Recently, I decided to buy a few essential oils. Quite simply, I like the smell, and they function well as a flexible perfume.

I started by visiting a local store to figure out what scents I liked. Self-conscious, I noticed all other customers comprised young women.

Back in my place, I compared essential oil brands and diagnosed a serious infection of multi-level marketing (MLM). MLM sellers exploit disproportionately vulnerable (poor, socially restricted) women under the guise of starting your own business. So serious the infection, one brand had a page “Compare to MLMs”, which made me pretty uncomfortable about the business of essential oils.

I thought back to the sign in the local store, comparing essential oils favorably to prescription medicine. Taken together, my buying process in-store and online provoked the negative image of a “mindful mommy” - someone, stereotypically a mother, who has become disenchanted with modern institutions, and has tried to replace science and modern medicine with conspiracy and alternative medicine.

Yet, why should I let such baggage prevent me from responsibly consuming essential oils? I bought a small collection of peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus oils from a direct-to-consumer (i.e. not MLM) seller.