doTERRA International, LLC

Is doTERRA International publicly traded?

No. doTERRA International is privately held by its founders and has never issued public shares or taken outside institutional investment.

When was doTERRA founded?

David Stirling, Emily Wright, Dr. David Hill, Greg Cook, and Robert Young founded the company in 2008 in Pleasant Grove, Utah, after leaving Young Living.

Who owns doTERRA International?

The founding team owns the company, with David Stirling holding the largest stake and serving as CEO since returning to the role in early 2025.

What is doTERRA's annual revenue?

The company announced surpassing $2 billion in annual sales in January 2025, with more than 10 million customers in over 155 markets. Figures are self-reported since the company is private.

Where is doTERRA headquartered?

doTERRA International is headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA, operating a large campus with offices, laboratories, bottling facilities, and a medical clinic.

Is doTERRA an MLM company?

Yes. doTERRA sells through a multi-level marketing model where Wellness Advocates earn commissions on personal sales and the sales of recruited downline distributors, alongside direct retail customers.

The company formed in 2008 when a group of executives departed Young Living, then the dominant essential oils seller, to build a rival. David Stirling, Emily Wright, Dr. David Hill, Greg Cook, and Robert Young established doTERRA International in Pleasant Grove, Utah, positioning the new company around quality verification they argued the industry lacked.

The launch product was a set of single essential oils and proprietary blends, sold through the same multi-level marketing model the founders knew from Young Living. The differentiation was the CPTG standard: Certified Pure Tested Grade, a company-owned trademark backed by third-party batch testing published for consumers.

Growth was immediate and steep. The distributor network expanded through North America and into Asia-Pacific markets where aromatherapy had established demand, particularly Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. Within several years the company passed $1 billion in annual sales and overtook Young Living to become the category leader.

Infrastructure investment matched the sales curve. The Pleasant Grove campus grew into a complex of offices, laboratories, bottling facilities, and event spaces. The 2016 launch of Co-Impact Sourcing formalized direct contracts with growers and distillers across more than 45 countries, from frankincense harvesters in Somalia to rose producers in Bulgaria.

Product expansion followed the customer base. Supplements, skin care, household cleaners, and the On Guard line broadened revenue beyond aromatherapy purists into the mainstream wellness market. The company also developed medical credibility assets: hiring physician leadership, publishing internal research, and opening an integrative clinic.

The pandemic wellness surge pushed sales further, though the direct selling industry as a whole has faced pressure since 2022 from consumer price sensitivity and increased regulatory attention. In January 2025, CEO Kirk Jowers announced annual sales had surpassed $2 billion with 10 million-plus customers in 155-plus markets, and described the company as net debt-free. David Stirling returned as CEO in early 2025.

Co-Impact Sourcing is the company's primary ethical framework, contracting directly with growers and distillers in developing regions and providing pre-harvest payments, infrastructure funding, and long-term purchase commitments. Reported projects include schools, wells, and clinics in sourcing communities.

The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation funds anti-human-trafficking organizations, disaster relief, and global development projects, supported by sales of designated products and distributor contributions.

The company holds no B Corp certification or independent environmental credentials. The CPTG standard, central to its marketing, is a proprietary trademark rather than third-party certification.

In 2014, the FDA issued a warning letter after distributors promoted oils as treatments for serious diseases including Ebola and cancer. The company responded with compliance systems monitoring distributor claims, though periodic violations continue to surface across the sales network.

A multi-year trade secrets lawsuit brought by Young Living, alleging the founders took confidential information when they left, was dismissed by a Utah court in 2020.

The structural criticism is the business model itself: FTC scrutiny of MLM income claims has intensified industry-wide, and doTERRA income disclosures show the large majority of distributors earn little after expenses. Class actions have challenged specific product labeling and health claims, consistent with litigation pressure across the wellness category.