Essential Oils are such a hot topic these days. There seems to be someone talking or posting about them everywhere I go. Obviously they are making a great difference for people. There has been enough of a ruckus made recently to make the FDA throw some yellow flags. (I mean, we can’t have some $50 un-patentable plant extract out there shaming giant pharma, now can we?)
To put your mind at ease, and to make a long story short, the FDA doesn’t like the way essential oils were being marketed, and laid down the law. If a company claims that a product prevents or cures disease, it is “legally” considered to be a “drug”, and drugs must be approved by the FDA. You can read the “warning” letter from the FDA to one particular EO company here.
So if you have a more difficult time finding more specific verbiage online to help you better understand your oils, now you know why. Have no fear, thankfully real books still exist, and essential oils have been around for a looooong time… long enough for you to be able to find plenty of reading material (starting with the Bible).
I was officially introduced to essential oils in 2013 when I was out of state for a conference and became sick (as hotel rooms often made me before I diffused oils). A friend of mine loaned me a bottle of Young Living's Thieves and Breath Again blends. I was clueless about them at this point, but these things were AH-mazing and I needed them in my life. However, she lived 9+ hours from me, so after the event I forgot about the oils for a while.
We had already begun making healthier choices for our family at this point, one baby step at a time. And as any person who really makes a commitment to change their lifestyle will tell you, it doesn’t stop at food. I was learning so much about the dangers of the harmful chemical-filled cleaning products and even bath and beauty products that filled our house. Why would I be so worried about all the chemicals running through my digestive tract if I was then going to take a shower and slather them all over the largest organ of my body?!
We had stopped using OTC medications (for ourselves AND the kids), and I was interested in natural ways to boost immunity and kill yucky germs around the house. If I could do this AND make my house smell great at the same time - with no chemicals – I would be golden! After talking with a friend’s mom about the oils she used (which were not Young Living), we ordered our first oils kit, which contained everything I’d need to get my feet wet.
As the months went by and I became more familiar with my oils, I started doing a lot of reading about different essential oils, and what makes some superior to others. The more I learned, it became very important to me to make sure that whatever essential oils I was going to be using in, on, or around my family were the best of the best, not only for safety, but also to get the most bang in the bottle for our buck.
Though some people are not fans of referral-based businesses for whatever reasons, my husband and I are big supporters.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BRAND FOR MY FAMILY
I was really digging that Young Living offered a referral based program where I could potentially earn enough money to pay for the products we wanted to order each month just by sharing our experience with friends & family. But that was not a good enough reason to choose Young Living over other companies.
Here are the top reasons I chose Young Living:
#1 (and probably the biggest deal-sealer for me)… SEED TO SEAL® process –
Young Living controls each step of the process, from the seed (through farms they either own or partner with) all the way to the sealed bottle. Seed. Cultivate. Distill. Test. Seal. This is “the heart of Young Living’s commitment to purity and authenticity.”
#2 NO CHEMICALS – Young Living uses natural herbicides, like essential oils, for pest control. Weeding is done with hoes and hand pulling.
#3 EXPERIENCE & REPUTATION – Gary and Mary Young established Young Living in 1994. Their company has experienced massive growth and has maintained high standards throughout.
#4 PASSION FOR THE INDUSTRY – The more I read about Gary Young, the more I see his passion for the vision he had for the essential oils industry. He knew what he was doing. He loved what he did. I didn't have pleasure of meeting him, but if that’s not true, then there is a LOT of agreeing info out there that needs to be corrected. This is important to me. I’m not interested in supporting a company whose owners simply saw a way to make a lot more money at the expense of others (regardless of any reasons or excuses they may have as to why) and just happened to be privy to information to make it happen.
#5 PURITY & POTENCY– I realize that as it pertains to essential oils, “pure” is a relative term. By definition, pure means not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material. In my research this does not appear to be a term regulated by the FDA as pertaining to essential oils (just like the word “natural” on your food), so just because it’s on a label does NOT mean there are no traces of chemicals in it. That’s why it’s important for you to learn as much about a company as you can (and that goes for anything you’re putting in or on your body.)
For the sake of rescuing this term, I understand a PURE essential oil to be one that is 100% nothing but the oil itself – excluding all chemicals, additives, and synthetics. I also understand that Young Living sells only first distillation oils (except in the few cases where further distillation is necessary for safety), giving it the highest potency possible, which would explain why our family has had such great results.
There are some great online sources that teach about first distillation vs. 2nd, 3rd, 4th or “complete” distillations. To share just a few points I’ve learned, one is not necessarily “worse” than the other. “First” would retain the most potency, but “complete” would result in a much higher quantity produced, therefore making it much less costly than first. Complete distillation, if done properly, can still be a “pure” oil, it would just be less potent and typically have a more appealing (sweeter), less earthy scent. This would be ideal for, say, a health food store whose customers are purchasing based on smell and price. If this subject interests you, I encourage you to research it yourself. I hope to write on it one day in the future after I’ve done more research myself.
#6 FREE OILS – Like I mentioned above, I totally dig being able to share something that I think is great with those I care about and having the opportunity to receive a commission to help me pay for my products. I think this concept gets a bad rap from those who jump into everything that knocks on their door and are constantly trying to get people to buy something from them. In their defense, some people are just trying to find their way, so give ‘em a break. Just because you may choose to work the 9 to 5 for 30 years in hopes your company is still around to pay you retirement, does not mean that someone else is a wacko because they are trying to figure out a way to earn a little money and stay home with their kids… or whatever. We’ll march right into Wally World and fill our carts with $200 worth of stuff we probably don’t even need, not knowing one thing about where it came from, what the owners stand for, or who and what our money is supporting. But heaven forbid a “friend” try to share with us a product or company they believe in. [End soap box.]
I’ve gotten to where I practically tip toe around the subject of purchasing an essential oils starter kit (even knowing they need one) for fear someone might think I’m one of “those people”, when in reality I’m just super passionate about sharing something that has tremendously helped my own family. Why wouldn’t I want everyone to know?! Sure, I’d love to make $20,000 a month for referring a great product to others. But my actual desire (from the time I actually became interested in sharing) was to earn enough each month to pay for the products that I would like to purchase for my own family. What’s so bad about that? Nothing. And I think everyone should be able to do it. I’ve been able to accomplish this (thus the “FREE OILS” title) without chasing anyone to their car in the parking lot or cold calling (and have seen numerous families helped along the way).
#7 TRANSPARENCY – Anyone can visit Young Living’s farms, tour the facilities, and even participate in the harvest and distillation processes. I have currently not had the privilege of doing this yet, but I look forward to it one day for sure!
There are other reasons I personally keep choosing Young Living, but hopefully my top reasons will help you spark some ideas of questions to ask and things to look for in your own journey to finding the right fit for your family. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I think Young Living oils are the only essential oils on the planet that you should use. I believe there are other great companies out there who offer great oils. If you look hard enough, you can find smaller operations who are very passionate about the oils they make. Obviously they probably cannot offer the extensive menu that Young Living offers, but that doesn’t make their oils inferior.
IS YOUNG LIVING RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?
If you appreciate the SEED TO SEAL® process as much as we do – knowing that the oils you are using have been gently mothered from the choosing of the perfect seeds, to the bottling of only the highest quality of oil – then Young Living is a great choice for you. If it’s important to you to support a company whose founders are genuinely passionate about helping others through their vision of essential oils, then I believe Young Living should be among your TOP considerations. If you like the idea of being able to earn a little return to help you pay for the oils you’d love to have for your family, then Young Living is a perfect choice.
HOW WE USE OILS
Young Living offers numerous products in addition to oils such as personal care items, makeup, baby care, cleaning products and supplements. And coming early 2019, CBD oil. I find that most people start out just diffusing a few of their favorite oils, and maybe rubbing oils on the feet for immune support while they are becoming familiar. I think this is a fabulous way to get started safely while you are educating yourself and joining a community of experienced oil users.
Over time, we have come to use our Young Living oils to support immune system function, digestion, healthy skin, respiratory function, & more. I use oils in every load of laundry, to make our home smell yummy, to keep the mosquitos away, and to sooth itchies and boo-boos. We clean our whole house with Thieves Household Cleaner. I threw out ALL my makeup and have one bag of YL's Savvy Minerals. And so much more, really. But it didn't happen overnight.
If you’d like to learn more about my family’s personal experience with oils or have questions about getting your family started, contact me here. If you are just ready to order your kit, click here.
Note: As stated above, I will receive a commission for any kits ordered through my link, just as you will then receive commissions for any kits ordered through your personal Young Living link. The price remains the same for you.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Purchasing a Young Living starter kit automatically gives you wholesale membership and a personal website through which you will place all of your future orders at the wholesale member discount.
As a member, you are NOT required to refer any other members to receive your wholesale discount.
Essential oils should be used with safety in mind (see more below).
Once I receive notice that you have purchased a kit through my link, I will personally contact you to go over some important info about your oils and suggest some resources for you.
Receiving your kit is SO EXCITING… like a kid in a candy store!!! But please refrain from pouring them on yourself all at once. ;-)
WHAT'S IN THE KIT?
The 2019 Premium Starter Kit contains 12 bottles essential oils, the new Desert Mist light-changing diffuser, a package of the so-popular Thieves household cleaner, two packages of the delicious antioxidant drink "Ningxia Red", Thieves hand purifier, and a few other goodies.
Oils (5ml)...
Singles: Digize, Thieves, Peppermint, Lemon, Citrus Fresh, Frankincense, Lavender
Blends: Peace & Calming, Stress Away, PanAway, Valor, Raven
OIL SAFETY
With one quick Google search you will find plenty of bloggers that will, quite frankly, FREAK. YOU. OUT. about the “horrible dangers of essential oils”. We’ve been using oils since 2013 and have not once experienced anything frightening. (As well as none of those nasty side effects we used to get from using pharmaceutical meds.) However, I’ve also always taken our oils seriously and used them with caution. Essential oils have been around since the beginning of time. When you consider these next statements by Jane Goldberg, Ph.D., you can understand that essential oils should be respected and are by no means toys for your kids:
“Within 21 minutes of being placed anywhere on the human body, essential oil will penetrate every cell within the body.”
“Merely breathing in the fragrance of essential oils is a powerful healer. The healing begins in the brain. There are 800 million nerve endings in the nose that detect odors. The nerve from the olfactory bulb extends back toward the mid-brain and then on to the pituitary and pineal glands and finally to the amygdala.”
Read the rest of her article here, where she also explains the fascinating story behind the “Thieves” oil name, and goes into more depth on how oils work in the healing process.
No matter what you choose, I hope you are able to experience the great results with your oils as our family has.
Most importantly, and like I always say… you can have the greatest essential oils in the world, but they are only going to do so much if you continue to make poor diet and lifestyle choices. Life does not offer any “magic pills”, so let's stop looking for them. Combine high quality essential oils with clean eating, a less toxic home environment, and a less stressful/hectic lifestyle, and watch your quality of life improve right before your eyes.
YOU’VE GOT THIS!
What about you? Are you making healthier changes in your life? Are you on the journey to find the right oils for your family, or do you already love essential oils? Tell us about it below.