FDA Rules for selling dōTERRA
What does the FDA have to do with dōTERRA?
It has always been a rule of the FDA that if you are selling a product, you cannot claim it cures or even treats a disease unless there have been FDA-approved trials performed that shows it indeed treats that disease. This rule is in place to prevent people from claiming something cures cancer if they are going to make money off that purchase. (Anybody can say Frankincense cures cancer, it's when you stand to gain money from saying that, that it becomes a conflict of interest.)
Because essential oils are not regulated by the FDA we cannot make claims that essential oils cures or treats a disease. We can only show how they improve health. It really is all about the wording we use.
dōTERRA has always advised us to NEVER make outrageous claims about their oils, but now we had additional rules for those who own websites.
What are the rules on sharing about the benefits of oils on websites or social media?
- If you simply share about dōTERRA from social media, all you need to do is try your best to not make outrageous health claims. Here are some tools to help you know how to use correct wording.1. List of dōTERRA approved phrases for each product 2. My cheat sheet.
2. dōTERRA's video on sharing with correct claims.
- If you'd like to share on a website, you'll need to share about the benefits of essential oils using the correct compliant terms (see above), but avoid mentioning dōTERRA names & trademarks. This protects both you & dōTERRA. Here are some tools to help you share online. (NOTE: If you'd like to be able to use doTERRA names & trademarks, doTERRA is now certifying individual sites to be able to do this. See the FAQ's below for more info)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be fined by the FDA?
No. According to doTERRA's policy manual, you are protected by them. They, as a company, are held liable for outrageous health claims. You, the Wellness Advocate, aren't held responsible.
What happens if I use the wrong wording?
Most likely nothing will happen. If doTERRA's compliance team finds it in their searches, you'll be contacted via email with a reminder of the rules. If you don't respond or change your wording they will continue to contact you and give you warnings. There is a possibility of your account being suspended if you don't comply.
How does social media work?
With any social media, all you have to do is be sure to use correct health claims. You can feature doTERRA products and use all their trademarks.
What is a certified site?
About 6 months after the policy change, doTERRA wanted to approve sites who they knew could write correct claims. They started with the top ranks of people who owned websites and worked their way down. This is why you'll see some people still mention the words "doTERRA" on some sites.
How do I get my site certified?
You can apply to get your site certified HERE. If you aren't approved, don't worry, it could be they are still making their way down the ranks. I'd suggest trying again in a few months.
How does the site certification work?
You will be contacted by a person from doTERRA's compliance team via email and they'll work closely with you combing through your site and making sure you are first using correct wording throughout it. This can take a month or more. After you're approved, you'll be required to place a special code on your site which will catch any wording on essential oil articles that aren't compliant.
Is it beneficial to get my site certified?
Over the last year, I've had 6 months of not mentioning doTERRA (only talking generically about oils) and 6 months of being certified. My experience has been that I haven't noticed a difference in enrollments between the two time periods. I suspect this is because it's more about building trust and a connection than just pasting a link in a website. Most if not all of my enrollments have been from the followers of my website, BUT it's always been through emails, webinars, and personal phone calls.