It was Thomas Kuhn who first defined the term “paradigm shift” as the phenomenon where one conceptual world view is replaced by another.
In other words, it describes a major shift from one way of thinking to another– a transformation that doesn’t “just happen” but is driven by Agents of Change.
Anyone carefully examining the significance of our current market dynamics should reasonably conclude that the market for Natural Essences is certainly in the midst of a transformation, suggesting a paradigm shift could indeed be well underway.
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And what are the Agents of Change for Natural Essences?
The first Agent of Change involves retailers and consumers increasingly looking for assurances regarding environmental sustainability and social responsibility in the practices employed in the production and handling of Natural Essences. As with many other products, retailers and consumers want to purchase Natural Essences they can trust and have confidence in.
The second Agent of Change is the fact that the pandemic has focused consumers on their health and well-being at transformational levels, noticeably affecting consumer purchasing behaviors. This shift has created unprecedented potential opportunities for the Natural Essence Community to attract millions of new consumers who are becoming more aware of and very receptive to the many benefits for their well-being from sustainable, High-Value Natural Essences.
Opportunities, however, do not happen automatically, and three factors must be considered before the Natural Essence Community can benefit from these profound changes:

Highest Standards                                                                      
To gain and keep consumer trust and confidence, the Natural Essence Community must commit to having the highest standards possible. Adopting Sustainable Essential Oil Standards (SEOS) can be one of the key catalysts propelling us forward towards this paradigm shift.

Highest Quality                                                                                   
No consumer should expect superior performance from Natural Essences that are not superior products to begin with. Sourcing and purchasing of High-Value raw materials and sustainable packaging, therefore, is vital in achieving future market successes.

Highest Understanding                                                                                
The quote by Eric Hoffer above highlights the importance of developing superior knowledge and understanding of post-pandemic markets, rather than depending on pre-pandemic retail strategies and previous consumer purchasing behaviors that no longer exist. This need for the highest levels of understanding should encourage everyone in the Natural Essence Community to develop market- effective expertise by continually educating themselves and others within the Community utilizing up-to-date information available through courses offered by the Teacher’s Academy.

During these very difficult times, knowing where to obtain sustainable sources of essential oils is vital in gaining and keeping consumers’ trust in the wonderful products we market. Yet, what do we really know about which growers or processors are actually providing us with products that don’t contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) or synthetic pesticides?

Here is what consumers continually ask for from many of the products they currently purchase:

• Authenticity—Consumers want their essential oils to really be natural, without synthetics or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in seeds or cuttings.
• Integrity—Consumers want to know their essential oils are grown and processed sustainably, just like many of the other products they purchase and pay more for.
• Transparency—Consumers want to know more about who grew and processed their essential oils and if they are doing business sustainably.

Two years ago, an independent international Committee of several essential oil experts was formed to strengthen the essential oil distribution chain. After more than one year of effort, the Committee developed Sustainable Essential Oil Standards (SEOS) for Growers and Processors of essential oil.     

SEOS is the most comprehensive sustainable standard in essential oil or, for that matter, any other related industry.
These standards are specifically for essential oils, rather than a general standard that is broadly applied to many industries.
For instance, growing organically is highly commendable, but unfortunately, USDA Organic Certification (which is also being used to certify organic within the European Union) allows the usage of synthetic pesticides, which retailers and consumers of essential oils and the products made from essential oils simply cannot accept. This is why SEOS Standards prohibit any usage of synthetics.
Sustainable Essential Oil Standards (SEOS), along with high value products and the Committee’s supply chain education programs, will lead to many profitable opportunities for all of the Value-Added Essential Oil Distribution Chain Community.
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Look for the SEOS logo on high-value essential oils in the near future!