Shady Sourcing: Why I Can’t Trust Young Living’s Essential Oils

Last week, was a total treat—I was invited to tour the farm that supplies the organic milk and free-range eggs that I buy at my local health store. Let's just say that getting some face-to-face time with the farm’s five new calves, was the highlight of my summer. Anyways, the drive home was filled with an epiphany moment: that brand's ethics matter—really, really matter.

It might sound overly sentimental, but knowing where/how a product is sourced can make a profound difference. Being “source aware” is good for the soul, it’s good for the body, and it’s good for this friendly place we called Earth.

I started thinking about the origins of other products that I use on the daily.  I was feeling pretty good about my Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, Puracy Shampoo, and SSEKO bags (gold, leather, and fair trade—yes, please!)  but what about all my EO's (essential oils)?  Somewhere between pouring drops of Lemon and Eucalyptus oils in my diffuser and sparkling water, I thought "Wait, where is this really coming from?"

So, I dived into some research.  First off, I have to admit (blush) I wasn’t the brand-loyal girl out-there, so my essential oils drawer had a bit of everything—Young Living, doTERRA, and a couple other labels like Aura Cacia and Fabulous Franny.  Anyways, turns out a little digging revealed quite a lot:

The (Seemingly) Good:  Of all the brands I had in my oil entourage, both Young Living and doTERRA seemed to address and publish both their sourcing and ethics the most openly. doTERRA stands by their “Source to You” (a really indepth program that covers all sorts of good policies—from partnering with underdeveloped countries/fair trade to super transparent sourcing) and Young Living had this neat "Seed to Seal" promise. Their website emphasized their oil’s purity came from owning their own farms and controlling what goes into every bottle.

The Sketch: Okay, here’s where the bad news comes in, as I was looking into whole "Seed to Seal" from Young Living, I realized it’s sounds fantastic, but it is a bold-faced lie. Young Living claims to control all their oil sourcing, but when you take time to look at how many farms they own things really, really don’t add up. We're talking about seven farms creating all products every year? Yep—that’s impossible. The more research I did, the worse it got.

 On the flip side, when it comes to sourcing,  I give the thumbs up to doTERRA’s oil origins. First off, they are a heck of a lot more realistic. I really appreciated all the material they publish about where each oil comes from—with a map, links, and stories describing the partnership farms all over the world. Plus, I became an ever bigger fan when I read about their Co-Impact Initiative. Three cheers for transparency! You can even find super specific details on doTERRA setting up ethical working practices everywhere from Nepal to Somalia and Madagascar.

 And then the Ugly: Jumping back to Young Living, things went from bad to worse when I found this article all about false documentation. This lead me to a chain of examples where third-party testers discovering synthetic substitutes in Young Living’s oils, like Jasmine and Birch. All that info made me more than a bit sad—the whole purpose of essential oils was to embrace Mother Nature’s way of bringing us back in balance. But touting an oil is “all” natural when it’s synthetic is just aggravating. It’s like putting a “12-grain Sprouted Wheat” label on white bread. Not okay.

 Anyways, on Saturday, when I went to purchase frankincense oil—it wasn’t a hard choice.  Young Living’s and Doterra’s prices are about the same (in fact doTERRA is slightly less expensive) but I felt a lot better swiping my card for doTERRA because A.) they aren’t hiding their sources B.) their third party testing C.) their actively working to be ethically/socially responsible.  Here's to the investing in the good stuff!

Shady Sourcing: Why I Can’t Trust Young Living’s Essential Oils

Last week, was a total treat—I was invited to tour the farm that supplies the organic milk and free-range eggs that I buy at my local health store. Let's just say that getting some face-to-face time with the farm’s five new calves, was the highlight of my summer. Anyways, the drive home was filled with an epiphany moment: that brand's ethics matter—really, really matter.

It might sound overly sentimental, but knowing where/how a product is sourced can make a profound difference. Being “source aware” is good for the soul, it’s good for the body, and it’s good for this friendly place we called Earth.

I started thinking about the origins of other products that I use on the daily.  I was feeling pretty good about my Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, Puracy Shampoo, and SSEKO bags (gold, leather, and fair trade—yes, please!)  but what about all my EO's (essential oils)?  Somewhere between pouring drops of Lemon and Eucalyptus oils in my diffuser and sparkling water, I thought "Wait, where is this really coming from?"

So, I dived into some research.  First off, I have to admit (blush) I wasn’t the brand-loyal girl out-there, so my essential oils drawer had a bit of everything—Young Living, doTERRA, and a couple other labels like Aura Cacia and Fabulous Franny.  Anyways, turns out a little digging revealed quite a lot:

The (Seemingly) Good:  Of all the brands I had in my oil entourage, both Young Living and doTERRA seemed to address and publish both their sourcing and ethics the most openly. doTERRA stands by their “Source to You” (a really indepth program that covers all sorts of good policies—from partnering with underdeveloped countries/fair trade to super transparent sourcing) and Young Living had this neat "Seed to Seal" promise. Their website emphasized their oil’s purity came from owning their own farms and controlling what goes into every bottle.

The Sketch: Okay, here’s where the bad news comes in, as I was looking into whole "Seed to Seal" from Young Living, I realized it’s sounds fantastic, but it is a bold-faced lie. Young Living claims to control all their oil sourcing, but when you take time to look at how many farms they own (and compare it to the amount of products they sell) things really, really don’t add up. We're talking about seven farms creating all products every year? Yep—that’s impossible. The more research I did, the worse it got.

On the flip side, when it comes to sourcing,  I give the thumbs up to doTERRA’s oil origins. First off, they are a heck of a lot more realistic. I really appreciated all the material they publish about where each oil comes from—with a map, links, and stories describing the partnership farms all over the world. Plus, I became an ever bigger fan when I read about their Co-Impact Initiative. Three cheers for transparency! You can even find super specific details on doTERRA setting up ethical working practices everywhere from Nepal to Somalia and Madagascar.

And then the Ugly: Jumping back to Young Living, things went from bad to worse when I found this article all about false documentation. This lead me to a chain of examples where third-party testers discovering synthetic substitutes in Young Living’s oils, like Jasmine and Birch. All that info made me more than a bit sad—the whole purpose of essential oils was to embrace Mother Nature’s way of bringing us back in balance. But touting an oil is “all” natural when it’s synthetic is just aggravating. It’s like putting a “12-grain Sprouted Wheat” label on white bread. Not okay.

Anyways, on Saturday, when I went to purchase frankincense oil—it wasn’t a hard choice.  Young Living’s and Doterra’s prices are about the same (in fact doTERRA is slightly less expensive) but I felt a lot better swiping my card for doTERRA because A.) they aren’t hiding their sources B.) their third party testing C.) their actively working to be ethically/socially responsible.  Here's to the investing in the good stuff!

Slick as Oil : The Truth about Gary Young

The Founder and former CEO of Young Living Essential Oils has a frankly shocking past. Here are the critical facts to know:

●      Gary Young Claims to have Cured his own Paralysis with Essential Oils

Gary Young has repeatedly claimed that he was left “paralyzed for life” by a logging injury to the head. According to an account on his website, “After three weeks in a coma and four months in intensive care, Gary found himself paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for life, according to the doctors’ prognoses.” It is remarkable considering his extended ICU treatment that no documentation of the critical injury has ever been found or provided. More suspicious still, Gary Young’s story has changed—significantly. Gary Young boasts that he cured himself with fasting and essential oils. But a brochure from 1987 solely attributed his recovery to “Oscillation Frequency Stimulation Infusion” without even mentioning essential oils. Hmm.

●      Gary Young is NOT a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor

Gary Young claims to be a N.D. but his “degree” is merely a piece of paper purchased from Bernadean University—a notorious diploma mill. Gary Young has also claimed that he graduated from the American Institute of Phystoregenerology, but the Institute has reported that he never came close to graduating (he attended only a few classes, completed only a third of the homework, and owed $1,800 in tuition). Ultimately, Gary Young was forced to admit that he never secured a diploma from the institute and that his brochure simply had a “typographical error.” His only legitimate diploma is from Challis High School.

Gary Young has never been licensed to practice naturopathy in Utah or any other location. Shockingly, he has been arrested multiple times in California and Washington for practicing medicine without a license.

●      Gary Young is Responsible for the Death of his own Infant

Although Gary Young lacked any training in medicine, obstetrics, or midwifery, he insisted on delivering his first wife’s baby in a hottub. He left the baby under water for an hour! The otherwise normal and healthy infant drowned. Although the coroner said that the baby would have lived if she had been delivered in a conventional manner, Young was never charged in that case.

His plans for a similar whirlpool delivery the previous year had been thwarted when a health department caseworker threatened to prosecute him. In 1983, an undercover police officer asked Young if he would oversee a water birth for her. He declined, but offered prenatal care and cancer treatment for the woman's mother. Young was then arrested by Washington State police for practicing medicine without a license, for which he was convicted.

●      Gary Young Operated a “Cancer Treatment” Clinic in Tijuana

Gary Young claimed that a three-week stay in his Rosarita Beach Clinic and $6,000 would bring a cancer patient into remission. A cancer cure could be effected for $10,000. A scathing undercover report by the L.A. Times exposed the clinic as a complete fraud. It is also worth noting that one of the clinic “treatments” was laetrile—which can be fatal due to forming cyanide in the body. This practice is strictly illegal.

●      Gary Young was Arrested for Assaulting Multiple Family Members with an Axe

Gary Young was arrested on January 10, 1994, in Spokane, Washington, for assaulting several family members with an axe. It is remarkable that he claims to be an enlightened and spiritual man.

The day Young Living broke my heart…

As I explain my story below, I urge you to keep an open mind and look at all the facts and ask questions. If someone tells you to pay no attention to this and just move on…ask yourself why they are doing this and what they have to gain from keeping you in the dark.

Thursday February 25th 2016 was the day this all started. As an Aromatherapy student, I spend a lot of time in various aromatherapy/essential oil Facebook groups. It was late afternoon this particular Thursday that I came across a post in one of the groups that contained GC/MS test results of a Cinnamon Bark essential oil sample the sample was found be adulterated with synthetics. This bit of info did not surprise me, as Essential Oil adulteration runs rampant in the fragrance industry. What did surprise me, was the very strong insinuation that this particular sample was of Young Living’s cinnamon bark, followed later by pictures of the actual bottle clearly showing the Young Living label. Immediately I sent a copy of the test report, screenshot of the post and pictures of the unopened bottle to Young Living’s product support simply refused to believe any possibility that this could be true.

The following day (Friday February 26th 2016) I received what appeared to be a fairly standard/generic form response from YL Product Support more or less telling me not to worry and called the whole ordeal a smear campaign by a competitor.

Speculation and accusations began running rampant in the Facebook groups and Young Living’s name continued to be dragged through the “mud” so to speak. Wanting to provide some kind of proof to my family, clients, and friends that Young Living products were pure, I decided to have an oil tested, at my expense. Why you ask? Well back in 2015 I had e-mailed YL Product Support asking why they do not release or provide GC/MS testing reports. In their reply, they advised me that if I wanted documentation on the purity of the oils, I was welcome to submit them for testing through an independent lab of my choice.

I contacted a testing laboratory located in Quebec, Canada that specialized in essential oils and natural health products called Phytochemia to obtain pricing and shipping information. To avoid any claims of tampering or sabotage, I logged into my Young Living Virtual Office and placed an order for a bottle of Cinnamon Bark. I had the shipping information changed to the laboratory in Quebec so that Young Living would ship the oil directly to them from the warehouse and there could be no claims of tampering with bottle caps, etc.

On March 3rd 2016 I received notice from the Lab that they received my sample of Cinnamon Bark that I had Young Living send to them [receipt acknowledgement is available below] and was advised that I would have the results within 2 weeks’ time.

March 18th, I received an email from the lab again containing the GC/MS report from my sample I had tested. Nervously, I opened the attachment and scrolled to the bottom “conclusion” section….” The sample has been adulterated with synthetic cinnamaldehyde, indicated by the presence of phenylpentadienal isomers. Synthetic linalool may also have been added.”

Tears filled my eyes as the reality of the situation began to sink in. My close family used Cinnamon Bark internally, not to mention the sheer volume of Thieves products that contained Cinnamon. I attempted some conversations with my “uplines” about the issue but merely got “don’t worry” and “I’ve used the products for years and I’m fine!”. Quickly realizing that I would not get the answers I wanted from them and not knowing where else to turn, I sent an e-mail to Young Living’s Chief Operating Officer, Jared Turner and included a copy of the test report. Hope and faith briefly returned when I received a reply from Jared, thanking me for bringing the issue to his attention and promising me a reply. He even Cc’d the entire analytical team and asked them to answer my questions I had.

As of the date I write this (April 28th 2016), I still have received no reply or answers to my questions from Jared, the analytical team, or anyone at corporate.

In the midst of ordering my sample to be sent to the lab for testing, I was contacted by a group of three other Young Living distributors unrelated to my sponsorship line. They were greatly concerned with the possible adulteration and lack of answers/information they were receiving from their uplines as well. One of them had an unopened bottle of Cinnamon Bark with the same lot # originally tested and posted about back on February 25th. They knew I was having a sample tested and wanted to know how they could go about getting their bottle tested, as well as another bottle of a different lot #, and a bottle of Thieves blend. They sent their samples off to the lab and roughly 2 weeks later received their results. All three bottles were adulterated. [copies of their reports can be found below for download. You will require a PDF program or app to view them on a computer and mobile device].

Because they did not have Young Living send the order direct to the lab, they were immediately chastised by fellow YL distributors making claims they had tampered with the bottles themselves, however the fact remained that my test had a clean chain of custody and YL still was not addressing the results.

Over the course of the next several weeks, YL issued several “statements” (all via Diamond level leaders or above) denying the adulteration and referring to it as a smear campaign. [copy of their statements can be found below].

My pleas to Jared and YL corporate continued to be ignored. At this point in time I decided to collaborate with the group of three other distributors that had their samples sent in, and together we created a change.org petition demanding that YL address our questions, specifically the ones we had following their last statement. At almost 1300 signatures, the distributor that created the petition account (Betty), was contacted via phone from Jared Turner. I was not on the call so I won’t speak for what happened as it would merely be hearsay, but they did request that Betty take down the petition because they were going to be issuing another statement. After waiting for their statement (which didn’t come until the next day), we were left with continued unanswered questions and determined the petition could not be taken down until they were addressed. Jared sent Betty a text message saying he noticed the petition was still up. When Betty replied that there were continued unanswered questions and that it might be best for the 4 of us to connect via a group e-mail, the friendly “we’re here to help” attitude immediately changed. We contacted Andrea Neipp as requested- twice. To this date (April 28th), we have not received any reply from Andrea.

It has become quite clear from the actions of Young Living corporate and Diamond and above level “leaders” that this issue will not be further addressed. As a low-ranking distributor, I am not valuable in their eyes and if I stop ordering Young Living products, it’s no “skin off their backs” as the saying goes. As an advocate for health and high-quality products, a consumer, and a Young Living member, I refused to sit down and sweep this all under the rug. I share my story in hopes that others will spread the word and that Young Living will be held accountable to their “seed to seal” promise and guarantee. Had they handled this in a more professional manner, followed-up, etc. I may have been able to overlook this as a quality control issue that “slipped through the cracks”, but the despicable behavior demonstrated by fellow distributors and corporate means I simply cannot.

Please share this story so that others may learn the truth and so they can make informed decisions for them and their families going forward. I will continue to update this page if/when new developments arise. I welcome your questions and comments and will try and answer as many as I can.

It is with a very heavy heart and great sadness that I write this post. My decision to share my story with you has not come lightly. It comes after much research, soul searching, and great personal and financial sacrifice. You see, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by keeping quiet about this and continuing to grow my team and build my business, but as the saying goes “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right and evil doesn’t become good, just because it is accepted by a majority.”