Disclaimer: As you may have gathered by now, I am not a doctor, pharmacist or an esthetician. I am simply someone who loves all things natural and appreciates a company who puts quality and integrity first. Any information discussed in this event is for educational purposes only, and has not been evaluated by the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has laws in place regarding the claims that we can make about essential oils and other Young Living™ products. I know that Young Living™ products are powerful and can be life-changing, but since restrictions are in place about what distributors are able to recommend, claim, or suggest, it’s very important that you understand that I cannot make specific recommendations for you and your health concerns. Rather than focus on what’s not allowed though, it’s exciting to know YOU are in charge of your own wellness! Accept the challenge, and let the journey towards wellness begin!
Six years ago I attended a blogging conference that would change my life. Not because of what I learned about blogging, but because I would be introduced to Essential Oils. My son was eight weeks old and I had recently been given the go ahead to travel after several weeks of gestational hypertension (post-delivery high blood pressure). I was struggling with several other health issues at the time, and I was introduced to Young Living Essential Oils.
Over the course of the next year and I have I never realized how EO’s, as I call them, would drastically change my life and my perspective on health and wellness. I had never been someone to give much thought to how to improve my health. However, my path to wellness started with my essential oils.
I also desperately wanted to find a way to bring non-toxic cleaners into my home, and I had already posted about many DIY homemade cleaners that used essential oils. I never dreamed that I would help over 1500 other families grow in their oily journey. I also have now completely switched to almost all non-synthetic items in my home.
Make sure to join our Essential Oil Class Facebook group here if you have questions! This group is open 24 hours a day for you to ask questions, and learn and grow in your knowledge of essential oils. You don’t have to be a member of our team to be part of this group! If you choose to become a member eventually, we have a members group as well where you can learn from our weekly classes as well.
Essential Oils for Beginners
What does Therapeutic Grade mean?
Once I had started using Young Living essential oils, I learned that I could use some of their oils topically, by diffusing in the air, and by even taking internally if necessary. However, I was still purchasing some local oils at the time that had warnings on the labels like “not for internal consumption” or “for external use only.” I also noticed that some had expiration dates, and Young Living oils were very different.
“The potential danger of an essential oil is generally relative to its level or grade of purity. Many essential oils are designed exclusively for their aroma-therapeutic quality; these essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or “neat” form. Some can cause severe irritation, provoke an allergic reaction and, over time, prove hepatotoxic. Non-therapeutic grade essential oils are never recommended for topical or internal use.” –Source
After speaking with my friend at the conference, she introduced me to Young Living essential oils and explained their Seed to Seal guarantee. I visited the website, read all I could about the company and realized that not all essential oil companies were created equal. The label “Pure Essential Oil” can be placed on a product if as little as 5% of the product actually contains pure essential oil. Also, these oils may be chemically distilled or even purchased through a broker. I didn’t want anything in my body that was not the purest form of essential oil I could find.
Companies are also allowed to use chemical solvents, high pressure, and high-heat to extract the oils from the plant. The old adage “you get what you pay for” has never been more applicable. Knowing that the company where I purchase my essential oils has control of the entire process from the seed being planted in the ground to the actual bottling of the oils gives me peace of mind.
Questions You Need to Ask
Here are a few questions to ask yourself before purchasing essential oils from any company.
- Does the company own its land and fields where it plants its own crops that will be used in the essential oils? Are these fields pesticide free? How do they manage weed and pest control?
- Can the company guarantee that they have not used high heat, high pressure, or chemical solvents to extract the oils?
- Does the company have it’s own testing laboratory with qualified staff to test the quality of the essential oils?
- If their supplier makes a mistake in the distillation or harvesting processes that results in an inferior grade of oil, does that supplier sell the oil anyway or do they discard it?
- Do they know if their crops were harvested at the peak time for the best quality of oil?
- Do they only bottle the first distillation, or do they distill over and over again for a less quality oil?
Adapted from this list.
These are just a few questions that I would want answered before I started utilizing therapeutic grade oils on my family.
How Do Essential Oils Work
Essential Oils can be absorbed through the skin, diffused in the air, or some are taken internally. They pass through the blood/brain barrier in 20 minutes or less and they are processed through the liver in four hours. Because essential oils are a lipid base, they work at a cellular level by allowing cells to open and close and bring more nutrients into the cell. This is why our supplements are infused with essential oils, because they help the cell wall open more easily (think Super Market doors!).
While the statistical research is growing, and we are still limited to what we can say as per the FDA, I can tell you countless testimonies of how essential oils have worked in my life and the lives of others. While we aren’t allowed to mention disease conditions in a public forum, again, as per the FDA, I can tell you my own personal stories of how essential oils have helped my family with many issues and helped us live above the wellness line, so that we are able to live a life of wellness.
Make sure to watch our Young Living Lifestyle/Essential Oil 101 video below (Password: UPRISING)
Safety Precautions
- You will never put an essential oil in your eye or ear directly. It’s ok to put them on a cotton ball and stick that cotton ball in your ear, or even around your ear, but never directly in your eyes or ears.
- Never wear citrus fruit oils (lemon, grapefruit, orange, bergamot, etc.) on your skin in direct sunlight. This will cause a really nasty burn. I tell all my clients to use citrus oils where the sun isn’t going to hit, especially in summer months or times where you will be spending more than normal time in the sun.
- For oily users who want to use oils on their children, I recommend getting the book Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern. This book is the authority among YL eo users for how to use oils with children.
- Some oils are “hot” oils and can burn the skin (think oregano, cinnamon bark, even peppermint burns my skin), so you will need to use a carrier oil with your essential oils when applying topically. You should also never directly ingest a hot oil (For example, I have taken oregano internally in a capsule only). When I apply essential oils topically with a carrier oil, I often do this in a roll-on. This is where I combine my essential oil with a carrier oil. I prefer to use Grape Seed oil (I buy mine at Walmart in the cooking oil section), but you can also use Sweet Almond oil or fractionated Coconut oil. Don’t worry, if you go oily as part of our team, we have tons of ways for you to learn about how to use your oils!
Why I Continue to Choose Young Living
I personally have been to the Young Living farms, and I have friends who I know personally who have been able to visit almost all of the Young Living farms. I have been to the Young Living Distribution Center in Spanish Fork, Utah, and also to their Customer Service Call Center. I know the quality and care they put in their products and the process of getting those products to their members.
I have been part of this amazing company for four years, and I truly believe in living a synthetic-free lifestyle. I have seen Seed to Seal in action when I was at the farms. Did you know that most women put 80 synthetic chemicals on their body by the time they get dressed in the morning and 300 by the end of the day?
One example of this company’s excellence is that I have seen the actual inside of their migrants quarters, which are beautiful log cabins, where each migrant area has its own hot tubs. When a company practices health even for its workers, then you know that it is a company where you can invest your time and energy.
If you want to learn more about how to ditch and switch non-toxic items in your home, watch our video below (Password: UPRISING)
Young Living Lifestyle 101/Essential Oil 101 from Stephanie Brandt on Vimeo.
How I use Young Living Essential Oils
Some of my favorite ways to use my essential oils are in my anti-aging moisturizer, our bedtime rub (our friends and family rave about this), this homemade hand sanitizer, with these wool dryer balls, diaper cream, and more (check them all out here). The video below goes into depth about how they can be used. We also have a private Facebook group for members of our oily family, where they can ask questions and learn daily.
How to Purchase Young Living Oils
The easiest way to purchase Young Living essential oils is to become a wholesale member, because you save 24% on everything that you purchase, versus retail (when you choose the “customer” option, you will pay 24% more than if you are a wholesale member. I love the fact that you don’t have to make a purchase or buy a certain amount every month. The only requirement to maintain your wholesale membership is to place a 50PV (similar to $50) order within twelve months of your sign-up date. Also, you do not have to sell anything to be a wholesale member. Also, wholesale members have access to our private Facebook group with over 150 members out of the 300+ families that we help on their oily journey.
You will need to pick a starter kit first. All of Young Living’s Premium Starter Kits are the best possible deal, because they all provide a discount for new members. This is a great way to start your oily journey and grow your collection of oils quickly. Plus, we have several free resources you will receive as well when you purchase a Premium Starter Kit (Basic Starter Kits are not eligible for the freebies).
There are several kits to choose from: Everyday Essential Oils Kit, Ningxia Red Kit, Thieves Home Cleaning Kit, CBD Starter Kit, and the Savvy Minerals Make-up Kit. Each of these kits are designed to help you go non-toxic in whichever area you would like to start. Once you are a member, you don’t have to purchase anything for a year, but my suggestion is to go non-toxic little by little through our Essential Rewards program. This is a monthly autoship program where you agree to spend 50PV (similar to $50) each month on essential oils (this is NOT required, just a suggestion), everyday household or personal care products, make-up, etc., in return for points back, cheaper shipping, and free gifts at months 3,6,9, and 12.
I have been on this program for over four years and currently earn 25% back in points. Each month I spend around $300, so I get 75 points back to spend (similar to $75). Because I spend 300PV I also hit the top promo tier each month, so that means I get a ton of free stuff. Here is an example of one month’s promo, which means I received all of these free items as well as my 75 points.
How to Sign-up:
1. Sign-up for a Young Living account.
2. Check the “Wholesale Member” option to ensure the lower prices.
3. Be sure the “sponsor ID” and “enroller id” say 1972233
4. Decide on the starter kit you would like.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does signing up make me a “distributor”?
Nope! You are not required to sell anything at all to anyone. When you become a wholesale member, you get a special link that you can share with friends and get credit from their purchases, but there are no minimum sales amounts at all. In fact, 90% of the wholesale members in Young Living don’t do the business side at all. They are buying from Young Living because of the quality alone.
Am I required to make a minimum purchase each month?
There are absolutely NO minimum monthly purchase requirements. To remain a wholesale member, you have to make $50 worth of purchases per year to keep your membership. But if there’s a year that you don’t make a $50 purchase, you can reinstate your wholesale membership discount by just placing a $50 order.
If you do find yourself making regular purchases each month, then Young Living has a rewards program (called Essential Rewards) where you can make a nice percentage back in product credit each month on all of your purchases. So that’s a neat program to join if you find that you *want* to purchase regularly (but it’s not a requirement for being a wholesale member).
Why should I buy from Young Living instead of other essential oils companies?
It does seem like a new essential oils company pops up every day, doesn’t it?
I can’t speak to the quality of other companies, but I can say that Young Living was the only company in my research of essential oil companies that could answer all of my questions about purity in a way that was satisfactory to me.
Young Living was the only company that has their own farms (in the regions where the plants should be grown), could absolutely guarantee that no pesticides or herbicides were used in the growing of any of their oils (they use essential oils for pest control and they do all of the weeding by hand), has their own testing equipment (they do both in-house and 3rd party testing, and use many different testing methods not just GC/MS which only tests for certain chemicals, not whether those chemicals are synthetic or not), and only uses the first distillation of oils instead of adding chemicals to get more out of the plant.
Young Living also was the only company that was directly in charge of essential oil farming operations. Every other company I researched goes through some kind of an “oil broker” to buy their oils. They have to trust that the oil broker is telling the truth, who has to trust that the essential oil distilleries are telling the truth, who have to trust that the farmers are telling the truth about what they say they are doing.
With Young Living, you just have to trust one company instead of several.
I feel like it’s a trust step either way (anyone could be lying) but I felt the most comfortable trusting Young Living since they are a full-disclosure company. ANYONE can visit the farms, participate in the harvesting and distillation, view the Young Living labs, and see the entire process. That’s not an option with any other company.
Does Young Living only sell essential oils?
The answer to this one was surprising to me when I first got my starter kit! Young Living actually has an entire line of personal care products, supplements, meal replacements, energy drinks, and more! Almost every product incorporates essential oils (for example, frankincense is absolutely wonderful in facial products), but there’s a wide variety of products available.
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