Distilling essential oils is not an easy task. It takes skill: knowing not only how to extract the oils, but also when and how to harvest the plants in order to ensure that the oils are as potent as possible. And it takes expense: essential oils are not cheap to make, nor to sell. Beware of cheaply-priced essential oils!
Here's why: There are very few regulations on essential oils in the US, but one of them actually states that there must be a minimum of 5% pure oil in each bottle in order for them to be labeled "100% pure." Because of this rule, companies are practically encouraged to dilute their essential oils with fillers or additives, because it's a heck of a lot cheaper to fill the rest of the bottle with synthetic oil and/or a carrier oil. And then they can turn around and sell it as 100% pure! Are you following me?!
So, before you go out and purchase essential oils from your local grocery or health food store, make sure you know what exactly is in that little bottle! I'd much rather pay a little more for essential oils that are legitimately 100% pure than pay a little less for a product containing only 5% pure essential oils with 95% unknown substances. Wouldn't you?
Young Living's founder, Gary Young, has dedicated his life to learning how to extract oils properly: when the optimal time to harvest is, what temperature is used for the correct amount of time, etc. When a plant is distilled correctly, it will contain every constituent of that plant and therefore the most benefit to our bodies. He has developed the unique Seed to Seal promise in order to oversee every single detail of oil production.
Young Living is also the only essential oil distributor that owns its own farms worldwide, which ensures that they are able to keep their Seed to Seal process. Their crops are planted in soil that has never been contaminated by pesticides or herbicides. They use cutting-edge, natural, organic, and low-impact farming and manufacturing methods. Their seeds are non-GMO, which makes their product actually "beyond organic." (Products in the US that are labeled 100% organic are still allowed to come from seeds that have been genetically modified.)
You can visit the Young Living farms and see their distilleries. Oils that don't meet their rigorous testing standards are thrown out or recycled as natural pesticides, never sold. And any plant that comes from a partner farm (not owned by the company), must meet the same quality.
It is for these reasons and more that I can confidently stand behind Young Living and their unmatched Seed to Seal promise. It's not a slogan, it's who the company is.
Want to learn more about Seed to Seal? I encourage you to watch these videos:
1. SEED // 2. CULTIVATE // 3. DISTILL // 4. TEST // 5. SEAL
Ready to take the Young Living journey with me? Find out how to purchase oils and start your own business! Follow along on the blog for info, recipes, tips, and current craves. You can subscribe in the sidebar to never miss a post.
