Essential oils found in plants is what heals and protects them within their environment. Essential oils make up the immune system of the plant. When these oils are extracted with great care (read here about Young Living’s Seed to Seal process and see the video below) they keep these same therapeutic properties.
There are 188 references to oils in the bible. I LOVE this little piece of trivia. There are historical references of using essential oils dating back to 4500 BC.
Why I use Young Living Essential Oils
It is really important to know that not all essential oils are therapeutic grade and considered safe to use in the ways we use Young Living essential oils (i.e. taken internally). Young Living has been around for 20 years, they have their own farms and distillers and absolute transparency when it comes to lab testing. So after doing a lot of research and their high recommendations, I believe Young Living is the BEST essential oil you can buy.
Purity of Essential Oils
Only 2% of essential oils sold in North America are suitable for medicinal purposes, and Young Living makes 98% of them! Many other oils are extracted using high heat and pressure and contain additional solvents. These extraction methods destroy the therapeutic properties of the oils. They will still have the appropriate smell based on the plant but will not be effective and can be extremely harmful. There are currently no standards when labeling a bottle of oil. As long as they contain at least 5% essential oil, by law they can be labeled 100% Pure Essential Oil! So you really cannot be sure of the quality of an oil purchased at a health food store. Hopefully in the future there will be better labeling regulation and laws.
You can watch Young Living’s Seed to Seal process in this video:
Ways to use oils
Topical Application: Essential Oils can be applied directly to the skin. Please ALWAYS read the label on the bottle for dilution recommendations. Some oils need to be diluted with a carrier oil (Young Living’s V6 oil, organic coconut oil or organic olive oil) while others can be applied, ‘neat’ or directly on the skin with no dilution. I like to test on myself first before applying to my children. Applying to the feet is a super quick way to get the oils into the body and rarely needs diluting on this part of the body (even with children).
Aromatically: Essential Oils can be inhaled directly from the bottle. They can also be diffused into the air with a diffuser and even a few drops placed in a warm bowl of water or on a cotton ball. The body absorbs the oil the fastest through inhalation and then the next fastest would be applying to the feet or to the ears (NEVER in the ear canal).
Internally: Because of the therapeutic grade of Young Living’s oil there are many that can be taken internally as a dietary supplement. You can add to water, juice or milk. Several drops can be placed into a gelatin capsule to swallow easily as well. Again ALWAYS read the bottle guidelines on taking internally.
Please Note ~ This information ONLY refers to Young Living essential oils.
Learn More
Please see the—-> Essential Oils 101 Class for more details on how essential oils work, safety tips and more!!
