doTerra (styled dōTERRA) is a multi-level marketing company based in Pleasant Grove, Utah that sells essential oils and other related products.
doTerra was founded in 2008 by David Stirling and other former executives and employees of Young Living. . [1] Stirling is the President and CEO. [2]
A 2013 article states that the company employs 450 people including those in offices in Taiwan, Japan, Europe, and Australia. 350 of those employees work in the company’s Orem, Utah headquarters. [3] In 2015, doTerra listed 1300 corporate employees and over 100,000 independent distributors. [4] The company's product portfolio includes 120 products, [5] such as lavender oil, peppermint oil, and lemon oil. Its products are marketed for usage in cooking, cleaning, and health. Approximately 75% of the company’s products are sold in the United States. [3]
In August 2013, Young Living filed suit against doTerra for theft of trade secrets, alleging that the company had recreated their production process illegally. [6] [7] Chemist Robert Pappas has said the oils, which were tested by the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, did not match any oils sold by doTerra. [8] One unintended consequence of the lawsuit between the two companies has been a court deposition by Pappas stating that Young Living utilizes synthetic chemicals in their organic products. [9] In October 2014 the Fourth District Court dismissed the claims made against doTERRA doTERRA on the grounds that Young Living failed to prove that it had suffered more than negligible damages. [10]
In September 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an FDA Warning Letter to doTerra for marketing its products as possible treatments or cures for Ebola, cancer, autism, and other conditions in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. [11] [12] [13] The company’s senior director of corporate marketing released a response stating that they do not claim to cure or treat disease, but do claim “profound health benefits,” and that they are working to correct their distributors marketing materials. [14]
- ^ http://www.sltrib.com/home/1739671-155/living-doterra-claims-distributors-judge-companies?fullpage=1
- ^ Harvey, Tom “Judge dismisses much of lawsuit between rival Utah “oils” companies” The Salt Lake Tribune. Oct. 23, 2014
- ^ a b Allred, Cathy. [ http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/pleasant-grove/doterra-to-bring-new-jobs-to-utah-county/article_68504b3a-dce1-57dc-a9ed-4e7fa7e5209e.html “doTerra to bring 330 new jobs to Utah County.” Daily Herald. Feb. 17, 2013. Cite error: The named reference "Allred" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Do Terra website fact sheet"
- ^ "dōTERRA Fact Sheet" (PDF). dōTERRA. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ Harvey, Tom (1 August 2013). "Essential oils rivalry spills into Utah courts". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "Young Living Essential Oils, LC (Plaintiff) v. doTERRA, Inc., et al. (Defendants)" (PDF). United States District Court for the District of Utah Central Division. July 18, 2013. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
- ^ Markosian, Richard (21 August 2014). "Report Used in Young Living Farms Case Against DoTERRA Suspect". Utah Stories. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ Keeson, Arvid (15 August 2014). "Damning Evidence That Young Living and DoTERRA's Essential Oils are Adulterated". Utah Stories. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ http://www.sltrib.com/home/1739671-155/living-doterra-claims-distributors-judge-companies?fullpage=1
- ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (24 September 2014). "FDA warns three companies against marketing their products as Ebola treatments or cures". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ Vowell, Nicole (September 25, 2014). "2 Utah companies respond to FDA warning over health claims". Deseret News. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ Mitchell, LaTonya M (22 September 2014). "Warning letter to dōTERRA International, LLC". US Food and Drug Administration, Public Health Service. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ Hanson, Kurt “FDA sends warning to doTerra and Young Living about oils.” Daily Herald. Sept. 25, 2014.