TO
TO EUCALYPTUS, THE ESSENTIAL OILS MARKET IN THE U-S IS EXPECTED TO
4@
REACH
4@ REACH
4@ REACH SEVEN-POINT-THREE BILLION
DOLLARS BY
20-24.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO CONSULTING
FIRM
GRAND VIEW RESEARCH. BUT HOW DO
4@
YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT'S
INSIDE THOSE BOTTLES? FOCUS
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER PAULA
VASAN PUT THEM TO THE TEST.
4@
4@
4@ NATS:
4@ NATS: SPRAYING, DIFFUSER,
RUBBING OIL ON WRISTS
IT'S A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR
INDUSTRY.
"THE DEMAND IS GROWING."4@
ITS USES ARE ENDLESS.
"WE
"WE HAVE
"WE HAVE A CUSTOMER WHO SPRAYS4@ IT ON HER HAIR." "I USE LAVENDER ON MY DRYER
BALLS INSTEAD4@
OF USING DRYER SHEETS." NAT:
PUSHING
PUSHING WASHING MACHINE4@ BUTTON/SOUND OF MACHINE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ALLIE MARTIN,
WHO'S LONG SUFFERED FROM4@4@
MIGRAINES
MIGRAINES
MIGRAINES 4@
4@
4@ "IT'S
4@ "IT'S REALLY HELPED ME."
LAVENDER IS ESSENTIAL. "IT HELPS ME SLEEP."
ESSENTIAL OILS ARE OFTEN
CELEBRATED AS AN ALL-NATURAL
SOLUTION. SOME ARE BELIEVED TO
HELP WITH RELAXATION. OTHERS
ENERGIZE. BUT ACCORDING TO
ATTORNEY ALEX DAVIS, IT'S AN
INDUSTRY RIFE
WITH MISREPRESENTATION.
"YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH QUALITY
CONTROL, YOU
HAVE ISSUES WITH MARKETING4@
CLAIMS
THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE."
PAULA: "WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH
THAT?"
THAT?" "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO."
SO WE PUT ESSENTIAL OILS UNDER
THE MICROSCOPE: THREE OILS AT
THREE PRICE POINTS, FOCUSING ON
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR KINDS,4@
LAVENDER.
LAVENDER.
LAVENDER. 4@4@4@
4@4@4@
4@
4@ 4@
4@ 4@ WE
4@ 4@ WE WENT TO THAT ADDRESS ON THEIR
WEBSITE IN DENVER. THE
BUILDING'S4@ MANAGER TELLS US THEY HAVE A
MAILBOX
HERE, BUT NO ONE ACTUALLY WORKS@
4@
HERE.
4@ HERE.
4@ HERE. WE ALSO EXPLAINED OUR FINDINGS
4@
4@
4@ TO
4@ TO AMAZON, ASKING HOW IT'S AN
"AMAZON'S CHOICE." THEY TOLD US: "...THIS
PRODUCT4@
PRODUCT4@
PRODUCT4@ DOES NOT VIOLATE AMAZON4@ POLICIES."
"ESSENTIALLY THE AGENCY CHARGED
WITH HELPING TO EN4@SURE CONSUMS
ARE PROTECTED CAN'T PROTECT
CONSUMERS." HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE U.S. FOOD
AND
AND
AND DRUG
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. IN GENERAL,
ESSENTIAL
ESSENTIAL
ESSENTIAL OILS AREN'T LEGALLY HELD TO THE
SAME
SAME
SAME STANDARD AS PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS, WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO
FEDERALLY-MANDATED ROUTINE
TESTING OF4@
THEM.
"THAT'S A BIG ISSUE."
IF ESSENTIAL OILS CLAIM TO CURE
DISEASE, AS A DRUG WOULD, THE
FDA STEPS4@ IN. FOR EXAMPLE IN 2014, THE
FEDERAL
AGENCY FOUND DISTRIBUTORS FROM
YOUNG LIVING -- ONE OF THE
COMPANIES WE
LOOKED INTO -- WERE MARKETING
PRODUCTS
AS CURES FOR "CANCER," "VIRAL4@
INFECTIONS," AND "HEART
DISEASE." THE
PENALTY: THIS WARNING LETTER.4@
"IT ISN'T HELD ACCOUNTABLE THE4@
WAY
WAY
WAY 4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ 4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ IT
4@4@ IT SHOULD BE."
MARTIN KNOWS THAT'S A REALITY,4@ BUT SAYS
THESE WILL STILL BE HER EVERYDAY
ESSENTIALS.
ESSENTIALS. "BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN GREAT RESULTS FOR MYSELF."
BUT SHE HAS THIS MESSAGE TO
THOSE
BEHIND THE OILS.
"I WOULD REALLY LOVE COMPANIES4@
TO BE
TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE
4@
SOURCING THEIR INGREDIENTS
FROM."4@
STANDUP
FROM."4@ STANDUP 4@THIS INVESTIGATION ISN'T ABOUT
WHETHER
ESSENTIAL OILS WORK OR NOT.
MEDICAL
EXPERTS SAY RIGHT NOW THEIR
EFFECTIVENESS IS MOSTLY BASED ON
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, NOT SCIENCE.
IT'S
IT'S
IT'S ABOUT KNOWING WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE IS LABELED ON THE BOTTLE.
YOU CAN HEAD
TO WHAS11.COM FOR THE FULL RESULTS OF4@
THE OILS WE TESTED. FOR FOCUS,
I'M PAULA
VASAN.4@
VASAN.4@