he does. I used several of the essential oils (in a bath, with a diffuser and in capsules) and I initially was getting the cold (body aches, sore throat) and then it went away within a day. He was sick for a week. For "minor" things, I think they CAN be a great alternative and something that I am wanting to try as a supplement to traditional medicine. For ebola? That's ridiculous.

I am also 100% pro-vaccines, pro-fluoride treatments (although I now use the doTERRA fluoride-free toothpaste because I love it)--but I get the treatments at the dentist and will for kids and I administer chemotherapy for a living, which is the most toxic medication we have. However, I think a lot of parents misuse antibiotics and traditional medications just as much as these fundies misuse oils. So it's all a balance and moderation, in my opinion.

[Jessica]

Agree with the poster above. Headache? I use lavender or peppermint EO. Stuffy nose? Eucalyptus. But as I've said before, I cannot STAND when these doTERRA reps claim you can cure epilepsy, autism, and who knows what else by rubbing whatever "blend" on the soles of your feet. BULL!!!

Oh also, I had a UTI a couple weeks ago and was told to put tea tree oil on a tampon to help fight it. For one, YEEEEOOOOWWWW!!!!! Second, NO! I will happily take antibiotics and cranberry tablets, thank you! Sheesh!

[Trynn]

I agree with that. Moderation in all things. I personally use essential oils, however, I never use oils that promote themselves as cures. Lavender is calming, but when I have to deal with my aero phobia., I take real medicine, partly because other passengers might have allergies and partly because it doesn't work on extreme situations. Moderation in all things is indeed the key

[RecoveringFundie]

For a UTI---the tea tree oil actually has more scientific backing with anti-bacterial properties than cranberry tablets! The ONLY benefit that cranberry offers is if you are drinking high volumes of 100% pure cranberry juice---not tablets, not cran-apple, etc.... I've been told by many urologists---and done the research--that cranberry tablets are fairly useless. And really--cranberry juice is an alternative remedy just as much as essential oils. But that's my point---some are accepted (and effective) and some aren't.

That being said---I have never used tea tree oil for a UTI. However, I was born with a spinal condition that requires me to use catheters, so I have gotten lots of UTIs in the past. I would definitely consider utilizing a tea tree oil tampon in the future if I got one because I have used SO many antibiotics in the past that many of the UTIS would be resistant to the medications. Therefore, I changed some of my habits (drinking lots more water, dietary changes and started paying for reusable catheters--which was a fight with the insurance company) and I also know my body REALLY well in that particular area. I can tell the moment I get an infection. I also know when I need to go to the ER and get help asap. So again, it's a balance, moderation and also about listening to your body and knowing when to admit defeat and get professional help.

[polecat]

For a UTI---the tea tree oil actually has more scientific backing with anti-bacterial properties than cranberry tablets! The ONLY benefit that cranberry offers is if you are drinking high volumes of 100% pure cranberry juice---not tablets, not cran-apple, etc.... I've been told by many urologists---and done the research--that cranberry tablets are fairly useless. And really--cranberry juice is an alternative remedy just as much as essential oils. But that's my point---some are accepted (and effective) and some aren't.

That being said---I have never used tea tree oil for a UTI. However, I was born with a spinal condition that requires me to use catheters, so I have gotten lots of UTIs in the past. I would definitely consider utilizing a tea tree oil tampon in the future if I got one because I have used SO many antibiotics in the past that many of the UTIS would be resistant to the medications. Therefore, I changed some of my habits (drinking lots more water, dietary changes and started paying for reusable catheters--which was a fight with the insurance company) and I also know my body REALLY well in that particular area. I can tell the moment I get an infection. I also know when I need to go to the ER and get help asap. So again, it's a balance, moderation and also about listening to your body and knowing when to admit defeat and get professional help.

I apologize if I missed it, but how would this work? The idea of putting a tampon in a urethra ... it just sounds painful. Or is it somehow used externally?

[DGayle]

https://www.facebook.com/teamkicker/pho ... 14/?type=1

Well, the KickCancer page on Facebook is promoting D'OHterra. I think that company needs to be shut down. The traction they're gaining is deadly.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Recovering fundie, just make sure you've used it before. TTO is so strong and can burn sensitive areas. I know this from experience