We compared both brands in depth: price per ounce, purity claims, testing transparency, and real-world value.
| Factor | Handcraft Blends | doTERRA |
|---|---|---|
| Price: Lavender 15ml | Budget-friendly | Several times higher per oz |
| Price: Peppermint 15ml | Budget-friendly | Several times higher per oz |
| GC/MS Testing | Available on request | Public online |
| Business model | Direct (Amazon) | MLM |
| Scent authenticity | Very good | Excellent |
| Bottle size options | Wide range (4oz-16oz) | Mostly 15ml |
| Best for | Home use, beginners, DIY | Clinical/professional |
| Overall value | Excellent | Average |
DoTERRA operates as a multi-level marketing company. This means their products can only be purchased through independent "Wellness Advocates" or at higher retail prices. The MLM structure creates several complications for consumers:
Handcraft Blends is sold directly on Amazon at consistent, visible pricing. You always know exactly what you're paying.
DoTERRA publishes GC/MS test results for each product batch online - this is a genuine differentiator and the main reason to choose them for professional use. Handcraft Blends does test their oils but doesn't publish results publicly, which is a legitimate gap.
That said, for home aromatherapy users diffusing oils in a bedroom or mixing a massage blend, the practical impact of this difference is essentially zero. You cannot smell the difference between a 98% pure lavender and a 95% pure lavender in a diffuser.
For the vast majority of essential oil users - home diffusing, DIY beauty and hair care, basic wellness blends, beginners - Handcraft Blends delivers equivalent or near-equivalent results at 5-6x lower cost. The savings are real and substantial.
Choose doTERRA if: you need publicly verifiable batch GC/MS reports for professional or clinical aromatherapy practice, you already have a trusted doTERRA consultant, or you specifically want their frankincense quality.
Choose Handcraft Blends if: you're a home user who wants excellent quality essential oils without the MLM markup.
Shop Handcraft Blends on Amazon →(paid link)For home aromatherapy, diffuser use, and DIY beauty, Handcraft Blends performs comparably to doTERRA at a fraction of the price. DoTERRA has an edge in transparency - they publish GC/MS test results publicly for each batch - but for everyday use this difference rarely matters.
The price difference comes primarily from doTERRA's business model. doTERRA uses a multi-level marketing structure, meaning a significant portion of each product's price funds distributor commissions at multiple levels. Handcraft Blends sells directly on Amazon with no MLM overhead, allowing them to price much more competitively.
DoTERRA markets their oils as CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade - but this certification is proprietary to doTERRA and not an independently regulated standard. There is no FDA or ISO-defined category called therapeutic grade. Most reputable essential oil brands test for purity via GC/MS analysis; the meaningful difference is whether they publish those results publicly (doTERRA does, Handcraft Blends provides on request).
For diffuser use, topical aromatherapy blends, DIY cleaning, and hair/skin care, yes - Handcraft Blends is a direct replacement at much lower cost. If you need essential oils for professional aromatherapy practice or clinical use where publicly verifiable batch testing is required, doTERRA's transparency gives it an advantage.
Handcraft Blends does conduct GC/MS testing on their oils, but unlike doTERRA they do not publish the reports publicly on their website. You can request a COA (Certificate of Analysis) by contacting them directly. This is a legitimate gap in their transparency compared to doTERRA, but for most consumers it doesn't affect day-to-day use.