Behind the Bottle: Sourcing Birch

Pushing for Purity

Generations ago, birch oil was commonly produced in the Northeastern United States. Those with birch trees on their property would traditionally build a small distillation facility, harvest birch trees in the winter, and distill them for supplementary income. The birch oil was often bought up by brokers or larger companies, who would use it in their products.

Eventually, a process for creating synthetic birch oil was developed, which was much cheaper than purchasing it from local cottage businesses. Distilling pure birch is a labor-intensive process with low yields (about 1%), which significantly adds to the cost. As brokers and large companies moved toward the cheaper synthetic option, many families stopped producing birch oil altogether.

Like wintergreen, birch essential oil is over 96% methyl salicylate, meaning it’s easy to fabricate and difficult to detect adulteration. For years now, doTERRA chemists have been researching how to detect the differences between true wintergreen, true birch, and synthetic methyl salicylate. In testing over 50 birch oil samples from 17 companies over multiple years, our scientists found all samples contained wintergreen or synthetic methyl salicylate.

From Generation to Generation

Though some artisanal knowledge of birch distillation has been lost, it’s not all gone. Skip Cavanaugh of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, is a great example of someone who has helped preserve the history of birch production. Skip has sought out and maintained records of his family’s birch-distillation methods and procedures. These records have been invaluable during the doTERRA’s years-long effort to develop ways to sustainably produce true Birch essential oil on a commercial scale.

doTERRA is the first to offer true Birch essential oil on this scale, and we’re giving back to the community and forest where we’re sourcing the raw materials. After all, we take pride in delivering exactly what people expect from a doTERRA product: purity and ethical sourcing.

Added Value

Birch trees now have added value for property owners. doTERRA has partnered with local sawmills to separate birch trees from premium lumber. Workers strip the bark off the trunks, which is distilled for essential oil. The naked logs are returned to the lumber yard, where they are chipped to make paper products.

doTERRA also recently opened Woodside Oils, the first commercial-scale birch distillery, adding jobs in the Kane County community.

Using birch bark to produce birch essential oil adds value and profitability for local birch tree owners and demonstrates greater appreciation for the earth’s beautiful resources. We never want to waste the gifts nature has given us.