Yes, it's happened to the best of us. We finally receive our first Vetiver, Patchouli, or Myrrh (for example) in the mail and are ready to diffuse it when...it simply won't come out of the bottle! What should you do? First, I'll tell you what not to do.
Don't heat the oil.
Ugh. There's some bad information out there on the internet telling us to warm essential oils to get them to pour easier. Don't! Heat is not a friend to essential oils.
Do this instead.
There is a tiny hole surrounding the large opening in the bottle's orifice reducer (the plastic top that allows oil to drip out). The large hole is called a stem. The stem is actually for air to pass into the bottle so that oil can pour out. The tiny hole is where the oil flows from, not the stem! They can be hard to find, but usually someone with a keen eye can find one (I've involved my husband if necessary). Young Living oils come with a side drip orifice reducer; they drip out of the side.
Pointing that tiny hole toward your diffuser (or other container), hold your bottle at a 45 degree angle. My photo doesn't show the angle very well, but the point is not to hold it completely upside down vertically, which will block the stem from allowing air flow.
Have patience. Wait at least 30 seconds in that position. The oil WILL come, I promise!
And, by the way, for thin oils (like those in the citrus family), point the tiny hole upward, away from the diffuser. It will come out a bit more slowly.
This is information that I learned as I worked with thick oils, before I began aromatherapy education. I could have used it before I got my first bottle of vetiver! :) I hope you find it helpful.
I've shared before that I shied away from essential oils when both of my little ones were born. With my eldest son, I waited until he was two-and-a-half before using them, and my daughter didn't experience essential oils until she was eight months old. I think I was definitely overly cautious, especially with my son, and I'm so glad I have a little bit of education and experience under my belt so that I can be comfortable using essential oils with and near my baby! I love being able to impart a little extra soothing to her skin and emotions with aromatherapy. She seems to love the scents and I've seen the health and emotional benefits for her first hand.
I think a cautious, balanced approach is what works best with babies: Don't abandon your oils or use them without restraint. If you aren't comfortable with using essential oils on your baby, it's ok to wait until you are. Make informed decisions and follow your mommy intuition. And pick up a book written by an aromatherapist on the subject!
My favorite is Debra Raybern's Gentle Babies. (The title is inspired by the blend made by Young Living called Gentle Baby.) She's a Christian aromatherapist with lots of experience and knowledge and I think she has a great perspective and fantastic advise for not only pregnancy and childbirth, but also for infants and young children. It's a must-have! And a lot of the basics I'm sharing with you today come from her. Please pick up a copy, and you'll have a lot more confidence in using your oils with a baby! (No, I'm not making any money for this endorsement.)
Here are a few basic tips that I've picked up on safely using essential oils with a baby.
Skin application
Babies have tiny, pure, brand-new bodies and extremely delicate skin. They feel the effects of essential oils and respond to them more easily than an adult does.
- Always dilute the oil! Read my dilution guide here, which includes the right amount for babies. You can always go under 1% if that makes you more comfortable.
- Hold the oil over her skin. I love Debra Raybern's suggestion to rub a diluted EO on your own hands and hold your hands over your child's chest, back, or feet for a minute. You can then touch the oils to her skin, assuming she's showing no signs of irritation. I did this when my daughter was coughing and I was desperate to calm her. I held lavender, which is a gentle antispasmodic, (neat) over her chest because it was all I had on hand. I didn't want to place the oil directly on her skin, as it wasn't diluted.
- Apply to the baby's feet. This is recommended because it reduces the risk of skin irritation, but it's also effective for skin absorption.
- Don't use in a bath. The risk of the baby splashing essential oils into her eyes is just too great. Instead, apply a homemade baby oil (a carrier + EO) to her skin after the bath. It will be just as soothing and, of course, it will smell amazing!
Inhalation
- Diffuse gently. When introducing your baby to a new oil, diffusing is a great way to go! Add 2-4 drops to your cold-air diffuser for about 10-15 minutes, watching your baby for any (unlikely) adverse effects. After you've done this once a day for a couple of days, feel free to add a few more drops to the mix and to diffuse 15 minutes twice per day. I like setting a timer because otherwise I'd be tempted to diffuse oils all day long. (And, by the way, Young Living has the most charming ultrasonic diffusers for kiddos I've ever seen! They include colorful nightlights, an intermittent setting and auto shut-off in a dolphin or dinosaur motif.)
- Wear the oil on yourself first. Allow your baby to inhale the essential oil through a diluted application on your skin while you hold him close. This is a wonderful and gentle way to introduce the oil to the baby.
Essential Oils for Babies
Start out by introducing single oils (not blends) to your baby one at a time. Once she is accustomed to essential oils, some blends to try include Gentle Baby (my favorite!), Peace and Calming, and Joy.
A few oils that are generally regarded as safe for little ones include:
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): a fantastic swiss-army-knife of essential oils that young ones tend to love (my son's favorite!); great for sleep and comfort, lots of beneficial properties for health and skin as well
- Orange (Citrus sinensis): a delightfully sweet oil that has childhood written all over it, great for uplifting mood and calming, as well as digestive support; another wonderful multipurpose oil
- Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica): calming and grounding, a gentle bass note that works well with citrus oils, beneficial during fall and winter months
- Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): wonderful for soothing a fearful baby, fantastic for skin, lungs, and respiratory support
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): soothing for bedtimes and fussing, tummy troubles, and teething
- Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata): uplifting when your baby is frustrated, colicky, or over tired
- Lemon (Citrus limon): general immune support and pH balancing, lemon has a cheerful scent, but don't apply to her skin and take her out in the sun (it's phototoxic!)
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): a lovely floral scent, helpful for cradle cap (when diluted), and skin irritations
Of course, this list could definitely be expanded, but I felt that these are the most widely popular for use with babies, and they are personal favorites for my kids too! I hope you are empowered and ready to enjoy aromatherapy with your baby!
SAFETY TIPS & NOTES
Less is more. It doesn't take much at all for an EO to impact a little one. Always start out very small...and stay there if that's what works. Also be aware of what you're using on yourself or diffusing in your home with your little one. Stick to a gentle approach, because your baby will inhale what you wear and use in your home.
Some oils to avoid with babies include: Eucalyptus (globulus and radiata), Juniper, Basil, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Sage, Clary Sage, Fennel, Hyssop, and Idaho Tansy.
Never give oils by mouth to your baby. Keep them out of reach of your kids. Check out my post on Essential Oil safety for more information on what oils to avoid, and safety precautions specific to children, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
A note about my advice: I'm not a certified aromatherapist (yet), or a doctor, and I think every mom should make her own choice about what to use, at what age, and for what circumstances. Learn what you can about each oil that you use, and approach little ones with lots of care and caution too.
RESOURCES
If you're new to oils or even a seasoned user, essential oil safety is important information that should be learned and reviewed from time to time. It will provide a great foundation for you to use your essential oils with confidence. Here are a few things everyone should know before they reach for that beautiful bottle of essential oil.
1. Dilute for skin applications.
Young Living oils are pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. And that means they are safe to use diluted, and in acute situations, neat on the skin. But there are so many reasons to dilute essential oils when applying to the skin. Please read about those and properly dilute them.
2. Keep essential oils away from the eyes.
Every single one will sting the crap out of your eyes. And every single essential oil lover will eventually get some in the eye at some point in the course of working with them. Here's how to deal with it when it happens.
- Place a drop of a fatty oil (like olive oil) on a cloth or tissue.
- Then gently place that tissue on the outer edge of your eye where the essential oil is killing you.
- Just like that, it'll attach to the tissue and you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Remember essential oils are lipophilic and using water to flush out an essential oil would be a needlessly long process that may not prove fruitful.
3. Use caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
I think it's best to use a well-balanced approach to oils during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Please don't stop using your EOs or be afraid of them during this time. Just get to know your oils and use them conservatively (dilute for skin applications, don't go over the recommended number of drops in your diffuser, don't ingest them) and you will be fine.
Specific oils to avoid during pregnancy include...
- Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum)
- Basil ct. estragole (Ocimum basilicum)
- Birch (Betula lenta)
- Camphor or Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
- Parsley seed or leaf (Petroselinum sativum)
- Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
- Thuja (Thuja occidentalis)
- Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
This list is from NAHA's information on essential oils and pregnancy. I think it's important to note that a few of these essential oils are rare because they have some alarming safety concerns only when misused. So it's not likely that a casual essential oil user (or a careful one) would own half of these oils or ever use them incorrectly. Only the oils in bold above are sold by Young Living.
For women who are breastfeeding, the list above applies. Also, add peppermint and jasmine to that list. Peppermint slowed down my milk supply until I stopped using it after discovering the fact that it affects milk production.
4. Use caution with babies and young children.
As a new mom, I abandoned my oils completely. I didn't know much about essential oils, and what I did know concerned me just enough to avoid them altogether. I waited until my son was two before I really delved in to using essential oils! So, I recommend a balanced approach. A few quick pointers include:
- Dilute essential oils if applying to your child's skin (0.5-1% dilution is enough for a child)
- Only use gentle oils that are regarded as safe...some examples:
lavender, sweet orange, frankincense, roman chamomile, Gentle Baby
- Never, ever give EOs of any kind by mouth to your baby or child
- Introduce oils slowly to your child or baby; wear them (diluted) on yourself first as you hold your baby near, or diffuse a small amount for 15 minutes.
This topic merits roughly a billion different blog posts, but I've started with an overview on using essential oils with your baby. This is a topic very close to my heart, since my children's health is what spurred me on in this field, and I think trustworthy information online is more difficult to find than it should be. Too many sites are spreading unnecessary fear, or just the opposite, encouraging unsafe use of oils.
5. Keep EOs out of reach of children.
It's easy to leave oils around where young ones can get to them, so keep mental tabs on your oils and store them in a high place! While the fridge is a fantastic place to store your EOs, putting them there could pose a bit of a risk for little ones who may mistake them for food or drink. If you store them in the fridge, the top shelf behind other foods is best. Anytime you're working with EOs around kids, mention that they aren't for drinking.
6. Be careful with phototoxic oils.
Many citrus oils are phototoxic and can cause extreme irritation or a severe sunburn-like reaction on the skin when exposed to sunlight or a tanning booth. Phototoxic oils include:
- Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
- Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
- Distilled or expressed grapefruit (low risk) (Citrus paradisi)
- Expressed lemon (Citrus limon)
- Expressed lime (Citrus medica)
- Orange, bitter (expressed) (Citrus aurantium)
- Rue (Ruta graveolens)
It's ok to use these oils in soaps, shampoos, or any product that is for cleansing and gets rinsed away. A reaction with the sun can occur if these oils are used in products that are worn on the skin, such as lotions, balms, or applied neat. If you've used a phototoxic oil on your skin, stay out of the sun or tanning booth (Um, personally I'd recommend never ever visiting a tanning booth!) for at least twenty-four hours.
Not all citrus oils are phototoxic. You are sun safe with distilled lemon, distilled lime, sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), and tangerine/mandarin (Citrus reticulata).
7. Don't use near flames.
Essential oils are highly flammable substances and should be kept away from direct contact with flames, such as candles, fire, matches, cigarettes, and gas cookers. You may have heard of adding oils to your firewood, and this is acceptable if the oil is added to the logs, and allowed to soak in and dry before adding to the fire.
8. Educate yourself.
The best thing you can do to safely use essential oils is to simply get acquainted with them. When you're first starting out, choose a few oils that are well known for their gentleness. The EOs that come in the premium starter kit are perfect! Buy an essential oil reference book and learn about a handful of oils. Then, start using those few EOs in practical ways.
Diffusing a few drops is an excellent way to get acquainted with your oils. Of course, applying EOs to soothe your skin (like adding lavender to a natural, unscented lotion) is another great idea. Begin slowly and conservatively, using small amounts as your body gets used to these potent gifts from God. Don't go overboard, but don't be afraid to USE your wonderful oils either!
RESOURCES
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy Safety Information
Aromatherapy & Pregnancy, Jolene Meum, MBA, The School for Aromatic Studies blog
I'm so thankful that my lovely friend and Young Living sponsor taught me a few things when I purchased my first essential oils. This is really one of the most basic safety guidelines to follow: Dilute your essential oils for skin application!*
Why?
- Essential oils are not water soluble and have a different molecular density than water (usually lighter, most will float on top of it). This means that putting an essential oil in water and then on the skin or swallowing it with water has the same effect as direct contact with your body.
- Fat is drawn to fat. Essential oils are lipophilic (fat-loving!). If you place an essential oil on your skin "neat," it will be drawn directly to the lipids in your skin.
- EOs are extremely concentrated (check out the graphic below) in comparison to rest of the plant they are derived from. For example, lemon juice is known to be exfoliating and lightening in skin applications (especially in the sun, something called phototoxicity). Now imagine what the concentrated liquid from a lemon rind would do!
- Certain oils can be very irritating to the skin. "Hot" oils like Thieves, peppermint, clove, and thyme, to name a few, should definitely always, always be diluted before applying to the skin.
- One big concern is that using essential oils neat on the skin can create a sensitivity (also known as contact dermatitis), causing the user to develop a permanent allergic reaction. This is a particular danger if the oil is used without a carrier on a regular basis, or if the oil has been oxidized or has expired, or if the oil was poor quality and chemically adulterated. Young Living's essential oils are unmatched in terms of quality and purity. They are the only oils I recommend for a reason!
- Using a carrier can help sustain the effects of the essential oil, as the skin slowly absorbs it. The essential oil will evaporate more quickly if it's applied neat.
The good news is that essential oils disperse nicely into an aromatic vegetable oil carrier, creating a single solution. The carrier is a gentle buffer between your skin and the essential oil. Don't worry, you will still experience the benefits of the essential oil even in a concentration as little as 1% or 2%. Young Living's website states "Dilution with a carrier oil does not dilute the effect of the essential oil. In fact, it prevents waste due to excessive application."
So let's get down to the nitty gritty of how to create safe products for your skin.
Dilution Guide
1% Dilutions
Use this when applying essential oils to babies, kids, seniors, pregnant women, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
2% Dilutions
This ratio is perfect for use on healthy adults, and for blending products like lotions, massage oils, and creams.
3-5% Dilutions
This is better suited for use on someone who has a cold or flu, for muscle pain, and other situations when an otherwise healthy adult has a need for something a little strong.
| Carrier Amount | 1% Dilution | 2% Dilution | 3% Dilution |
| 1 ounce | 5-6 drops EO | 10-12 drops EO | 15-18 drops EO |
| 2 ounces | 10-12 drops EO | 20-24 drops EO | 30-36 drops EO |
| 1 teaspoon | 2 drops EO | 3 drops EO | 5 drops EO |
| 2 teaspoons | 3 drops EO | 6 drops EO | 9 drops EO |
| 10 ml (typical roller size) | 2 drops EO | 4 drops EO | 6 drops EO |
The "drops EO" refers to a total amount of drops of essential oil. If you're making a product, for example, 6 drops EO might look like 1 drop vetiver, 3 drops lavender, and 2 drops sweet orange within your carrier.
That covers dilution. Have an amazing time mixing and creating products for yourself and others!
*Okay, okay. Even the most diligent diluter will apply a skin-friendly oil neat in times of an urgent situation, like a small burn or a bee sting. Young Living oils are pure and have potent effects when applied neat, which can be a very good thing.
Before I began devouring information about essential oils like it was my job, I had started creating a few simple "products" for myself and my family. But here's how that would go.
My daughter needs to wind down after a hard day and I'm worried about teething pain keeping her up, so before her bedtime, I grab a little plastic lid, put some coconut oil in it and a drop of lavender, mix it, and apply it to the bottoms of her feet and a touch on her upper body so she can smell it as she falls asleep. This oily lid stays on her changing table for a couple days. Sometimes I use it again, other times I'm too worried it could be contaminated, or I knock it off the table altogether and then scoop it out into the trash.
There were lots of situations like this, and it got to the point where I'd have several little plastic lids sitting around the house. I knew this wasn't exactly the best way to go about things. I also had another problem. I wanted to diffuse about two or even three different blends of oils at different times of the day. I didn't know how to accomplish that without things getting awkward or just plain wasteful.
Thankfully, my friend and Young Living sponsor, Heather, straightened me out on a few points, and the internet filled in the gaps. So, here are a few things I learned about storing not only the bottles of essential oils themselves, but products, blends, and even diffuser mixes. It turns out a few simple guidelines will keep your oils in top shape, as well as convenient and safe to use.
Storing Essential Oils
- Oils should come in amber glass bottles. If you transfer oils to another bottle for samples, or mix them, etc. you should also store them in amber (or cobalt blue) glass bottles with an airtight lid. EOs should come with a plastic topper called an orifice reducer that allows us to pour them out by the drop. You can store your synergies in these bottles as well, of course.
- Don't store pure essential oils in plastic or rubber. When these materials come into contact with essential oils, they can deteriorate.
- Store your EOs in a dark, dry, cool place. Light, moisture, and heat can cause an oil to oxidize. You will be able to tell if it becomes cloudy, thickens, or smells acidic.
- Young Living essential oils do not expire and will stand the test of time when stored in the conditions I just described. If you create your own products, be aware of the expiration date of any carriers you use. If you use another EO brand, look for an expiration date on the bottle or contact the manufacturer.
- Get a case for your at home and travel needs. If you have even a small collection of oils, you're going to want a sturdy, convenient way to store them and keep them protected. For storing a larger collection at home, I'd recommend buying a wooden box, but Young Living makes a perfect smaller case for on-the-go needs and travel. You can check out all accessories here.
Storing Skin Products
One of the best ways to use essential oils is to apply them to the skin. Here's how to store those lovely products (any mix of EOs and a carrier) you create. You may also want to check out my post on how to dilute essential oils for the skin.
- Products for topical application are best stored in dark glass containers. If you make a blend often, buy a few containers so that you'll have that soothing cream, body oil, or respiratory salve on hand. (Trust me! You don't want to end up with weird plastic lids all over your house.) There are some great choices on Amazon in a range of sizes and shapes for any homemade product.
- Blends that are no more than 3% and that aren't going to be stored long-term are generally ok in PET plastic (recycle symbol 1). This may be best in situations where there's a concern about glass breaking. PET plastic has a high permeability resistance rating.
Storing Diffuser Blends
I've honestly never heard anyone mention this, and I have taken several different classes and I listen to top experts in aromatherapy all the time...so take this for what you will, but here are my thoughts.
When I would like to change out the blend of distilled water and essential oil in my diffusers before it's been used up, I pour the mix I want to save and reuse later into a glass cup, cover it with aluminum foil, label it with tape, and put it in the fridge.
The refrigerator is the best place to store hydrosols (the aromatic water that is produced in the process of distilling plant materials), because they are water and need to be kept fresh. The fridge is also perfect for essential oils too, to safeguard against heat and light. So I think the conditions are just right for keeping diffuser blends of water and EOs fresh, especially because I diffuse often. It's not airtight, and it's not perfect, but it has been working wonderfully for me. When I'm ready to change things up, I swab my diffuser with alcohol and let it dry before pouring in my new mix.
Hopefully this information made your life a lot easier. Happy diffusing, creating with, and using your essential oils!
Five years ago, my husband (who is a licensed mental health therapist) brought home a bottle of Young Living's lavender oil. He bought it from his coworker, a Christian nutritionist, therapist, and naturopath. We loved the oil, but we may have used it in a few misguided ways. We didn't purchase a diffuser and when it ran out, we simply moved on, though we told ourselves we needed to order it again.
Fast-forward to three years ago, and we'd just had our first baby. He was happy and perfectly healthy, and I wanted him to stay that way! I knew that children's over-the-counter cough medicines and other pharmaceuticals had been pulled from the shelves years ago (and for good reason), but I wanted to be able to protect him, and to combat anything that would keep him from health.
Something in the back of my mind recalled our experience with that first drop of lavender, and I remembered that there was something special about therapeutic-grade essential oils. We had since moved away and lost contact with my husband's coworker, but when one of my best friends mentioned she was placing an order with Young Living, I jumped on board, asking roughly a thousand questions along the way.
Essential Oils are powerful
These days, essential oils are a big part of my life. In my book, they are the only way to safely and effectively keep my kids healthy (even in the face of preschool). But they do so much more than that...I turn to essential oils for everything from cleaning the air, to lifting my family's spirits, to addressing and supporting health. I use them to guard myself and my family against those sick days that hit us in the fall and winter. I use them when I need energy or calming, and I use them to help me focus and clear my head.
There are a million positive benefits to using essential oils, and I plan on discovering them all. ;) But truly, I love them because they are natural, yet very powerful.
Essential Oils are a beautiful part of God's creation
I believe these oils are amazing gifts straight from God. Using aromatic oils and plants for health and worship is an idea that's actually mentioned in the Bible, and there are all sorts of biblical references to aromatic substances, perfumes, and essential oils. God makes it clear in his word that he loves plant fragrances, and to show us what our prayers mean to him he often describes them that way.
I love that essential oils work in perfect harmony with my faith, as long as I have my priorities straight and put God first.
It all comes down to the science behind the oils. To put it briefly, essential oils are made up of molecules that give the oil its specific properties. Those molecules are grouped into chemical families, so if you're interested in the chemistry side of EOs, that's a fantastic thing to learn too. One of the things that gets me so excited about EOs is the scientific facts that provide a foundation for their use. I'm not just out here smelling nice things and imagining they help me, twirling around with them in a field of flowers (although that does sound fun). And speaking of fun...
Essential Oils smell amazing
I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a fragrance addict. I adore things that smell good, and as you can imagine, I've been known to go down the path of using commerical products that are damaging to me as well as the environment. Having kids meant getting more serious about what I allow in my home for safety reasons, and I felt good about making positive changes, but sad about losing some of those typical fragrances you find in the stores as perfumes, candles, wax melts, air fresheners, etc.
That's where essential oils came in! Some of them have absolutely delectable smells, and some have rich aromas that smell more like an expensive perfume. They can smell spicy, sweet, refreshing, floral, juicy, crisp, fresh, earthy, and herbacious. Yes, every time you diffuse oils you are and experiencing some physical and mental health benefits, but they are also great for refreshing a room and making your kitchen smell fantastic again (even after fish night!). I use EOs to replace all the products mentioned above, and I'll go into more details on that soon.
Essential Oils are fun to work with
One of the best uses of essential oils is putting them into a carrier oil and creating a product. It can be as simple as little coconut oil and lavender for soothing skin and emotions, but there's something really significant about being able to creatively work with essential oils to address a need in my life. Once I started working with my oils and creating blends for my diffusers, mixing a couple of oils into a natural unscented lotion, or adding a drop of Thieves to my toothbrush to keep it sanitized, I was hooked.
Sharing the EO love
I'm not a doctor, or even a certified aromatherapist (though I may be one day!). This is my place to pursue my passion and share what I'm learning each step of the way, through the online classes I take and the books I read. I can't wait to pass along quality information and my sheer enthusiasm for essential oils. The fact that you are taking the time to read my blog and learn more about essential oils means so much. Thank you, from one aroma lover to another!
When I was a little girl, my family would climb in our car at 5:00 in the morning and make the long drive from Iowa down to Southern Texas almost every year at Christmastime. We'd go to the beach, visit the zoo, stop by Mexico, and then we'd pick fruit in my grandfather's citrus orchard. To this day, I don't think there's anything better than fresh-squeezed orange juice or homemade lemon meringue pie made from lemons plucked that morning off the tree. The beloved scents of a freshly peeled orange or lemon zest take me straight back to the sunshine that warmed me even in the deep winter. And that's exactly what it's like to experience essential oils!
If you've ever noticed how the scent of a rose makes you feel serene, or a whiff of peppermint makes you feel alert and satiated, you are experiencing aromatherapy. But what gets me really excited is the fact that essential oils provide more than just a nice fragrance, they are powerful plant essences that can improve our lives and help us feel better inside and out.
Why choose Young Living essential oils
Only pure essential oils are effective in aromatic healing. So as my hubby and I got serious about essential oils, we researched Young Living as a company and were impressed by their quality (above organic) and seed-to-seal process. They own most of the farms themselves, they weed by hand, they use their own oils for pest control, and they gently distill their oils without chemicals.
Here's a quick example and quote from Young Living's recent newsletters:
All Young Living essential oils are produced the way nature intended them—free of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
They also rigorously test their final product both in-house and by a third party to meet therapeutic standards. Plants and their oils are powerful, yet delicate in nature. By using Young Living, you can be completely confident of the quality of the oils, and that their natural chemical makeup is an exact match for what's on the label. Their essential oils are 100% therapeutic grade, effective and safe for their intended use.
Plus, Young Living has the best and most affordable starter kits out there. They make it easy for a newbie to get started!
“What do I actually do with Essential Oils?”
That was my question the first time I held a bottle of lavender, but I soon found oils quickly get incorporated into daily life. I have diffused oils to uplift my son's spirit during a meltdown, and to soothe my teething baby to sleep. I use essential oils in several different ways every day. They can be used to support the respiratory system, hormonal, digestive, and cardiovascular systems, address all kinds of skin concerns, and I could definitely go on. Not only are they a fantastic way to maintain health, they are my go-to choice for a safe alternative to cosmetics, perfumes, and cleaners. Essential oils can provide energy for your day, or a serene mood for your night.
Are you curious about Essential Oils?
If so, give Young Living a close look. One of the most popular ways to get started is sign up as a distributor and get their Premium Starter Kit with the diffuser.
This kit retails for over $300, but as a Wholesale Member, you get the kit at a 50% discount.
Here's what's inside the Young Living Premium Starter Kit. In my opinion, it's an incredible way to start with Essential Oils and there's nothing better out there. Just take a look at what it includes:
- 5 mL bottles of the following essential oils:
- Lavender
- Peppermint Vitality™
- Lemon Vitality™
- Copaiba Vitality™
- Frankincense
- Thieves® Vitality™
- Purification®
- R.C.™
- DiGize™ Vitality™
- PanAway® 5-ml
- A home diffuser (a $96 value. I have two diffusers and use mine daily.)
- A bonus oil! 5 mL bottle of Stress Away™ (A personal favorite. Smells heavenly!)
- Aroma Glide roller fitment (to turn any oil into a roll on; I recommend doing this with Stress Away)
- 10 sample packets total of Lavender, Peppermint, Peace & Calming™, Lemon, and Thieves® for travel or sharing with family and friends
- 2 NingXia Red 2-oz. samples (a yummy antioxidant supplement)
- Product Guide and Product Price List
- Essential Oil Magazine
- Essential Edge (newsletter)
- Member Resources
(Here's a little more info on the Vitality line.)
Seriously! This is a fantastic array of oils that will impact your daily life. I'm a little jealous, as the kit has been expanded since I joined years ago. Take advantage of it, friends!
Soooo...Want to try Young Living essential oils?
Hooray! You are going to love it. You can get Young Living Essential Oils in two ways.
- As a Wholesale Member (highly encouraged) or
- as a Retail Customer via the Young Living website (don’t recommend it because you don’t get the discount!)
I highly recommend joining as a Wholesale Member, even if you’re a beginner. Wholesale Members get access to the *amazing* Starter Kit that I mentioned above, and they get a hefty 24% discount off every product they order. There are no tricks or gimmicks, no automatic charges to your credit card, etc. If you only buy the starter kit and buy nothing more again, your membership will simply lapse after a year and that will be that. But if you want to keep your wholesale membership going, all you will need to do is buy 50PV (usually $50) worth of oils/products in the course of the year following.
For Wholesale Members there is no requirement to sell or meet monthly quotas or anything like that.
But if you’d like to earn some extra income…
Wholesale Members do have the option of sharing oils with their friends and family in order to earn commissions and participate in promotions for free oils. Some mamas even turn this into a business for themselves. If this is something you’re interested in, sign up with me and I’ll help you get started!
Here’s how to begin
You start by purchasing an enrollment kit. There are three options to choose from. However, I only recommend the Premium Starter Kit with the diffuser (pictured above). It is by far the best value and will help you actually start using essential oils. It’s the only kit that gives you the 10 Everyday Essential Oils (plus a bonus oil, StressAway, which is many people’s favorite). These 11 oils will give you endless options in treating your family and yourself.
Sign me up!
To get started, just follow these steps.
Follow this link to Sign Up As a Young Living Wholesale Member
Be sure to get the “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” number from the person who referred you! (My sponsor ID is 2056917, but the link will automatically populate this info.) That way they get credit for your purchase and you get to team up with them.
Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked for your SSN is for tax purposes; if you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living never shares this info with anyone.)
Fill out the form. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils. Select your enrollment order. This is where you can specify which starter kit you would like. You must sign up with one of these kits to become a Wholesale Member.
Here there's an option to join the Essential Rewards Program. Buying one of the ER kits is not a requirement to sign up as a Wholesale Member! This is a rewards program you can opt into to start earning money back to help pay for your oils. At this point, you can skip this step by selecting “No, thank you. I plan on enrolling in the Essential Rewards Program later.” If one of the ER kits looks valuable to you, then go for it in addition to your starter kit. Agree to Terms & Conditions.
CONFIRM YOUR ORDER. Many folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out. To confirm, the tool will log you in and it will show you your order again and it will make you enter in your payment information again.
Congratulations! Welcome to the amazing world of essential oils! You’re going to love this next phase of your natural living journey!
So, now what?
I'm here for ya. It may seem like there's a lot to learn, and there can be if you like it that way, but otherwise, I promise to keep things simple. Once you sign up with my sponsor ID, I'll support you in learning about and using your essential oils! Young Living will help make it easy too, and their 2016 product guide (comes with the premium starter kit) has fantastic information on nearly every oil they offer.
Follow my blog and pay attention to the posts in the Essential Oils 101 series for insights and tips in using your oils.
