History
Young Living Essential Oils was founded by Gary Young in 1993 with pure,
natural, therapeutic grade essential oils. Essential Oils date back through
history as some of the earliest forms for natural healing. Essential oils have
since re-emerged as a form of aromatherapy in modern times and through the
education of therapeutic grade oils, Young Living has now brought back the
healing properties that were once so widely known.
Since the beginning Young Living has established a foundation of
having the best, natural, and safest products for the body, home, and through
aromatherapy. Gary Young has taken great strides to research and develop new
products all of which are absolutely natural, organic, and pure.
natural, therapeutic grade essential oils. Essential Oils date back through
history as some of the earliest forms for natural healing. Essential oils have
since re-emerged as a form of aromatherapy in modern times and through the
education of therapeutic grade oils, Young Living has now brought back the
healing properties that were once so widely known.
Since the beginning Young Living has established a foundation of
having the best, natural, and safest products for the body, home, and through
aromatherapy. Gary Young has taken great strides to research and develop new
products all of which are absolutely natural, organic, and pure.
Young Living
-Is one of the world's leaders in the cultivation, distillation, and production of organically grown, guaranteed pure essential oils.
-Is headed and founded by D. Gary Young, N.D., one of North America's foremost authorities on essential oils.
-Is the first company to combine guaranteed pure essential oils with dietary supplements. -Sells products in over 20 different foreign markets, including Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and Russia.
-Has more than 250,000 distributors.
-Had sales growth of over 4,000 percent during the past five years.
-Uses a proprietary low-pressure, low-temperature stainless steel steam distillation system designed by Gary Young to preserve the high quality of essential oils.
-Owns more than 1,800 acres of organic farmland in Utah and Idaho, with over 70,000 square feet of greenhouse space.
-Annually harvests and distills over 2,000 acres of wild herbs and vegetation.
-Participates in joint-venture research farms in Provence, France, and Seville, Spain.
-Cultivates over 15 different herbs and botanicals, including organic peppermint, spearmint, basil, clary sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, melissa, and wolfberry.
-Is the largest importer of the Ningxia variety of Chinese wolfberry, a superfood studied in China for its immune-supporting and anti-aging benefits.
-Has over 200 medical professionals as distributors, including such nationally recognized figures as Ronald Lawrence, Ph.D., M.D., and Robert Delmonteque, N.D., who is medical editor for Muscle & Fitness and the Journal of Longevity.
-Is headed and founded by D. Gary Young, N.D., one of North America's foremost authorities on essential oils.
-Is the first company to combine guaranteed pure essential oils with dietary supplements. -Sells products in over 20 different foreign markets, including Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and Russia.
-Has more than 250,000 distributors.
-Had sales growth of over 4,000 percent during the past five years.
-Uses a proprietary low-pressure, low-temperature stainless steel steam distillation system designed by Gary Young to preserve the high quality of essential oils.
-Owns more than 1,800 acres of organic farmland in Utah and Idaho, with over 70,000 square feet of greenhouse space.
-Annually harvests and distills over 2,000 acres of wild herbs and vegetation.
-Participates in joint-venture research farms in Provence, France, and Seville, Spain.
-Cultivates over 15 different herbs and botanicals, including organic peppermint, spearmint, basil, clary sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, melissa, and wolfberry.
-Is the largest importer of the Ningxia variety of Chinese wolfberry, a superfood studied in China for its immune-supporting and anti-aging benefits.
-Has over 200 medical professionals as distributors, including such nationally recognized figures as Ronald Lawrence, Ph.D., M.D., and Robert Delmonteque, N.D., who is medical editor for Muscle & Fitness and the Journal of Longevity.
Products
We have essential oils, nutritional supplements, personal care products, skin care products, hair care products, bath & shower products, cooking products, dental hygiene products, safe kids products, diffusers, multivitamins, probiotics, a green natural household cleaner, and one of the highest antioxidant goji wolfberries juices on the market - NingXia Red.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated natural plant extracts; a drop or two can produce significant results. An entire plant, when distilled, might produce only a single drop of essential oil. That is why their potency is far greater than dried herbs. Pressing or distillation extracts the subtle, volatile liquids (meaning they evaporate quickly) from plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, roots,
bushes, and seeds, that make up essential oils.
Essential oils are the life-blood of the plant, protecting it from bacterial and viral infections, cleansing breaks in its tissue and delivering oxygen and nutrients into the cells. In essence, they act as the immune system of the plant. That is why they are so essential to the plant -- without them, plants could not survive.
In the human body, they have a similar action -- such as transporting valuable nutrients to the cells; increasing oxygen intake, and digesting toxic waste in the blood. This is because the three primary elements - carbon, hydrogen and oxygen-are common to both human beings and essential oils. This shared chemistry makes essential oils one of the most compatible of all plant substances with human biochemistry.
Not only that, but the lipid-soluble structure of essential oils and the fact that they have a protein-like structure similar to human cells and tissues makes them even more compatible with human tissue.
Essential oils are highly complex substances. They are mosaics of hundreds - even thousands - of different natural chemicals. The average essential oil may contain anywhere from 80 to 400 known chemical constituents. Many oils contain even more, occurring in minute quantities - but all contributing to the oil's therapeutic effects. It requires years of study to understand these constituents, their activity and functions.
Different varieties of the same oil can have widely different therapeutic actions, depending on their chemistry. For example, basil high in linalool or fenchol is primarily used for its antiseptic properties. However, basil high in methyl chavicol is more anti-inflammatory than antiseptic. A third type, basil high in eugenol, has both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects.
In addition, essential oils can be processed in different ways, which dramatically effects their chemistry and medicinal action. Oils that have been redistilled two or three times are obviously not as potent as oils that have been distilled only once. Also, oils that are subjected to high heat and pressure in processing have an inferior profile of chemical constituents, since excessive heat and temperature fractures and breaks down many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the oil -- compounds that are responsible for much of the therapeutic action of the oil.
Of even greater importance is the fact that some oils are thinned or cut (i.e. adulterated) with synthetic chemicals.
bushes, and seeds, that make up essential oils.
Essential oils are the life-blood of the plant, protecting it from bacterial and viral infections, cleansing breaks in its tissue and delivering oxygen and nutrients into the cells. In essence, they act as the immune system of the plant. That is why they are so essential to the plant -- without them, plants could not survive.
In the human body, they have a similar action -- such as transporting valuable nutrients to the cells; increasing oxygen intake, and digesting toxic waste in the blood. This is because the three primary elements - carbon, hydrogen and oxygen-are common to both human beings and essential oils. This shared chemistry makes essential oils one of the most compatible of all plant substances with human biochemistry.
Not only that, but the lipid-soluble structure of essential oils and the fact that they have a protein-like structure similar to human cells and tissues makes them even more compatible with human tissue.
Essential oils are highly complex substances. They are mosaics of hundreds - even thousands - of different natural chemicals. The average essential oil may contain anywhere from 80 to 400 known chemical constituents. Many oils contain even more, occurring in minute quantities - but all contributing to the oil's therapeutic effects. It requires years of study to understand these constituents, their activity and functions.
Different varieties of the same oil can have widely different therapeutic actions, depending on their chemistry. For example, basil high in linalool or fenchol is primarily used for its antiseptic properties. However, basil high in methyl chavicol is more anti-inflammatory than antiseptic. A third type, basil high in eugenol, has both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects.
In addition, essential oils can be processed in different ways, which dramatically effects their chemistry and medicinal action. Oils that have been redistilled two or three times are obviously not as potent as oils that have been distilled only once. Also, oils that are subjected to high heat and pressure in processing have an inferior profile of chemical constituents, since excessive heat and temperature fractures and breaks down many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the oil -- compounds that are responsible for much of the therapeutic action of the oil.
Of even greater importance is the fact that some oils are thinned or cut (i.e. adulterated) with synthetic chemicals.
What makes essential oils therapeutic?
The key to producing a therapeutic-grade essential oil is to preserve as many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the essential oil as possible - elements that are very fragile and destroyed by high temperature and high-pressure. Contact with chemically reactive metals (i.e., copper or aluminum) is another danger to the fragile aromatic compounds in oils.
To insure a high grade of essential oil, it is imperative to use stainless steel cooking equipment at low pressure and low temperature for long periods of time.
The purity of an essential oil is also determined by its chemical constituents. There are many variables that can affect these constituents. These can include:
-soil conditions
-quality of fertilizer and whether it was organic or chemical
-region
-climate
-altitude
-harvest season
-harvest methods
-distillation process
-the part or parts of the plant used for distillation
One plant can produce several different chemotypes (biochemical variations). The chemotypes vary according to climate, altitude and growing conditions. For example, the later thyme is distilled in the growing season (i.e., late summer or fall), the more thymol the oil will contain. If it is distilled in the early summer, thymol levels will be very low; hence, the oil will be less effective, if at all.
A toxic oil is worse than an ineffective oil, however. Essential oils grown with agrochemicals can be dangerous. Pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers can react with the essential oil during distillation, producing toxic compounds. And synthetic oils not only lack therapeutic benefits, but also carry risks.
Natural essential oils contain hundreds of different chemical compounds, many of which have not been identified yet, but which bring important therapeutic properties to the oil. Although chemists have managed to recreate some of the constituents and fragrances of oils, there are many molecules and isomers that are impossible to manufacture in the laboratory. There simply are no substitutes for the purest essential oils.
While there are no regulations in America, a set of standards has been established in Europe that outlines the chemical profile and principal constituents that quality essential oils should have. These standards are known as AFNOR and ISO (Association French Normalization Organization Regulation and International Standards Organization). They are guidelines that help buyers
differentiate between a therapeutic-grade essential oil and lower grade oils with similar chemical makeup and fragrance. The only company with AFNOR certification in America, to date, is Young Living Essential Oils, whose oils are constantly being analyzed and graded according to the AFNOR standards.
The AFNOR certification is one of the most reliable indicators of essential oil quality. It is a stringent standard that differentiates true therapeutic-grade essential oils from similar (but inferior) Grade A essential oils. It was developed in France by chemist Hervi Casabianca, Ph.D., who recognized that the constituents within an essential oil had to occur in certain percentages in order for the oil to be considered therapeutic. He and other scientists and doctors combined their research to create the AFNOR standards.
With this indicator, oils can be checked to see if they meet AFNOR standards. If some constituents are too high or too low, the oils cannot be AFNOR or ISO certified. For example, if two or more marker compounds in an essential oil fall below the allowable range, the oil cannot meet the AFNOR standard. It cannot be called therapeutic-grade essential oil, even though it is still Grade A quality.
Without AFNOR standards, it is difficult to tell a therapeutic-grade essential oil from a Grade A essential oil. As an example, Lavender oil is frequently produced from hybrids, yet claimed to be genuine. AFNOR standards help distinguish true lavender from various species of hybrid lavender (actually lavandin). Tasmania produces a lavandin that mimics the chemistry of true lavender. The only way to determine its origin is by analyzing the chemical fingerprint using high-resolution gas chromatography and comparing it with the AFNOR standard for genuine lavender.
Analyzing an essential oil by gas chromatography is complex and highly technical. The injection mixture, film thickness, column diameter and length, and oven temperature must fall within certain parameters. Most labs in the United States use equipment that is only adequate for analyzing synthetic chemicals and marker compounds in vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts, but cannot properly analyze the complexity of natural chemicals found in essential oils.
At the present time, there are only two companies that use the proper machinery and test standards for AFNOR essential oils analysis (considered the gold standard) - Flora Research and Young Living Essential Oils.
But even gas chromatography (GC) has limitations. It is very difficult to distinguish between natural and synthetic compounds using GC analysis. This is why oils must be analyzed by a technician specially trained in the interpretation of a gas chromatograph chart. He/she can examine the entire chemical fingerprint of the oil, and all the important clues, to determine if the oil is adulterated or pure.
To insure a high grade of essential oil, it is imperative to use stainless steel cooking equipment at low pressure and low temperature for long periods of time.
The purity of an essential oil is also determined by its chemical constituents. There are many variables that can affect these constituents. These can include:
-soil conditions
-quality of fertilizer and whether it was organic or chemical
-region
-climate
-altitude
-harvest season
-harvest methods
-distillation process
-the part or parts of the plant used for distillation
One plant can produce several different chemotypes (biochemical variations). The chemotypes vary according to climate, altitude and growing conditions. For example, the later thyme is distilled in the growing season (i.e., late summer or fall), the more thymol the oil will contain. If it is distilled in the early summer, thymol levels will be very low; hence, the oil will be less effective, if at all.
A toxic oil is worse than an ineffective oil, however. Essential oils grown with agrochemicals can be dangerous. Pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers can react with the essential oil during distillation, producing toxic compounds. And synthetic oils not only lack therapeutic benefits, but also carry risks.
Natural essential oils contain hundreds of different chemical compounds, many of which have not been identified yet, but which bring important therapeutic properties to the oil. Although chemists have managed to recreate some of the constituents and fragrances of oils, there are many molecules and isomers that are impossible to manufacture in the laboratory. There simply are no substitutes for the purest essential oils.
While there are no regulations in America, a set of standards has been established in Europe that outlines the chemical profile and principal constituents that quality essential oils should have. These standards are known as AFNOR and ISO (Association French Normalization Organization Regulation and International Standards Organization). They are guidelines that help buyers
differentiate between a therapeutic-grade essential oil and lower grade oils with similar chemical makeup and fragrance. The only company with AFNOR certification in America, to date, is Young Living Essential Oils, whose oils are constantly being analyzed and graded according to the AFNOR standards.
The AFNOR certification is one of the most reliable indicators of essential oil quality. It is a stringent standard that differentiates true therapeutic-grade essential oils from similar (but inferior) Grade A essential oils. It was developed in France by chemist Hervi Casabianca, Ph.D., who recognized that the constituents within an essential oil had to occur in certain percentages in order for the oil to be considered therapeutic. He and other scientists and doctors combined their research to create the AFNOR standards.
With this indicator, oils can be checked to see if they meet AFNOR standards. If some constituents are too high or too low, the oils cannot be AFNOR or ISO certified. For example, if two or more marker compounds in an essential oil fall below the allowable range, the oil cannot meet the AFNOR standard. It cannot be called therapeutic-grade essential oil, even though it is still Grade A quality.
Without AFNOR standards, it is difficult to tell a therapeutic-grade essential oil from a Grade A essential oil. As an example, Lavender oil is frequently produced from hybrids, yet claimed to be genuine. AFNOR standards help distinguish true lavender from various species of hybrid lavender (actually lavandin). Tasmania produces a lavandin that mimics the chemistry of true lavender. The only way to determine its origin is by analyzing the chemical fingerprint using high-resolution gas chromatography and comparing it with the AFNOR standard for genuine lavender.
Analyzing an essential oil by gas chromatography is complex and highly technical. The injection mixture, film thickness, column diameter and length, and oven temperature must fall within certain parameters. Most labs in the United States use equipment that is only adequate for analyzing synthetic chemicals and marker compounds in vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts, but cannot properly analyze the complexity of natural chemicals found in essential oils.
At the present time, there are only two companies that use the proper machinery and test standards for AFNOR essential oils analysis (considered the gold standard) - Flora Research and Young Living Essential Oils.
But even gas chromatography (GC) has limitations. It is very difficult to distinguish between natural and synthetic compounds using GC analysis. This is why oils must be analyzed by a technician specially trained in the interpretation of a gas chromatograph chart. He/she can examine the entire chemical fingerprint of the oil, and all the important clues, to determine if the oil is adulterated or pure.
Toxic/Adulterated oils and Mislabeling
Adulteration of essential oils is becoming more and more common these days. As the demand for them grows, the supply of top-grade essential oils dwindles. The temptation to thin the oils with solvents, then add synthetic fragrance is great. In the last several years, France exported 100 times more lavender oil than it produced. This can only be possible if the oil is being thinned.
True lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is expensive and difficult to find. Most of the lavender oil sold in America today is actually the hybrid, Lavandin, grown and distilled in China, Russia, France and Tasmania. It is shipped to France and cut with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the fragrance. Then propylene glycol, DEP or DOP (odorless solvents) are added and it is labeled as Lavandula officinalis. Many times it also goes through heat processing to burn off the camphor the hybrid contains and then thinned with more linolyl acetate to appear as lavender. These bottles line the shelves of health food stores, herb shops and department stores, selling for $5.00 to $7.00 per half ounce. Unfortunately, most consumers don't know the difference.
Frankincense is very commonly adulterated. This essential oil requires 12 hours of steam distillation from expensive resin to be therapeutic-grade. Inexpensive frankincense oil that sells for $25 an ounce or less, is invariably distilled with alcohol or other solvents.
Lemon oil is another commonly adulterated essential oil. Terpene waste fractions left over from the industrial refining of citrus products and/or synthetic limonene is often purchased from chemical houses and used to dilute or "extend" genuine lemon oil. Since terpenes and limonene naturally occur in lemon oil, even a gas chromatograph cannot distinguish between synthetic and natural
limonene.
The most commonly adulterated oils include frankincense, myrrh, lemon, peppermint, cistus, helichrysum, lavender and birch or wintergreen, although all essential oils may be adulterated easily.
Most consumers do not know that adulterated oils can cause rashes, burning, and skin irritations. The petrochemical solvents in them can cause intense allergic reactions and toxic accumulations. And that they are devoid of any therapeutic benefits whatsoever.
It is very important to know about the integrity of the company from whom you are buying the essential oil. It is also very important for the company or vendor to know about the integrity of the oil.
Many vendors do not realize that the essential oils they sell come from chemical laboratories. There are huge chemical companies on the East Coast that specialize in the duplication of essential oils. For every kilo of pure essential oil that is produced, there are between 10 and 100 kilos of synthetic oils created.
In addition, some bottles do not contain the oil stated on the label. Oils marked as "clove" may be distilled from the leaf instead of the bud. Clove leaf oil is less expensive but does not have the same chemistry or therapeutic properties as clove bud oil. Many times, essential oils marked "cinnamon" are actually "cassia." Birch oil is often really Wintergreen -- at least in this case, the oils are nearly comparable. But, very often, synthetic methyl salicylate is added to low-grade birch or wintergreen oils to "improve" its quality.
As you can see, labeling can be very misleading - considering there is no agency responsible for certifying that an essential oil is therapeutic grade. There is no requirement that ingredients be listed on essential oils bottles. Therefore, unscrupulous manufacturers can literally get away with making any claims they want. Once again, it is up to the consumer to educate himself or
herself and know the difference.
True lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is expensive and difficult to find. Most of the lavender oil sold in America today is actually the hybrid, Lavandin, grown and distilled in China, Russia, France and Tasmania. It is shipped to France and cut with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the fragrance. Then propylene glycol, DEP or DOP (odorless solvents) are added and it is labeled as Lavandula officinalis. Many times it also goes through heat processing to burn off the camphor the hybrid contains and then thinned with more linolyl acetate to appear as lavender. These bottles line the shelves of health food stores, herb shops and department stores, selling for $5.00 to $7.00 per half ounce. Unfortunately, most consumers don't know the difference.
Frankincense is very commonly adulterated. This essential oil requires 12 hours of steam distillation from expensive resin to be therapeutic-grade. Inexpensive frankincense oil that sells for $25 an ounce or less, is invariably distilled with alcohol or other solvents.
Lemon oil is another commonly adulterated essential oil. Terpene waste fractions left over from the industrial refining of citrus products and/or synthetic limonene is often purchased from chemical houses and used to dilute or "extend" genuine lemon oil. Since terpenes and limonene naturally occur in lemon oil, even a gas chromatograph cannot distinguish between synthetic and natural
limonene.
The most commonly adulterated oils include frankincense, myrrh, lemon, peppermint, cistus, helichrysum, lavender and birch or wintergreen, although all essential oils may be adulterated easily.
Most consumers do not know that adulterated oils can cause rashes, burning, and skin irritations. The petrochemical solvents in them can cause intense allergic reactions and toxic accumulations. And that they are devoid of any therapeutic benefits whatsoever.
It is very important to know about the integrity of the company from whom you are buying the essential oil. It is also very important for the company or vendor to know about the integrity of the oil.
Many vendors do not realize that the essential oils they sell come from chemical laboratories. There are huge chemical companies on the East Coast that specialize in the duplication of essential oils. For every kilo of pure essential oil that is produced, there are between 10 and 100 kilos of synthetic oils created.
In addition, some bottles do not contain the oil stated on the label. Oils marked as "clove" may be distilled from the leaf instead of the bud. Clove leaf oil is less expensive but does not have the same chemistry or therapeutic properties as clove bud oil. Many times, essential oils marked "cinnamon" are actually "cassia." Birch oil is often really Wintergreen -- at least in this case, the oils are nearly comparable. But, very often, synthetic methyl salicylate is added to low-grade birch or wintergreen oils to "improve" its quality.
As you can see, labeling can be very misleading - considering there is no agency responsible for certifying that an essential oil is therapeutic grade. There is no requirement that ingredients be listed on essential oils bottles. Therefore, unscrupulous manufacturers can literally get away with making any claims they want. Once again, it is up to the consumer to educate himself or
herself and know the difference.
The Benefits of Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
1. Essential oils are so small in molecular size they can penetrate the tissues of the skin.
2. Essential oils are lipid soluble and are capable of penetrating cell walls- even those hardened because of oxygen deficiency. Essential oils can effect every cell of the body within 20 minutes and are metabolized like other nutrients.
3. Essential oils contain oxygen molecules which help transport nutrients to cells. Because nutritional deficiency is an oxygen deficiency, disease begins when cells lack oxygen for proper nutrient assimilation. By providing oxygen, essential oils work to stimulate the immune system.
4. Essential oils are powerful antioxidants that create an unfriendly environment for free radicals. They work as free radical scavengers, prevent cell mutation, prevent fungus, and prevent cellular oxidation.
5. Essential oils have been shown to destroy bacteria and viruses while simultaneously restoring physiological balance to the body.
6. Essential oils may detoxify cells and blood in the body.
7. Essential oils containing sesquiterpenes have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier.
8. Essential oils are aromatic and when diffused may provide air purification by:
-removing metallic particles and toxins from the air
-increasing atmospheric oxygen
-increasing ozone and negative ions in the air, which inhibit bacterial growth
-eliminating odors from mold, cigarettes, and animals
-filling the air with fresh aromatic scent
9. Essential oils promote physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
10. Essential oils have a bioelectrical frequency that is several times greater than the frequency of herbs, food, and even the human body. Clinical research has shown that essential oils can quickly raise the frequency of the human body, restoring it to its normal, healthy level.
11. Essential oils have an electrical frequency ranging from 52 MHz to 320 MHz.
12. All essential oils containing sesquiterpenes are known to give oxygen to cells in the body.
2. Essential oils are lipid soluble and are capable of penetrating cell walls- even those hardened because of oxygen deficiency. Essential oils can effect every cell of the body within 20 minutes and are metabolized like other nutrients.
3. Essential oils contain oxygen molecules which help transport nutrients to cells. Because nutritional deficiency is an oxygen deficiency, disease begins when cells lack oxygen for proper nutrient assimilation. By providing oxygen, essential oils work to stimulate the immune system.
4. Essential oils are powerful antioxidants that create an unfriendly environment for free radicals. They work as free radical scavengers, prevent cell mutation, prevent fungus, and prevent cellular oxidation.
5. Essential oils have been shown to destroy bacteria and viruses while simultaneously restoring physiological balance to the body.
6. Essential oils may detoxify cells and blood in the body.
7. Essential oils containing sesquiterpenes have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier.
8. Essential oils are aromatic and when diffused may provide air purification by:
-removing metallic particles and toxins from the air
-increasing atmospheric oxygen
-increasing ozone and negative ions in the air, which inhibit bacterial growth
-eliminating odors from mold, cigarettes, and animals
-filling the air with fresh aromatic scent
9. Essential oils promote physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
10. Essential oils have a bioelectrical frequency that is several times greater than the frequency of herbs, food, and even the human body. Clinical research has shown that essential oils can quickly raise the frequency of the human body, restoring it to its normal, healthy level.
11. Essential oils have an electrical frequency ranging from 52 MHz to 320 MHz.
12. All essential oils containing sesquiterpenes are known to give oxygen to cells in the body.