the best lavender essential oils of 2023

I use lavender essential oil quite a bit and although it's not my favorite scent or oil, I believe from reading journal articles that lavender is one of the most tested and proven therapeutic essential oils.  It's also a great base for many blends.  When I ran out of my doTERRA lavender oil (I don't purchase from doTERRA anymore for ethical reasons), I became obsessed with finding THE best lavender essential oil.  Oh, how many articles and GCMS reports I poured over!  I don't want to be the only one to benefit from all that research, so this post was born.  Enjoy!

I would trust ALL of the following lavender essential oils to be pure, unadulterated, undiluted, and high quality.  Seriously!  I combed through their description and GCMS reports, compared prices, and production dates.  No, I have not tried all of these, but I would be happy to have any of them.

best lavender essential oils budget picks ($1.00 or less per ml as of July 2023)

• Plant Therapy Organic Lavender from Greece/Bulgaria (May 2022)
• Simply Earth Bulgaria Lavender (March 2023)
• Revive French Lavender  (March 2020)
• Davina Wellness Bulgaria Lavender (October 2020)

very best lavender essential oils overall

• Edens Garden Bulgarian Lavender
• Revive Organic Greek Certified Lavender

noteworthy picks

• Rocky Mountain Lavender from Greece/France (Mar 2023)
• Kokokahn high altitude French Lavender from Provence, France
• Nature's Gift High Altitude Wild from Provence, France (Feb 2023)

fun lavender sets

• Edens Garden lavender 3 set or go crazy with the lavender 6 set
• Revive lavender trio

Ever wondered how to make sense of those big words on GCMS reports?  Hopefully, the following guide will help you.  I'm not an expert chemist, but I am an expert consumer and I don't click "buy"  on essential oils without feeling good about it.  The following are key things to look for in lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) GCMS compound percentages:

• Linalool:  Normal range is 25-40%.
• Linalyl acetate: Normal range is 25-45%.
• Lavandulyl acetate:  Normal range is 2-4%.   Super low percentages of lavandulyl acetate could be a red flag for adulteration. Super high quality, unique lavenders have higher than 4%, but this is not typical.
• Terpinen-4-ol:  Normal range is 2-6%.  Terpinen-4-ol supposedly provided immune support.
• Beta carophyllene: Look for 2% or more to benefit skin
• Camphor: 1% or less
• 1,8-Cineole: 1% or less
• Borneol: 1% or less

Lavender is often adulterated with the cheaper and lower quality lavadin which is usually higher in camphor, or with synthetic linalool or synthetic linalyl acetate.

I would love to hear about your experiences with lavender oil and specific brands!

Best Sock Brands? Ultimate Sock Brand Review

 

With 11 in our household, our sock pile is impressive.  When our family was smaller, I bought my kids whatever socks were on sale and looked cool...mostly Fruit of the Loom or Hanes.  But as our family size increased, matching and folding socks like this became a real chore!  My solution?  Each child gets a different brand, which also has the requirement of being all the same color.  For example:

• Papa: white Puma, dark dress socks
• Child 1: white Hanes
• Child 2: white Dickies
• and so forth...

The system works pretty well. Every now and then we try out new brands.  Over the years, we’ve tried many brands over the years.  It’s been pretty interesting to find out which socks wear out the best.  I won’t talk about them all, but I thought I would talk about 12 of them.  I’ve divided them into the following categories; top quality, noteworthy, and just okay.  Within each category is a list of brands arranged alphabetically.

Top Quality

• Adidas:  The cushioned ones with arch support are the best.  We ordered these over three years ago for my daughter before switching over to white Dickies.  She has continued to wear the Adidas alongside the white Dickies, and the old Adidas just started getting holes.  Three years before getting holes is super impressive!!!
• Dickies:  My favorite series is their Dritech Advanced and I got them in black.  My daughter started borrowing them from me and we decided to get her a white set to replace the aging Adidas.  Our local store sells Dickies and so it was an easy switch.  Dickies have arch support and are sturdy, cushioned, reinforced, and even have a "reciprocated heel and toe for superior fit".  I've had mine for almost three years and just spied my very first hole.  My daughter's had hers two years and counting with no holes!
• Gold Toe:  Seek out their hard-to-find athletic Ultra Tec ones which are super soft and super sturdy.  What tickles me about this brand is that it ages really well.  The little bits of gold lines on it (indicating its size) are still clear and the whiteness of the rest of the sock is still pretty bright.  I actually can't think of a different brand that compares to how well these socks age.  They are over a year old and look to be just a couple months old.  I plan to stick with this brand for my son, but it is becoming increasingly hard for me to find the specific series and/or size and/or color.

Noteworthy

• Carhartt:  I got the cozy low-cut socks to wear when it is so cold that I wear thermals under my jeans.  There are excellent deals for Carhartt socks on Amazon.
• Hanes:  This company is best-selling for a reason.  Seek out cushioned, tough, premium ones.  My oldest son loves the Max Cushion Crew series.  I’d say they last about 6-9 months before starting to get holes.  Pretty good for such an inexpensive brand.
• Jefferies:  A leader for baby, toddler, kids, and dress socks.  Over a year ago, I bought the School Uniform Seamless Half Cushion Quarter Sport Socks in pink for my toddler girl.  Although the pink color has faded away, there are no holes.  They are more pricey than your average brand.
• Puma:  Their Repreve series is good…save money and buy in bulk from Costco.  Puma is the brand of choice for my husband and second son.
• REI:  Longlasting!  I was given a hand-me-down pair for my son and it is still going strong.  It doesn't have any holes and it retains its shape well.  I think this current style is comparable.

Just Okay

Wear-Out Pattern of Children's Place Socks

• And1:  The lightweight summer sport ones get holes fast.  If I wanted to give the brand another try, I would get their Arch Compression Cushion Comfort series.
• Champion:  I’ve given up on their C9 series because although they are cushioned with arch support, they don’t last and get holes fast.  You'll be replacing these about twice a year.  They have a wear-out pattern very similar to Children's Place crew socks.
• Children’s Place:  Their toddler crew socks are better than their regular crew socks but I’ve almost given up on them.  They don't age well.  They become almost crispy.  And when they do decide to get a hole, it transforms into huge holes faster than other brands.  For the price, I'd look elsewhere.  I keep buying because the black and gray ones are easy for my toddler son to find and I’m too lazy to train him to find other ones right now. But I'm working up to a brand switch!
• Fruit of the Loom:  They have been making socks for years and they feel great but they also don’t last long.  They are also cheap enough that if you don’t mind replacing them a couple times a year, they would be a good brand.  Look for cushioned, reinforced ones.

I hope that this short and blunt Ultimate Sock Review has given you an idea of how to organize that beastly sock pile to make it more manageable.  I also hope that I have given you some ideas of what brands to pursue.

Got a favorite sock brand or series?  Please comment below!

What companies honor their warranties?

When I am considering a purchase, I often look at the product's warranty.  Product warranties indicate that a company is willing to stand by its product.  Which companies actually honor their warranties?

Below is a list of companies that I have personal experience with getting product warranties honored.

Alligator of Sweden

Bissell

Calphalon

Ginsu

Good Cook

Hanes

iPower

L'Oreal

Microfiber Wholesale

Norwex

Probiotic Maker

Pyrex

Saferest Mattress Protectors

Shape Mags

Wahl Clippers

What about you?  What companies have you had a good experience with regarding product warranties or guarantees?

doTERRA hacks; 5 Tips to Make Your Life and Wallet Happier

5 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Attending a doTERRA Party

1. doTERRA parties are business kick-offs for the host.
2. doTERRA is complicated.
3. Your first doTERRA order doesn't earn you any points.
4. doTERRA isn't THE best choice.
5. doTERRA is way overpriced.

FREE doTERRA Membership with ANY purchase; best doTERRA hack

Updates in red:  I can no longer recommend the doTERRA company.

Original Post:

Want to purchase doTERRA products at wholesale prices but don't want to pay the $35 membership fee or buy a pricey enrollment kit?  Then this is your lucky day!  I wish that I had been able to start with a referral link to a free membership because my doTERRA journey sure has been bumpy.

doTERRA has a "Refer a Friend" program and it is basically the best deal I have ever seen them do, tying only with their Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) sales that run a few times a year.

If you can get a referral link from anyone with a doTERRA membership (just ask on FB and I am sure the doTERRA flock will happily comply), then ANY purchase gives you FREE wholesale membership to doTERRA for one year.  Plus, your referring friend gets a reward of 20% of what you buy in your first purchase.

MetaPWR: doTERRA’s most versatile blend with DIY MetaPWR

2024 Update:

Finally!  doTerra is finally facing up to the truth.  They hired a scumbag resin supplier that ripped off the tribes of Somaliland.  Read the doTerra Newsroom response here.  They also devoted an entire website portal to this issue.  I researched Barkhad Hassan and Asli Maydi company back in 2022 and quit doTerra because of it.  I also researched Anjanette DeCarlo.  But after days of researching frankincense in Somiland, Asli Maydi, and DeCarlo, I stopped for my mental well-being.  I was in turmoil over something that was a world away that I had zero control over.  When I wrote to doTerra about it, they did not address my question AT ALL.  Now, two years later, I am feeling a bit more at peace.  This is one of those times when the truth, albeit glossed over, finally comes to light.

Update:

I decided that I can't recommend the doTERRA company.  Over the last year, I had questions regarding their Frankincense oil (their most over-priced and controversial oil) and its associates would not give me straight answers.  The further I dug into finding out answers, the more doTERRA became the King of Defection over the King of Oils, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.  I did not always feel this way about their company and have some of their oils that I still use, but have no intention of reordering from doTERRA.  I hope that one day their corporate leadership will be fully transparent, show public remorse, abandon their corrupt supplier, truly buy direct from the locals, and begin to repair the frankincense fiasco that they created (whether knowingly or unknowingly) in Somaliland and surrounding countries.  Maybe one day if I get brave enough, I will do a post about it.  For now, please do some research and decide for yourself if doTERRA is a company for you.  I still think that the oils in MetaPWR create a great blend though.  Here's my guess*** at the MetaPWR formula:

DIY MetaPWR Oils:  

• 35% Ruby Red Grapefruit
• 25% Lemon
• 25% Ginger
• 10% Cinnamon Bark
• 5% Peppermint

To make a more child-friendly version, switch the peppermint out for spearmint, and then make sure to only use this as a diffuser blend for kids (on account of the cinnamon bark).