DoTERRA Asked to Discontinue "Therapeutic Grade" Claims

Dreamstime M 124173835

The National Advertising Review Board (NARB), an advertising law body of BBB National Programs, has requested that doTERRA International, LLC stop the use of the "Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade" claim and stop the use of the term "therapeutic grade" to describe its products.

This request extends to the brand's essential oils, as the claims imply that doTERRA oils are qualitatively different or more efficacious than those not considered "therapeutic grade." The panel decided that this term conveys a message to reasonable consumers that the product being described provides health benefits, which goes beyond purity. Because this message was not supported, the panel concluded that the claim should be discontinued.

NARB also recommended that doTERRA discontinue express and implied aromatherapy claims that promote health and wellness benefits, such as mental/emotional health and mood improvement, from the brand's essential oils, stating that the claims weren't backed by well-controlled clinical trials. DoTERRA's advertising claims imply that its essential oil products deliver a number of health benefits, however, the company was unable to show support for such claims, in part because of its failure to submit testing on its own essential oils. The panel also noted that the brand's consumer survey, which evaluated the subjective beliefs about the essential oils, cannot be used to establish or even to support other evidence of product performance.

DoTERRA stated that it "will comply with NARB's recommendations" even though it "strongly disagrees with NARB's decision."

More in Industry News