Twelve Questions to ask an Essential Oil Company
The following list of questions was originally written by Dr David Stewart but is widely circulated as a good test for those looking for excellent quality, therapeutic essential oils.
by Dr. David Stewart
We are finding ourselves more frequently approached by competing essential oil companies to sell and promote their brand. They always claim to have “pure therapeutic grade” oils “as good or better than those of Young Living.” Maybe they do and maybe they don’t. Here are some questions to ask when approached by another essential oil company:
1. Does their company own any farms on which to raise herbs for oils? And if they do, are they new farms on land formerly polluted with herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals that contain residuals from the past, or are they farming land that is clean, which has never been cultivated or has been untilled for at least the last 50 years?
2. Does their company have their own fully equipped testing laboratory to verify an oil’s composition?
3. Do they have anyone on staff with a trained nose who can analyze oils by their smell? (There are less than 200 people in the world with noses sufficiently trained to discern the chemistry of a fragrance.)
4. If their company purchases oils from outside suppliers, do they visit the distilleries and farms of those suppliers periodically to observe if the herbs are grown organically, i.e. without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers?
5. Do they know if the grower has a testing laboratory on the farm to determine when the crop is at its peak for oil harvesting?
6. Do they know if the crops were actually harvested at their peak time and, if so, was there an inordinate delay in taking them to the still and into the cookers?
7. Do they know if their distillery personnel understand the art and science of distilling, exactly how to pack the cookers, how to administer the steam, how to maintain minimum temperatures and pressures throughout the cooker, and how to continuously monitor the process throughout distillation to make sure the oil produced contains all of its components in the proper proportions?
8. 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?
9. Do they know if the the cookers in the distilleries of their suppliers have domed lids or cone shaped lids? Most stills use dome-shaped lids. Cone topped cookers deliver a better grade of oil than dome tops.
10. Do they know if their suppliers supplement the distillation process with solvents to extract additional oil from the plant matter?
11. Do they know if their suppliers bottle their oils directly from the distillery without modifying the composition of the natural oil by adding anything or taking anything away?
12. Do they know if their company has tested their company’s oils side by side with Young Living oils in the same lab to make a fair comparison? And if so, where is the data?
This is not a comprehensive list of questions you could ask, but if their answer to any or most of the above is “no,” or “I don’t know,” then how do they know their oils are “pure therapeutic grade” and that they are “as good or better than those of Young Living?” Without such knowledge, how can they make any verifiable claims that compare Young Living Oils with their brand?
With Young Living, you know that the answer to all of these questions is “Yes.”
Young Living owns and operates four large farms in Utah, Idaho, France, Canada and Ecuador, all of which were clean and free of chemicals for at least 50 years before Young Living agreed to buy the land. In fact, the land in Idaho had never been farmed before Young Living, and the Ecuador farm is being cleared from primitive jungle, free from human contamination for thousands of years.
Young Living also has an expertly staffed, fully equipped laboratory for testing oils including a gas chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, and other equipment whose value adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Young Living also has small labs on their farms to test the plants right from the field as they mature to determine the exact season and time of day to harvest the crop for the best oil. This is necessary because plants change their chemistry throughout the season and throughout the day, varying from week to week and hour to hour.
Gary Young was one of the few people in the world who can smell an oil and tell you what compounds are present, which are missing, and in what quantities. An essential oil company needs a person like that to check every batch of oil to make sure it is up to therapeutic standards. Such people can discern certain aspects of oil chemistry that a laboratory cannot measure.
Young Living markets more than 100 species of oils and cannot possible raise them all on their own farms. When they purchase from other growers and suppliers, they not only make initial site visits to verify that the oils are being produced and packaged properly, but they have a program of making repeated visits from time to time to make sure the standards are being upheld.
Gary Young has personally trained his distillers in the art of distilling. Besides the science to know exactly how to pack the cookers but the still operator must also learn the art of how to listen to the sounds of the steam inside the cooker and to be able to feel the outside of the cooker and diagnose how things are going inside to determine what adjustments need to be made.
Young Living distills oils at minimum pressures and temperatures to gently coax the oil and all of its compounds into the finished product, even though significant money, time, and labor can be saved by distilling at high pressures and high temperatures, like many companies do. High pressure/high temperature distillation may produce an oil with the fragrance compounds of an oil, but not with the therapeutic compounds. Young Living never uses solvents to finish off the distilling process as many companies do.
By climbing inside of an actual cooker and visually noting the patterns of steam flow, Gary Young was able to determine that a dome-shaped lid caused the oil-bearing steam to curl and back flow into the plant mass, thus altering the chemistry and losing some constituents, while a cone-shaped lid allowed the steam to spiral directly up, out, and into the condenser without turbulence.
Many of the techniques and skills applied in growing and distilling Young Living oils are trade secrets, known only to Gary Young and his trusted employees.
Young Living oils are bottled as they emerge from the still in their complete natural state without adulteration (adding compounds) or refinement (removing compounds).
In a few instances when mistakes were made and a batch of oil grown and distilled by Young Living did not measure up to Gary Young’s standards, the oil was discarded, poured out on the ground. Some companies would have sold such oil anyhow, if not to their customers, then to another retailer. Young Living will never do that. They would rather be in short supply of a given species than to market an inferior product.
While you are asking questions to another company representative, you might also ask how long they have been in business? Young Living was founded in 1991. Gary bought its first farm in 1992 near St. Maries, Idaho, and its second farm in 1995 near Mona, Utah. Gary Young and the company are committed to ensuring a current and future supply of top grade essential oils indefinitely into the future.
If you ever get the opportunity, visit a Young Living farm and distillery and you will begin to see for yourself the care and dedication it takes to produce the finest essential oils in the world.
If you ever get the opportunity, visit a Young Living farm and distillery and you will begin to see for yourself the care and dedication it takes to produce the finest essential oils in the world.
The factors that make Young Living unique and outstanding in the world of essential oil companies are so numerous they cannot all be presented in an article like this. When your life and your health are depending on it, you cannot afford to use oils whose chemistry and origins are uncertain. I have complete trust in the quality and integrity of Young Living oils. That is why I will neither use nor consider any other brand.
Please contact me for more information on what makes a true quality essential oil which will provide benefits for you and your family!
XOXO,
Karrie
Last weekend, we participated in the Ozarks Homesteading Expo in Marshfield, Missouri, where we engaged with top homesteading experts and more than 150 vendors discussing self-sufficiency and natural health products. The Expo provided a fantastic platform to discuss integrating natural products like essential oils into daily routines for immune support and overall wellness. If you missed it, follow the Ozarks Homesteading page on Facebook for updates and plan to attend next year!
For those interested in natural health options, explore Young Living's essential oils to enhance your holistic lifestyle. These oils are known to support the body's ability to heal and strengthen naturally, serving as a powerful addition to your wellness toolkit.
Here are two vital recipes shared at the Expo. The Elderberry Syrup, ideal for boosting immunity, includes local honey and Young Living essential oils like Ginger, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, and Thieves. The Warrior Oil blend combines essential oils such as Elemi or Frankincense, Panaway, Copaiba, Lemongrass, Marjoram, and Black Pepper in a soothing Ortho Sport massage oil base to alleviate muscle soreness and tension.
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We have had round after round of winter yuck in this area and I am more thankful than ever for my options for managing my health and the bugs that sometimes sneak in. It took me by storm one Friday and as I reached for my Elderberry Syrup I realized I had NOT been taking a teaspoon a day as I encourage folks to do. Ugh. It was a couple days of absolute exhaustion, muscle aches, coughing, headache and sore throat. I took a teaspoon or two of elderberry syrup every few hours, used my Thieves Chest Rub on my chest and the bottoms of my feet, A drop of Thieves and Lemon in a teaspoon of honey a couple times a day, and Raven and a plethora of other oils in the diffuser. Also lots of Ningxia Red because I didn't feel like eating (that almost never happens) but knew my body needed the nutrients it provides. I also upped my Super C and Super Vitamin D. What do you do when the winter yuck hits?
If you need any of the items I have talked about, here is a wishlist....you can add any or all to your cart and have it ready when you need it! If you are new to Young Living, use the code shareyl to receive 10% off!
Interested in making your own elderberry syrup? It is really pretty easy, and this recipe makes about 24 ounces. It is recommended to take a teaspoon a day to boost your immune system, Of course, since it has local honey, kiddos under 1 year should abstain. For littles over one, a half a teaspoon is recommended.
Elderberry Syrup
2/3 cup dried elderberries (double that if using fresh berries)
3½ cups of water
1 cup raw organic honey (local if possible)
2 drops of Young Living Ginger Essential Oil
1 drop of Young Living Clove Essential Oil
4 drops of Young Living Thieves Essential Oil
1. Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries. It is beneficial to soak them overnight, but not required.
2. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer minutes until the liquid has reduced by almost half. Smash the berries, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
3. Let the liquid cool to lukewarm, then add 1 cup of honey and stir well. Adding the honey before the liquid is cooled may kill the important enzymes
4. Next add the oils, stir and then pour into a glass jar.
5. Keep refrigerated and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.
6. Standard dose is ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids and 1 tsp for adults. If a cold or the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.
We had such a great time being a part of the Ozarks Homesteading Expo in Marshfield! The event was filled with like-minded individuals working towards a self-reliant lifestyle and sharing their knowledge. We were thrilled to showcase what Young Living has to offer in terms of products and community.
In order to share some of our DIY recipes with those we met, we decided to create a blog series. Two of our most popular DIYs, Warrior Oil and Elderberry Syrup, were available at the event. Warrior Oil is a fantastic option for muscle-related issues, whether it's post-workout soreness or general discomfort. By simply adding a combination of Young Living essential oils such as Black Pepper, Frankincense or Elemi, Marjoram, Lemongrass, PanAway, Copaiba to a 5 ml bottle filled with OrthoSport Massage Oil, and topped with a roller, you'll have a powerful and effective solution.
Stay tuned for more DIY recipes coming soon!
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Next week, there will be a Facebook Class on caring for your immune system. Let me know if you would like to be added to it. Here is a story I have been wanting to share.
I traveled to Salt Lake for work two days before the end of the month, I would be there for 12 days, supporting a hospital go live of their new electronic medical record. I was SUPER excited to be staying just a mile or so from our Young Living Headquarters. I planned to pick up some product (my fav energy drink, Zyng, Ningxia Red and Nitro) on the first day of the month, my Loyalty Rewards order.
Life had other plans. I arrived in town, checked in to my hotel, went grocery shopping and headed to the hospital the next morning for go live prep. I had a headache, and later that night, i felt increasingly sick. Called my boss, she instructed me to get a test for "the sickness that shall not be named", and go straight back to my hotel and work from there.
I tested positive. I had to let the hotel know. I was quarantined in my room.
I had been diligent in utilizing numerous products to support my immune system, as I was traveling, routinely in hospitals, and working a ton of hours. I had my supplements sitting next to my computer, and upped my Super C and Super B and Super VItamin D, I had been taking extra Zinc and Quercetin, and lots of Ningxia Red. I knew I couldn't get out to go pick up an order. I was burning through my stash of all.the.things quickly.
Folks that I work with had offered to bring me anything I need. The VP of my firm brought me 4 bags of groceries. <3 I will never forget his kindness. My bosses hounded me daily on how I was feeling, did I have a temp, was I eating. :) But asking folks to go to Young Living headquarters and have them pick up my order? I just couldn't do it. I called Headquarters, just to ask-since I was literally a few blocks away- if maybe someone could drop off my order when they got off work. When I called, the girl I spoke to immediately said "let me get my boss". The woman I spoke to said "place your order and call us back and we will bring it right over". I began to cry for the first time since this ordeal began.
I was really sick, and not really thinking super clearly, and it took me like three tries to get everything I needed ordered. I literally had three different orders. I called and let them know I was finally done ordering. Within half an hour there was a knock on my door. I yelled out thank you, gave them time to walk away, and then opened the door. As I unpacked my order, the tears began again. Besides my order, there was also the following:
A bottle of Thieves Essential Oil
A tube of the Thieves Chest Rub (so new I forgot it existed)
A roller of Breathe Again
All of the freebies for the month because all my orders together met the minimum
A handmade Get Well Card
Have I mentioned I love this company?
Fast forward to last June, when I made it back to Headquarters and visited the area where my order was processed. I had to tell them the story. The girl behind the counter said, oh I bet that was Heather. Another girl said she thought she remember the situation. I asked if Heather was there, and they said she was working the convention.
The next day, as I was shopping at the convention, a woman named Heather waited on my, but she didn't meet the physical description. I was telling her the story, and she said, "Oh, I think she is working in the back, I will text her!"
I began to cry again, the Heather waiting on me was tearing up, and she came out and I could barely speak as I told her who I was and what her kindness meant to me. It was the highlight of the 4 day convention to get to hug her and thank her in person. We created quite a stir.
I truly believe that the proactive support of my immune system helped me as much as that stressful time in my life put me at risk. Once that order arrived, I guzzled Ningxia Red and tossed back B, C and D like candy. By the day I was allowed to travel, I was feeling comfortable doing so. I remember how sick I was, the fatigue was intense, and one night I truly gave myself the equivalent of a breathing treatment with Laurus Noblis. But what I will remember the most is the kindness of others, of my VP Dave bringing me groceries and Heather and her team going above and beyond making sure I had what I needed to get well.
If you would like a list of products suggested to have on hand to combat the "sickness that shall not be named" let me know.
