I started researching Young Living because I was a big fan of some of their fans. That was the first thing that sold me. However, there are a few options out there for essential oil providers. Other direct marketing companies as well as your health food stores, Amazon and even craft stores. So why do the prices vary so much and what is the difference... REALLY??
I had the same questions. Here is what I have found:
The frankincense that comes in your everyday kit is Boswellia Carteri. It is not an adaptable plant like lavender, for instance, and it's origin is limited. This means that most bottles floating around out there from other companies, especially the ones found in Christian book stores, are not frankincense. The perfume oil of frankincense is used in churches as an anointing oil. But is does not retain therapeutic or healing qualities.
I had the same questions. Here is what I have found:
The FDA has few regulations on essential oils, including labeling. A bottle may contain 51% essential oil and 49% synthetic fillers and still be labeled as 100% oil. This is most likely what you will find in a health food store (e.g., Whole Foods) or on Amazon, thus the lower price. These oils are intended for aromatic use, but not strong or pure enough to heal, and certainly not safe to be ingested. Two quick ways to evaluate a bottle of oil, regardless of the claim of purity on the label:
- Does it have an expiration date? If so, something has been added. It could be as simple as a carrier oil (e.g., olive or grapeseed oil) that isn't necessarily bad, just already dilutes the oil and allows for the lower price.
- Does it say "Do not ingest" or "For external use only"? With the exception of a few known oils that are not recommended to ingest (e.g., some eucalyptus oils), if they have this warning, they are likely laced with synthetics that are not safe to ingest.
Young Living voluntarily submits itself to the highest standards in the world (France, as the US has few standards) and has complete control over every stage of their process (see: Seed to Seal), thereby guaranteeing exceptional quality. Also, the only thing in that bottle is oil, there are no fillers. Therefore, these oils are very strong and powerful - one or two drops is all you need. Most full size bottles are 15 mL and provide about 250 drops each, so it should last you a good, long time.
While the FDA has few regulations, one thing that sold me on Young Living is that it has been approved to label many of the oils as Dietary Supplements as FDA Certified GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe). They also do the following tests on every incoming batch of their oils: gas chromatography, GC/MS, heavy metals analysis, Microbial, Flash Point, Optical Rotation, Refractive Index, and Specific Gravity. Oils that exhibit even the slightest hint of possible tampering or adulteration even if provided from a trusted supplier-are sent to outside laboratories for even more in-depth dissection using techniques such as carbon isotope analysis.
Young Living's prioprietary steam distillation process uses low heat, proper pressure, precise timing and of course fresh, properly grown and harvested plants. On example of the importance of precise timing during distillation is described in the Gentle Babies book when discussing Cypress: Cypress has 280 known chemical constituents, and all 280 must be present for it to have healing potency. If it is distilled for 20 hours, on 20 of the 280 properties are released. If distilled for 26 hours, none of the properties are released. Most cypress available on the US Market is distilled for about 3.5hrs. The correct length of time is 24 hours, releasing all 280 properties.
While I haven't gotten into a lot of internal use of the oils yet, I did find that certification comforting to use the oils topically and diffuse. I also have a mentor who shared with me that her 3 year old accidentally ingested some peppermint (which is approved for internal use, but the internal use of oils is not recommended for little ones). She called Poison Control and they immediately asked which brand. When she said "Young Living", they said not to worry. Even Poison Control can speak to the quality of these oils!
A little known fact is that Young Living rejects 72 percent of all essential oils received for analysis. These oils are found to be extended, adulterated, or sub-therapeutic. It is a sad fact that all of these rejected oils will eventually be sold and marketed by other less discerning buyers at a lower price.
You get what you pay for is especially true in the essential oil industry.
Young Living's prioprietary steam distillation process uses low heat, proper pressure, precise timing and of course fresh, properly grown and harvested plants. On example of the importance of precise timing during distillation is described in the Gentle Babies book when discussing Cypress: Cypress has 280 known chemical constituents, and all 280 must be present for it to have healing potency. If it is distilled for 20 hours, on 20 of the 280 properties are released. If distilled for 26 hours, none of the properties are released. Most cypress available on the US Market is distilled for about 3.5hrs. The correct length of time is 24 hours, releasing all 280 properties.
While I haven't gotten into a lot of internal use of the oils yet, I did find that certification comforting to use the oils topically and diffuse. I also have a mentor who shared with me that her 3 year old accidentally ingested some peppermint (which is approved for internal use, but the internal use of oils is not recommended for little ones). She called Poison Control and they immediately asked which brand. When she said "Young Living", they said not to worry. Even Poison Control can speak to the quality of these oils!
A little known fact is that Young Living rejects 72 percent of all essential oils received for analysis. These oils are found to be extended, adulterated, or sub-therapeutic. It is a sad fact that all of these rejected oils will eventually be sold and marketed by other less discerning buyers at a lower price.
You get what you pay for is especially true in the essential oil industry.
Frankincense
I think the best example of how Young Living is truly set apart from other Essential Oil companies is it's sourcing of Frankincense. Let me tell you... those wise men really took the best to the baby Jesus. This is going to get a little research heavy, so don't let me lose you, but it just blew me away (this is quoting some of the teachers I sit under):
Sacred Frank comes from the Boswellia Sacra tree that is only grown in Oman, South of Saudi Arabia and Young Living is the ONLY essential oil company allowed to have a farm and distillery in Oman (article). After 15 years of building relationships with Omani Royal family and officials, Gary Young was granted the first permit to export the oil and permission to build a distillery in the country. Since then, he has been gifted 400,000 acres of farm land to grow, plant and distill the Boswellia Sacra Trees. To think...we have Sacred Frankincense here in the U.S. thanks to Young Living! Thinking about the growing cancer rate here in America, this gives me goose bumps to know that God paved a way for us to get Sacred Frank here where we really need it! Here is a really neat article on Sacred Frankincense:
All this to say, in all of my research of the good and the ugly (for which I have found plenty of rebuttals for)... it was a pretty easy decision for me to go with this company. I appreciate their value for quality and the heart of their mission. I have been blown away by these oils and want to shout it from the rooftops! We have an intelligent Creator who gave us some amazing natural resources!
*Due to certain restrictions, we are not allowed to make claims about using essential oils for cancer. We are simply passing along to you information that we found cited and studied and ask that you do research yourself to see what you believe. You should always consult your healthcare practitioner to see if Essential Oil can be added into your treatment plan.
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