YL Product FAQs

Below are questions asked to Young Living with answers that come directly from Young Living.

Are Young Living essential oils certified organic?

Young Living prides itself on offering the purest and most effective essential oils possible, and we are often asked if our oils are certified organic. The organic certification, while important, is far from the only standard of quality by which to judge essential oils. Young Living practices a unique Seed to Seal® quality process that goes beyond the current organic standard in many ways. At Young Living, we don’t just rely on others to verify the purity of our oils. We work directly with our farms, growers, and distillers to ensure the quality, integrity, and authenticity of every product we produce. Our passion and commitment is to produce 100-percent pure, unadulterated essential oils that retain all of the natural constituents and therapeutic properties nature intended. Our Seed to Seal process ensures the purest therapeutic-grade essential oils through careful monitoring of every step of essential oil production—from the time a seed is sourced until the oil is sealed in the bottle. Every batch of our essential oils, whether cultivated on our own farms or by one of our carefully vetted partner growers, is rigorously tested and subjected to careful review through every step of production and meets or exceeds industry safety and purity standards. Young Living’s dedication to quality ensures that we provide pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils with the complete, optimal blend of plant constituents to provide maximum potency and results. As millions of satisfied members and customers across the globe can testify, Young Living sets the standard for purity and quality in the essential oil industry. While standards and guidelines can vary and be modified, our dedication to providing the safest, most beneficial essential oils in the world will never change.

Does Young Living use pesticides?

We do not use pesticides at our Young Living farms or our partner farms. Both our farm practices and finished products are held to strict standards, and with the measures we have in place, we feel confident that we offer our members the best, purest products available.

What tests does Young Living conduct on their essential oils?

Young Living uses its own internal labs and third-party facilities to verify that Young Living purity and potency standards are met. Each batch of essential oil is sent through six rigorous tests and must meet established quality benchmarks to pass through successfully.

* Mass Spectrometer—Identifies the names of each constituent (plant chemicals) in the oil.
*Gas Chromatograph—Measures the percentage of constituents in the oil.
*Refractive Index—Measures the density of the oil using a concentrated beam of light.
*Specific Gravity—Measures how heavy the oil is as compared to water.
*Flash Point—Ignites the oil and tests it against standard flash temperatures.
*Optical Rotation—Measures the molecular structure of the oil.
 
Once the tests are complete, the results are compared to the vast library of information Young Living has amassed over 20 years. This library of oil data is unmatched in the industry. If the incoming oils do not meet the established profile, they are rejected and not allowed to be bottled as a Young Living product.

What is the shelf life of Young Living oils?

Young Living’s essential oils do not expire and will maintain their integrity, efficacy, and beneficial properties virtually indefinitely, provided they are stored properly in a dark-glass bottle, upright and tightly sealed, out of sunlight, and in cool temperatures.

 

Can I store essential oils in plastic containers?

We recommend that members store essential oils in their original containers. However, if you would like to store your oils in different containers, we recommend using dark-colored glass. We do not recommend storing undiluted essential oils in plastic containers because many essential oils are incompatible with plastic material.

Are essential oils safe for use on or around animals?

Many people successfully use Young Living products with their animals. We offer Animal Scents™ products that are designed for use with animals, including an Animal Scents oil collection. For more information on this collection, please visit http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/collections/animal-scents-oil-collection.

Are Young Living essential oils distilled multiple times?

Each batch of Young Living essential oil is only processed/distilled from plants once before bottling.

How are Young Living essential oils created?

Essential oils are aromatic liquids distilled or extracted from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, fruit, and seeds. Most Young Living essential oils are extracted using steam distillation. Our food-grade stainless steel distillers are based on a state-of-the-art design that uses very low pressure and low temperature, which is critical for preserving all of the fragile therapeutic constituents of essential oils. Plants are steam distilled in small batches for extended periods using a special low-pressure, low-heat vertical steam technology. Our citrus oils are cold pressed from the rinds of their designated fruit, such as bergamot, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon. No solvents or synthetic chemicals of any kind are used or added in either method.

Is it possible to be allergic to essential oils?

Essential oils do not generally contain the proteins responsible for allergic reactions, which minimizes the likelihood of an allergic reaction. However, individual sensitivities do vary, and people can still experience sensitivities to essential oils. When using a new essential oil, dilution and a skin spot test is a good idea to ensure that you do not experience any sensitivity to that particular oil.

 

How many drops are in a 5-ml and 15-ml bottle of essential oil?

There are approximately 85 drops (1 teaspoon) in a 5-ml bottle and approximately 250 drops (1 tablespoon) in a 15-ml bottle.

Are essential oils still effective and safe to use if they have been left in the heat?

UV exposure will cause the greatest damage to the constituents of essential oils, and heat and light combined will affect them even more quickly. If a package is delivered and sitting on the porch for several hours (or even a few days), but the oils are not directly exposed to UV light, the efficacy of the oils will not be compromised. If the oil is hot, cool it before using. Prolonged exposure to light will cause the oil constituents to change or diminish.

Can essential oils be used neat (without dilution) on the skin?

Some essential oils can be used neat on the skin. All label instructions should be followed. Our labels indicate when an essential oil should be diluted. If it is an essential oil that you have never used, dilution and a skin spot test is a good idea to ensure that you do not experience any sensitivity to that particular essential oil.

Can essential oils be ingested?

Many essential oils can be ingested. All of our oils that can be ingested feature a white Supplement Facts box on the product label and dietary usage instructions online. Research indicates that some oils are more effective when taken orally. Only pure essential oils, proven safe and labeled as dietary supplements, should be used internally. Dilution and dosage is dependent on the age, size, and the health constitution of the individual. Follow the recommended dosage on individual product labels to ensure safety or seek the advice of a health professional before administering oils internally.

Can I cook with essential oils? How much do I use?

You can add essential oils in your favorite recipes that call for dried herbs, spices, or fruit juices. Simply replace these ingredients with the equivalent essential oil. Keep in mind that essential oils have a much stronger flavor than dried herbs and spices, so a much smaller amount is generally sufficient. We recommend starting out with small amounts of oil, and then increasing the amount according to your own taste. Also, remember that essential oils have highly volatile constituents and can be changed or altered during the cooking process, so it is best to avoid exposing them to extreme heat. This can be prevented by lowering your stovetop temperature, using essential oils in conjunction with extra virgin olive oil, or by adding oils after the dish has been removed from heat.
These ratios can also provide a guideline for how much essential oil to use in substitutions:

• Juice or zest of 1 citrus fruit = 10–15 drops of oil
• 1 liquid tablespoon or more = ½–1 drop of oil
• Less than 1 tablespoon = 1 toothpick swirl of oil

 

Do essential oils contain the vitamins present in the plant?

Due to the distillation process, there are no appreciable amounts of vitamins in essential oils.

Does Young Living provide testing reports for its essential oils?

Every batch of Young Living essential oil goes through stringent GC/MS testing to ensure our strict standards are met. These reports are proprietary and regarded as trade secrets.

 

Does Young Living practice sustainable growing methods?

We are committed to being responsible stewards of the environment and take great care to preserve and protect our planet’s natural resources. These core values are evident in our Seed to Seal® philosophy, which promotes sustainable farming and sourcing practices, while enabling us to produce the purest, most potent essential oils in the world.

What does Young Living do with the leftover material from oil distillation?

The remaining material from oil distillation is used in compost.

What is Young Living’s policy regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)?

Young Living takes pride in utilizing the highest quality botanicals for its essential oils and oil-infused products. Every effort is made to ensure that the ingredients in our products are the purest and most potent available. Young Living goes to great lengths to formulate and use non-GMO (genetically modified organism) sources for its products whenever they are both verifiable and available. Although in the majority of cases we are able to certify that Young Living product ingredients are non-GMO, there are instances when sourcing and manufacturing constraints require the use of botanicals and materials that are uncertified or untraceable back to a verifiable non-GMO source. In addition, there are no clear guidelines on unified labeling standards from U.S. government agencies regarding non-GMO labeling. We reaffirm our commitment to offering safe, effective, and high-quality products to our customers and members around the world. We are continuously researching ways to provide the highest quality and most natural products for our members.

Are Young Living products tested on animals?

Young Living has a policy against testing the efficacy or safety of its products on animals. Young Living’s products are formulated to be safe for nearly all users, and animal testing is neither required nor performed in our product development process.

How does Young Living ensure that its products do not contain heavy metals?

All raw ingredients used in Young Living products are tested for contaminants, including heavy metals, and must meet strict specifications.

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