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Important Note The information on blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as a substitute for consultation with a licensed healthcare professional or as a replacement for any medical treatment.
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By Melissa Boice, on July 7th, 2010
Over the past 20 years, Young Living has established itself as a solid company with a reputation for providing exceptional quality essential oils. We have farms in Ecuador, France, Utah and 2 farms in Idaho. We also own distilleries in Utah, Idaho, Ecuador, France and Oman.
Young Living also purchases from trusted co-op farms and distilleries throughout the world. Gary Young and a team trained by him go to our vendors to make sure that every step of the process, from growing, harvesting, distilling, meets Young Living’s rigorous standards.
Companies who want to sell their oils to Young Living are often surprised when our representatives show up because other companies take the vendor’s word for it instead of personally inspecting their operation.
When oil arrives at Young Living, from either a vendor or that we have distilled, it is quarantined until it is analyzed on a piece of high tech equipment called a GC (gas chromatography) that analyzes the levels of chemical constituents in the oils to make sure that they have the proper levels of therapeutic compounds and to make sure the oil has not been altered in any way.
Young Living rejects around 75% of the oils offered to them by vendors. In fact, sometimes we will do without an essential oil for years if Gary and his team can not acquire the quality that his standards demand. That’s why Young Living has not carried birch essential oil for years and helichrysum was not available for a period of time.
That integrity is one of the many things about Gary Young that impresses me. Gary Young will not allow Young Living’s reputation to be sullied with inferior essential oils. He realizes there is more at stake than the bottom line. We depend on our precious oils to do what they are supposed to do. That’s what therapeutic-grade is all about.
By Melissa Boice, on July 7th, 2010
Thanks for stopping by my essential oils blog!
I want you to understand that there is a world of difference between essential oils. When I talk about using essential oils, I am referring to 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils from Young Living. I know there are oils out there that cost less than Young Living’s. You get what you pay for.
If you are like me and care about what you are putting in and on your body, we really must look beyond the price and the catchy advertising. There is a shocking amount of “adjusting” and blatant adulteration that goes on in the worldwide marketplace, including essential oils. In order to know what we are purchasing and using, therefore, it is essential that we know and trust our essential oil supplier.
Here are some questions that you might want to consider when choosing an essential oil company:
• How many years has the company been working with essentials oils?
• Does the company own and operate its own essential oil research farms? If so, how many farms?
• Is the company proficient in distilling oils?
• Does the company test essential oils to ensure that there are no adulterations? Do they use in-house labs to test each batch? Do they use independent labs to validate their own findings?
• What does the company do in its processes and procedures to guarantee accurate plant identity and oil purity?
• Does the company routinely visit its suppliers to ensure the best manufacturing practices are followed?
• How has the company established its oil standards? How do they know they are selling oils containing the right amounts of constituents to be effective?
• Does the company have in-house expertise and commitment to quality assurance?
In the next few blog posts, I will be addressing the aforementioned questions, giving you details as to why I am convinced that Young Living Essential Oils sets the standard for quality therapeutic grade essential oils and are worth their price in gold.
By Melissa Boice, on June 8th, 2010
OK. Like me, you probably love the way you feel when breathing in the delightful aromas of quality essential oils. You probably have benefited from regularly applying them to your feet, sore muscles, or aching joints. Have you ever considered using essential oils in your favorite recipes? When I add therapeutic-grade essential oils to my cooking, it not only perks up the flavor but adds nutritional value as well. You, too, will want to experiment and find different ways to enjoy your essential oils.
 Here are a few tips for using essential oils in your favorite recipes:
Many essential oils make excellent food flavorings. They are so concentrated that only 1-2 drops of an essential oil is equivalent to a full bottle (1 – 2 oz size) of dried herbs.
As a general rule, spice oils impart a far stronger flavor than citrus oils do. For strong spice oils (such as oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon, marjoram, tarragon, wintergreen, thyme, or basil), you can dip a toothpick into the oils and stir food (after cooking) with the toothpick. This controls the amount of essential oil that is put into the food.
Some oils that can be used as spices are: basil, cinnamon, clove, fennel, ginger, lemon, marjoram, sage, spearmint, tarragon, coriander, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, wintergreen, black pepper, and thyme.
For recipes that serve 6 – 10 people, add 1 – 2 drops of an oil and stir in after cooking and just before serving, so the oil does not evaporate.
So what oils do I add? Whatever sounds good! Any essential oils that are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) can be a fun and healthy addition to your recipes.
Following are a few ways I add essential oils to my cooking:
I wash and stem green and red grapes and put them in a bowl and toss with a few drops of tangerine oil.
Lemon, orange, or tangerine oil can be added to a regular cake recipe. The same principle applies to sugar cookies.
Peppermint or orange oil is delicious when added to chocolate cake, brownie or frosting recipes.
Nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, or ginger oil can be used in pumpkin pie, spice cake recipes, gingersnap cookies, pumpkin/butternut squash soup, even smoothies.
Lemon or orange oils are delicious added to whipped cream or cheesecake.
With a toothpick, I add oregano, marjoram, basil to Italian type tomato sauce recipes.
For tabouli, I add spearmint oil with the toothpick method.
Dill oil is a great addition to potato salad.
I could go on and on, but you get the drift. Since Young Living’s oils are therapeutic-grade, adding them to favorite recipes is not only FUN, it is also HEALTHY!
Tomato Cucumber Salad
* 1/2 c. cider vinegar
* 1 tsp. Blue Agave
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 drop dill essential oil
* 1 drop black pepper essential oil
* 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 4 cucumbers sliced
* 2 c. red onion chopped
* 4 ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
In a large bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, salt, dill essential oil, black pepper essential oil, and vegetable oil. Add cucumbers, onion, and tomatoes. Toss and chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.
My references in the article exclusively refer to therapeutic-grade essential oils. When you care about purity and quality, choose Young Living, period.
By Melissa Boice, on June 8th, 2010
Here is a list of Essential Oils Certified as GRAS and Food Additives by the FDA.
Angelica
Basil
Bergamot
Chamomile, Roman
Chamomile, German
Cinnamon Bark
Citrus rind (all)
Clary Sage
Clove
Coriander
Dill
Eucalyptus glob.
Frankincense
Galbanum
Geranium
Ginger
Graoefruit
Hyssop
Juniper
Jasmine
Laurus nobilis
Lavender
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lime
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Melissa (lemonbalm)
Marjoram
Myrrh
Myrtle
Nutmeg
Orange
Oregano
Patchouly
Pepper
Peppermint
Petitgrain
Pine
Rosemary
Rose
Savory
Sage
Sandalwood
Spearmint
Spruce
Tarragon
Tangerine
Thyme
Valerian
Vetiver
Ylang Ylang |
By Melissa Boice, on May 11th, 2010
You may be buying lavender essential oil to treat dermatitis or tea tree oil to help with blemishes, but are you sure you are getting the real deal? Up to 90 percent of products sold as pure plant oils actually contain synthetic ingredients.
To be sure you are using unadulterated essential oils and essential oil products (and therefore getting the full healing properties), take a closer look:
1. Do a water check. Add a drop of essential oil to a tablespoon of water. If a milky slick appears, the oil is likely synthetic and mixed with other ingredients.
2. Take a blot test. Place a drop of oil on paper. If the paper has a grease stain after two hours, the essential oil probably has been diluted with vegetable oils. This test is for oil singles. Blends usually have a carrier oil which will leave an oil stain. Oil singles, such as lavender of tea tree oil should not have vegetable oil in the bottle.
3. Read the Label. You are NOT looking for the word “PURE” or “100% PURE.” Pure just means the oil was not diluted with a lesser quality essential oil. For example: lavender oil is often cut with lavendin, which has very little therapeutic quality. “Pure” does not mean it has no chemicals added to it. In the U.S., all you need is 5% of essential oil in the bottle in order to label it “100% pure.” You are looking for the words “GRADE A” or “GENUINE & AUTHENTIC”.
Young Living goes to great measures to insure that we have the highest quality essential oils. The best part is YOU can enjoy them too by becoming a member of Young Living!
By Melissa Boice, on April 20th, 2010
Good News! Another study is backing up what we have been saying for years. Essential oils have the amazing a bility to combat drug-resistant bacteria.
With this knowledge, you can appreciate why it is vital to have therapeutic grade essential oils on hand at all times. I personally always have thyme, oregano, and Thieves blend on hand. You never know when you are going to need these oils.
Here is a link to the article:
Study: Plant Oils Highly Effective Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria
By Melissa Boice, on March 30th, 2010
For several reasons, when left to my own devices I tend to get easily overwhelmed by the stresses of my life. That is why I was drawn to essential oils and why I love Young Living’s therapeutic-grade essential oils. Using the oils consistently has caused me to be much more “laid back” than I would otherwise be. I know this about myself and thus choose to use oils frequently and with joy. Using therapeutic-grade essential oils is one of ways I am able maintain emotional balance.
I am always impressed with the blend Peace & Calming. Diffusing this blend really does make a difference in my mood…and my husband’s too! One day my husband called me on his cell phone, ranting about his frustrating day. That caused me to tense up and my stomach to knot up. I decided we both needed Peace & Calming. I put 15 drops of the blend into my diffuser and let it run for a couple of hours until my husband got home from work, filling up our house with the relaxing scent of citrus oils, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy. I was soon feeling better, but how would my husband act when he got home? When I heard him coming up the driveway, I turned off the diffuser so he didn’t know what I was up to. For the first few minutes he was grumpy but soon he began to relax and was in a good mood for the rest of the evening. An important note on this experience is that my husband doesn’t think he likes essential oils. That’s why I did not make a production of running my diffuser in front of him. Why add to his stress?! The oil molecules that were still in the air were enough to help him release the negativity and relax. Cool, huh?!
I attribute this to the way essential oils work. Essential oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate, and the fragrance of oils are present in the evaporated gases. When essential oils are diffused into the air, the tiny healing molecules are inhaled through the nose. At the base of our brain, in the area above our nose, sit the olfactory bulbs. Think of a bulb with tiny hairlike nerve extensions, or odor receptors. These odor receptors are stimulated by and attract fragrance molecules. When these receptors grab pure, truly therapeutic essential oils, amazing changes happen to our moods and emotional states. The odor receptors send messages to the limbic system in the brain, which then creates a chain of responses throughout the whole body. The limbic system includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus and several other glands that affect our emotions and stress response. Simply smelling therapeutic-grade essential oils – whether breathing them from the bottle or diffusing them in your home – can change your brain chemistry.
So, next time you are told to “take a few deep breaths and calm down”, remember to grab your bottle of Peace & Calming!
Here are a few ways to use Peace & Calming:
- Rub 1-2 drops of Peace & Calming oil on the bottom of the feet and on the shoulders before bedtime to get good quality sleep.
- Diffuse in the room to calm overactive or hard to manage children. (or husbands!)
- Mix with massage oil for a relaxing massage.
- Mix with Bath Gel Base in warm water for a relaxing bath.
- To help stop nocturnal teeth grinding, diffuse while sleeping.
Peace & Calming Fact Sheet (pdf)
Home Diffuser Fact Sheet (pdf)
By Melissa Boice, on January 25th, 2010
For thousands of years, one of the many uses for lavender has been for purification. In fact, the word lavender literally means “to be washed” or “to wash”. During World War I lavender was widely used as an antiseptic. It was also used to treat wounds and burns. Like with many plants, there are many different species of lavender. Some are more suited for certain applications than others. (Kind of like people!) For example, three of the most common species of lavender are Lavandula angustifolia (“true lavender”), Lavandula latifolia (“spike lavender”), and lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida). Lavandin is a hybrid plant developed by crossing true lavender with spike lavender. Lavender, in general, is antiseptic. Lavandin, however, has a higher percentage of the molecule camphor which makes it a stronger antiseptic than the others. It has been used to sterilize animal cages in veterinary clinics and hospitals throughout Europe.
A side note is because of the higher level of camphor, lavandin is NOT suited for treating burns. Frequently, lavender essential oil sold in the United States is actually distilled from the hybrid lavandin. The 5 – 12% camphor content in lavandin would actually irritate a burn instead of take the pain away and assisting healing as would Lavender angustifolia. The reason why I mention this is that sometimes well intentioned people have heard that lavender is good for burns, so they get some at their local healthfood store. When applied to the burn, it actually made it worse. What happened?! The lavender in the bottle was likely the hybrid lavandin!
Lavandin has its good points. It is in a blend that I love called Purification. This antiseptic blend is great for cleaning and deodorizing. I have even eradicated a few pimples by using Purification on location. I would never consider Purification for a burn. It is also in the blend Release. Young Living does not sell Lavandin as a single oil. The lavender that we carry is from the Lavandula angustifolia species.
Antiseptic Essential Oils:
Single Oils: Thyme, clove, oregano, rosemary, tea tree, mountain savory, eucalyptus (all types), lavandin, cinnamon, cassia, ravensara
Blends: Purification, Melrose, Christmas Spirit, Thieves, ImmuPower, Raven, RC
By Melissa Boice, on December 17th, 2009
The ROLL-ON for MANAGING STRESS, NATURALLY
For the first time ever, Young Living has combined the soothing scents of lime and vanilla absolute in a handy roll-on. This wonderful blend of essential oils brings a sense of calm in the midst of a hectic day.
Stress Away is also the first Young Living blend to feature ocotea – the newest essential oil from the jungles of Ecuador! Ocotea has high levels of alpha humalene, which is both calming to the nerves and stimulating to the mind.
This wonderful blend’s unique aroma also includes lavender and copaiba essential oils to relieve anxiety and restore balance, while key naturally-occurring constituents cedrol and eugenol reduce nervous tension.
So next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, STOP! and take a big breath…of Stress Away!
CLICK HERE TO ORDER!
For more information, see the Stress Away product Information page.
By Melissa Boice, on October 30th, 2009
Last year, I went to a special leadership conference that Young Living hosts called Silver Club. Gary Young, the founder and president of Young Living, shared with us that one of the keys to successfully accomplishing our goals, no matter what they are, is to stay in PRESENT TIME. He passed the oil blend Present Time around the room. We all were able to inhale its delightfully strengthening fragrance. It is a blend of neroli (focus), spruce (grounding) and ylang ylang (balancing).
Gary’s advice, along with using Present Time, was:
- Determine what your goal is.
- Map out what steps you need to do on a daily and weekly basis to achieve that.
- ACT… Take daily action over and over, looking ahead regularly to make sure your present steps are aligned with your ultimate goal.
- Celebrate every success along the way… before you know it, you’ll be there!
The Reference Guide for Essential Oils suggests an effective way to use Present Time is to rub clockwise of the the thymus (down the sternum – middle front of ribs) in a circular motion, close eyes and tap three times with energy fingers (pointer and middle). Also apply to neck and forehead. Gary suggested another good way to use this blend: put a drop on your thumb and suck it! So if you catch me sucking my thumb, you’ll know I am “in the moment” enjoying my therapeutic-grade essential oils!
It is really so simple. Stay in the Present, focus on positive actions, and look for reasons to celebrate with Gratitude and Abundance.
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