Aura Cacia vs. doTERRA – Essential Oil Brand Reviews [2023]

Shopping around for essential oils is not as easy as it sounds. Finding the perfect match for you will take some research, as there are plenty of excellent (and not-so-good) brands out there.

That’s why we’ve put together this concise review to help you choose between two of the most reputable essential oil brands in 2022: Aura Cacia vs doTERRA.

Keep reading if you want to find out which one is the best essential oil brand for you!

An Overview of Aura Cacia

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(Price range $8-$40)

Since 1982, Aura Cacia has been committed to doing business in an ethical, socially responsible way and selling only pure, sustainably-sourced, top-quality essential oils.

Aura Cacia is a company that understands the value of investing throughout their whole supply chain; from finding the best sources of pure plants, to lab testing, and even teaching you how to use essential oils for their real benefits.

They operate under a Co-op business model, which means Aura Cacia is a member-owned company. Members are businesses and stores that buy and sell their products. This model has made Aura Cacia the successful company it is today.

An Overview of doTERRA

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(Price range: +$14)

doTERRA is one of the most widely-known brands available today in the broader spa and wellness niche. It was founded in 2008 by 7 healthcare and business experts who wanted to set a new industry-wide standard for essential oils.

One of their main characteristics is that they are a Muli-Level-Marketing (MLM) company, a marketing model that not everyone prefers.

MLM companies make money by encouraging consumers to resell and distribute their products, in exchange for a small commission, without paying a salary.

doTERRA offers a wider variety of products for personal care and wellness that includes skincare, haircare and body care products.

Aura Cacia vs doTERRA

Product Selection

Let’s begin our comparison by reviewing their respective product selection features

Singles overview

Item	Aura Cacia	doTERRA
Price range	$8 – $40	$14 and up
No. of Pure singles	81	42
FDA compliant	✓	✓
GC-MS tested	✓	✓
USDA Certified	✓	X

Most popular singles

Fragrance	Aura Cacia	DoTERRA
Peppermint	$8.89 15ml	$24-$32 x15ml
Lavender	$12.78 x15ml	$25-$34 x15ml
Tea tree	$27.45 x59ml	$23-$30 x15ml
Bergamot	$12.78 x15ml	$36-48 x15ml
Chamomile	$12.78 x15ml	$48-$64 x5ml
Jasmine	$16.11 x15ml	$42-56 x10ml
Eucalyptus	$6.11 x15ml	$21-$28 x15ml
Ylang Ylang	$16.11 x15ml	$40-$53 x15ml
Patchouli	$17.78 x15ml	$30-$40 x15ml
Lemongrass	$6.11 x7.4ml	$12-$16 x15ml

Blends overview

Item	Aura Cacia	DoTERRA
No. of Blends	30+	40+
FDA compliant	Yes	Yes
USDA Certified	No	No
Price range	$11 – $20	$17 and up
CG-MS	Yes	Yes

Most popular blends

Aura Cacia Blends	Price	DoTERRA Blends	Price
Breezeway	$11.94 x15 ml	Breathe	$25-$33.33 x15ml
First Response	$11.94 x15ml	On Guard	$36-$48 x15ml
Chill Pill	$11.89 x15ml	Serenity	$36-$48 x15ml
Love Potion	$11.89 x15ml	Passion	$42-56 x5ml
Mind Guide	$11.89 x15ml	Spanish Sage	$38.67 x15ml

As you can see, Aura Cacia’s Co-op structure allows it to be much more competitive with prices without compromising quality. 

Read on to find out how they’re able to do this.

Purity and Quality control

As mentioned before, Aura Cacia invests significantly to ensure that the highest standards are kept throughout the supply chain. That’s why they support ethical, and sustainable farming. 

But not just on paper, they continuously invest in the farming communities they work with to educate and improve their practices as well as the lives of the community members.

Additionally, there are 3 main reasons why you can trust Aura Cacia’s essential oils:

1. Safe Extraction Methods

Aura Cacia uses steam distillation and cold press methods. Plus, they transparently report the country of origin of each ingredient.

2. Testing / QA

Aura Cacia examines their oils before and after the product is ready in order to ensure quality consistency. They conduct GC/MS testing to make sure their oils contain no synthetics, and are paraben and petroleum free.

3. Certifications

Aura Cacia organic products are all certified by the leading third-party organic certifier Quality Assurance International (QAI).

On the other hand, doTERRA has their own trademark for assuring purity and quality of their essential oils. 

Known as the Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPGT), it is composed of 8 subtests that they claim to conduct with every batch of oils:

1. Organoleptic testing
2. Microbial testing
3. Gas chromatography
4. Mass spectrometry
5. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
6. Chirality testing
7. Isotopic analysis
8. Heavy metal testing

However, it is important to note that the whole testing process is in charge of doTERRA and the third-party results are not available to the public, other than what they offer on their website.

Pricing and returns

As a proof of their quality, Aura Cacia allows you to return any item, for any reason, for refund or replacement. Just make sure your return is done within 60 days of the invoice date and that you include your Return Goods Authorization number.

doTERRA allows returns up to 30 days after the purchase date to get 100% of your money back. However, they do offer international shipping.

The table below summarizes the main characteristics discussed

Item	Aura Cacia	doTERRA
Prices	$	$$$$
Returns	60 days from invoice date	30 days
Type of business	Co-op	MLM
Purity and quality control	✓	✓
Third-party certified	✓	X
Organic line	✓	X
Global Shipping	X	✓

Summary

Now you have more info to decide which is the best essential oil brand between Aura Cacia vs doTERRA.

In summary, Aura Cacia’s co-op structure allows it to be more competitive with prices while still keeping a high-quality and purity standard.

So if you’d like to enjoy a top-quality pure essential oil that’s certified organic, then Aura Cacia is your go-to option.

But if you’re still indecisive about what essential oil to use then don’t miss our previously reviewed alternatives to doTERRA essential oils.