Editor's Note
FDA's warning letter to Earth Angel Oils alleges the company promoted essential oil products online to "mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people." FDA advises the company to review websites, product labels, and other labeling and promotional materials to ensure they are not misleadingly representing products as safe and effective for a COVID-19-related use for which they have not been approved by FDA. FDA will add the firm to an online list of companies that received warning letters from FDA concerning the sale or distribution of COVID-19 related products in violation of the FD&C Act. Once the company has taken corrective actions to cease the sale of unapproved and unauthorized products and these actions have been confirmed by FDA, the list will be updated to indicate the company has taken appropriate corrective action.
April 14, 2020
Food and Drug Administration

This is to advise you that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed your website at the Internet address www.earthangeloils.com on March 25, 2020. The FDA observed that your website offers essential oil products for sale in the United States and that these products were intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people. Based on our review, these products were unapproved new drugs sold in violation of section 505(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), 21 U.S.C. § 355(a). Furthermore, these products were misbranded drugs under section 502 of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. § 352. The introduction or delivery for introduction of these products into interstate commerce violated sections 301(a) and (d) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. § 331(a) and (d).

There is currently a global outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that has been named “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused by the virus has been named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19). On January 31, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a declaration of a public health emergency related to COVID-19 and mobilized the Operating Divisions of HHS. In addition, on March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency in response to COVID-19. Therefore, FDA is taking urgent measures to protect consumers from certain products that, without approval or authorization by FDA, claim to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people. As described below, you sold products that were intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people.

Some examples of the claims on your website that established the intended use of your products and misleadingly represented them as safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 include:

  • “The immune-building, antiviral essential oil blends in this category are beneficial for prevention and treatment of Wuhan Corona Virus, and also help to protect against flu, respiratory and other antibiotic-resistant viruses. . . . All antiviral blends in this category are featured at 60% Off to allow wide distribution during flu season and also for protection against the rapidly expanding Corona Virus epidemic SARS-CoV-2.”

  • “Best essential oils to Fight Corona Viruses & Flu . . . the most important essential oils to protect against Corona Viruses are Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus radiata, Cinnamon, Clove, Frankincense, Ginger, Grapefruit, Lemongrass, Rosemary & Tea Tree. . . . Other essential oils known to be effective in fighting positive-stranded RNA viruses including those which are active against SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) & other Corona Viruses, include Bay Laurel, Lavender, Oregano & Myrrh.”

  • “[O]n the Corona virus epidemic, the key concept is prevention. Rub on top of the feet, wrists, and chest; spritz & diffuse. – Wuhan Coronavirus Update, 03/20)” [On your product page for “Antiviral Respiratory”; internal quotation marks omitted]

  • “This blend contains antiviral infection-fighting essential oils which are known to be effective in killing positive-stranded RNA viruses including Corona viruses.” [On your product page for “Breathe Easy Spray”]

  • “Strong Anti-viral… protects against and fights positive-stranded RNA viruses including SARS-Corona viruses.” [On your product page for “Kunzea ambigua (Australia)”]

We note that, as of the date of this letter, the claims cited above appear to have been removed. Due to the serious public health concerns related to the marketing and sale of unapproved drugs for the mitigation, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of COVID-19, it is essential that these violations do not recur.

This letter is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of violations that exist in connection with your products or operations. It is your responsibility to ensure that the products you sell are in compliance with the FD&C Act and FDA's implementing regulations. We advise you to review your websites, product labels, and other labeling and promotional materials to ensure that you are not misleadingly representing your products as safe and effective for a COVID-19-related use for which they have not been approved by FDA and that you do not make claims that misbrand the products in violation of the FD&C Act.  Within 48 hours, please send an email to  COVID-19-Task-Force-CDER@fda.hhs.gov   describing the specific steps you have taken to prevent the recurrence of future violations.

FDA is advising consumers not to purchase or use certain products that have not been approved, cleared, or authorized by FDA and that are being misleadingly represented as safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. Your firm will be added to a published list on FDA’s website of firms and websites that have received warning letters from FDA concerning the sale or distribution of COVID-19 related products in violation of the FD&C Act, with a notation that, as of the date of this letter, your firm’s listed products are no longer sold for the prevention, treatment, mitigation, diagnosis or cure of COVID-19. This list can be found at  http://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-products .

If you are not located in the United States, please note that products that appear to be misbranded or unapproved new drugs are subject to detention and refusal of admission if they are offered for importation into the United States. We may advise the appropriate regulatory officials in the country from which you operate that FDA considers your product(s) referenced above to be unapproved and misbranded products that cannot be legally sold to consumers in the United States. 

Please direct any inquiries to FDA at  COVID-19-Task-Force-CDER@fda.hhs.gov .   


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