Are Essential Oils a Scam? ~ A Skeptic Looks at Thieves® Oil
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Are essential oils a scam? Is Thieves Oil (or other oil blends like it) a scam?
I used to think so! I mean, these teeny tiny bottles of oil smelled nice, but they’re supposed to really be good for you?
Well, here’s what happened to me.
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I’m a Skeptic
I’m not one to put my trust in things or people readily.
Really, I’m not. However, sometimes you have to rethink things.
With all that we’ve been through with autism, adrenal fatigue, heavy metals, and more, I’ve been in and out of doctor’s offices, both mainstream and alternative.
Among other things, we’ve tried:
- chiropractic
- homeopathy
- kinesiology
- ionic foot bath (only once)
- acupressure
- tons of supplements (no–I haven’t weighed them. But if I did I’m scared it would be close to a ton.)
- nutritional balancing (help based on hair mineral testing. This didn’t really help us.)
Anyway, we’ve tried a lot on our road to healing. I’ve been really careful not to mortgage the farm (er–our house) while trying to heal my son’s autism, but it’s been tempting at times.
Looking back at that list of alternative medical practices, I guess it’s pretty hard to think that I’m a skeptic, right?
But really I am.
We’ve tried a lot of things, but we really did put a lot of thought into all of these “healing options” prior to working with them, and most of them we aren’t doing anymore.
Either they haven’t worked, or we’ve found something that’s worked better or cheaper.
Before finishing this post, please note that I am NO LONGER USING YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS.
I moved on for various reasons.
To find out what essential oils I’m using now, read this post, or skip ahead to the final post in the series here.
Are Essential Oils a Scam?
Well, the latest object of my skepticism is….you guessed it. Essential Oils.
I’d heard about essential oils a number of times over the years.
People would tell me how great essential oils were and I’d think, “Yeah, right. You’re just trying to get me into another one of those network marketing things.”
And frankly, putting oil on your body and expecting it to do anything except smell good, well, basically loaded with “woo woo foo foo” to me.
Nonetheless, it seemed that over and over that someone would be telling me about essential oils. Especially the antibacterial blends often called “Thieves” or “Four Thieves” or something like that.
Those blends and the oils in them are supposed to be antiviral, antibacterial.
“Yeah, right. Sure,” this skeptic thought.
I Got Sick
Anyway, about 10 months ago, I got sick.
Really sick.
I had a bad something that I just couldn’t shake. For a long time.
I had fluid in my ear and then my nose – and then both. Three weeks or more passed. I started asking friends for advice and feared that the dreaded antibiotic would be in my future. One natural-minded friend suggested I try one of these multi-level-marketing company anti-bacterial blends.
I am fine, of course, with taking antibiotics when needed, but I am concerned about antibiotic resistance.
According to the CDC, there is a lot of antibiotic resistance going on and it’s best to use caution when taking antibiotics.
This is how our conversation went:
“I always use that when I feel something coming on. It’s great!” she said.
“So, do you sell the oils?” I asked.
“No.”
OK then. Someone recommending it who wasn’t selling it.
Now I was seriously curious and was wondering if maybe the essential oils weren’t a scam?
So I went on a hunt to get some without spending the huge retail price for a bottle.
I got a small sample from a local woman, but it wasn’t nearly enough to deal with my problem. So I called the original person who had told me about Young Living and she sent me a larger sample– enough to get me through a few days.
Three days after I started using the oil I was better.
Good stuff.
(Please note that I no longer recommend taking essential oils internally unless one is under the care of a physician or other medical professional or certified aromatherapist — someone who knows your condition and your overall health. Furthermore, taking oils internally can lead to damage of the mucous membranes, and essential oils must be emulsified before using with a water base.)
Since then, this oil blend, or similar blends from other companies have helped my family and others with various issues.
Fingernail Owie
I used to be really prone to these–getting an owie just after something jabbed me under my fingernail (for one of them about 5 years ago, I ended up needing antibiotics since it got really nasty). I hadn’t gotten them for awhile, but I did get one again about 5 months ago.
Colloidal silver and peroxide wouldn’t do anything, so I thought about the “Thieves oil-type” blend.
I stuck a little of the diluted oil on another clean fingernail, pushed it into the injured area – and a few days and several treatments later, the problem was gone.
Viral Mouth Sores
One night, while we were out, my son complained that his lip was sore. He said he’d gotten bumped. When we got home, however, there were 6-7 obvious sores, filled with pus (sorry to be so descriptive.)
After doing research on oils and sores, I ended up trying Thieves again, this time diluted with a carrier oil.
The next day, here is what his lip looked like and it was MUCH better than before. (I wish I’d thought to take a photo the first day. Sigh.)
There was no sign of the sores within 3 days.
Lumpy Blemishes
I used to have a rough time with blemishes in my 20s but hadn’t really struggled with any skin issues but rosacea since then. Suddenly, this past month, I started getting some small breakouts. None of them really bothered me, however, until I got a large blemish next to my cheek.
I used the anti-bacterial blend diluted with a carrier oil and overnight the lump had shrunk noticeably. Within 3 days it was gone.
Another reader since shared that she’s used one of these blends on some underarm lumps / sores and they’ve vanished.
Sinus Troubles
A local reader who is prone to sinus issues had a bad sinus problem again.
She ended up trying the Immune Strength blend from my favorite essential oils company, and all signs of the problem were gone overnight.
Persistent Illness
Another local reader’s son had not been feeling well for several days that was had become worrisome. She’d gotten an Rx for an antibiotic but really didn’t want to fill it (see my story about avoiding antibiotics). She ended up trying an anti-bacterial essential oils blend along with an herbal supplement and said that the next day her son woke up and he was his old self again.
The “Thieves Oil Story”
Thieves-type oils were apparently developed from historical information about four thieves in France who would rob victims of the Black Plague (get it–stealing things off of dead bodies. Ick.)
They’d protect themselves from the plague with a secret recipe of natural ingredients including cloves and rosemary. The thieves were captured and given a lighter sentence in exchange for their recipe. And it really works.
Now I don’t know if this is a valid story at all, but it’s interesting, and the essential oils involved have been shown to have many antibacterial and antiviral properties. There are many studies about these qualities including this one and this one.
Essential Oils can be a very valid part of your natural medicine cabinet. I’ll fill you in on more in my next post on essential oils where I’ll talk about Peppermint, Wintergreen and other oils and my experience with them.
And I really don’t mean this to be a commercial. I am just so floored by my experience with them that I feel compelled to share (some things are just too good to keep to yourself!)
But Essential Oils are Expensive….
Do you feel this way? I did.
So – how do essential oils fit into a “financially concerned” household?
You can buy these blends pre-blended for convenience from the essential oils company that I recommend. You can go here to see how I ended up choosing this company. It’s a series, so you can read what you like – some of the comments got pretty dicey though.
And when someone gets sick, we don’t go through a whole bottle. It’s a whole lot cheaper than the gas (whoa – $4 per gallon?!) and copay and maybe an antibiotic on top of it. And we all know there is more than up-front finances involved with antibiotics and other meds, right?
Additionally, you can make your own anti-bacterial essential oils blend and save a bunch of money that way.
Again, please note that I am no longer using Young Living Oils.
You can read more starting with this post, or skip ahead to the final post here.
Interested in learning more about using essential oils for healthy living? This book is a GREAT resource:
Free Essential Oils Report and VIP Newsletter Access
Also, if you go and grab my Free Report on 10 Things to Know About Essential Oils Before You Buy, you will not only get more myth-busting essential oils information, but you’ll get access to my VIP newsletter as well–complete with updates, great healthy living offers, of course new posts on essential oils, and more.
Please share your thoughts on and questions about essential oils.
Do you or did you think essential oils are a scam?
This post is for entertainment purposes only and is not to be used as medical advice as I am not a physician, nor do I pretend to be one. Please consult with your physician prior to using any kind of natural remedy or supplement. Thank you.
Can you email me regardng yl, I am on the edge of
joining would like to know your thoughts.
thanks !
blessings
I can talk on the phone. Email me at wholenewmom at gmail dot com :).
Hello all! I am brand new to YL oils and when I got my theives I had thrush caused by my inhaled steroid. My mentor told me to put one drop theives in water and drink three to five times a day. I have been doing that for seven days and the mouth is still red and now I feel horrible! I feel tired sluggish moody achy and have a terrible sore throat! Oh and I started getting yeast vaginally! What in the whole? Are these making me worse or am I going through natural healing? I’m bummed cause I so badly want these to work but I fear they are making me sicker. Anyone with thoughts?
Strange. I will say I am moving away from YL. You could email me for more info if you like but I will be posting more soon hopefully. I dont’ know what is going on but the hotter oils can kill your good bacteria as well. You really need probiotic. I have not heard of using Thieves for candida. If it were me I would go on a low sugar low carb diet. I don’t know what others would say, but you can email me if you want advice from my readers on my Facebook page.
Hi, Adrienne…I have read some of your blog and am curious…you mentioned you are moving away from YL oils. I am curious about your reasons.
I became a YL distributor and have seen amazing results with some of their products. (Thieves Oil actually saved my life after a suburethral diverticulum. Heavy duty antibiotics would no longer hold the infection). Thieves cleared it up in three weeks,
I am turned off by YL’s prices..some have gone up dramatically. What prompted your decision to turn from YL? I have considered turning to other oils, but am concerned about the quality and the purity. Did you find a resource that compares the quality of different companies oils?
I am not interested in the pyramid structure or making money using YL as a business..just interested in quality products to help my family and others.
Hi Kathleen, I too like Thieves but am concerned about other things about YL. I can’t write everything that I have learned about the companies but I think there are other ways to get the Thieves effect w/ better oils at a lower price. If you need to know right away email me. I am overwhelmed right now and need to go a little slower w/ my blog but I’ll get to the post :).
Have u found a comparable company or place to buy?
I don’t know if any oils will help with thrush, but I would treat thrush the same as with a yeast infection: cranberries (juice, fresh, and/or powdered in capsules)and more vitamin C. My daughter’s yeast infection was cured with taking these. I opened up a cranberry capsule and poured it in a cup of cranberry juice, and I added a packet of EmergenC. She hated the texture (the powder from the capsule didn’t totally disappear) and didn’t want to drink it, but I made her. She was healed in 3 days.
I was very skeptical when I was first told about Young-Living oils, as a matter of fact the only reason I gave in and tried them was to get the person off my back. I figured I would try one, it wouldn’t work and I could then tell them to back off. However something happened when I tried them…They really worked. I became fascinated, for starters the lady wanted me to try them because of unbearable grief. How could an oil help my grief? it wouldn’t bring my loved on back, but somehow the oils (peace and calming and Valor to name a few) took the despair away immediately. After that I was curious about the other oils so I bought a kit. I tried each oil in the kit and found that everyone of them worked. Peppermint oil got rid of my migraines, Panaway helped my back pain tremendously and so on. Long story short, I have been hooked on using the oils for everything for 10 years now. No one can ever tell that they are a scam, I am all the proof I need.
Hi everyone, though i don’t have time to read thru every blog here, I am a huge skeptic – HUGE; but after using R.C. for my sinuses, I have been sinus infection FREE for going on three years now!
I will ONLY use Young Living, as their is a huge difference in many brands; YL oils can be digested vs health food oils are perfume grade, meaning you cannot drink, eat or consume the oils; I have been selling Yl now for a few months, and am so shocked at how most folks would RATHER consume RX’s – spend the money at the doc’s and even w/ the deductibles etc, oils still are cheaper becuase they last longer and can be utilized for MANY different things! YL is totally from God and HIS creation – it’s just amazing! Plants are made for medicinal purposes – and all natural when they are made the right way! Good stuff!!!!!!
I am also a skeptic and am especially skeptical of the YL thieves oil specifically because of the thieves oil origin story. So the thing is the black plague was not airborne it was flea borne. It spread because the fleas would leave the dead bodies and jump onto whoever was closest which would spread the disease when the fleas bit there new host. So when I heard about how the YL oil kept these thieves from getting the plague I figured it must have been a good bug repellent and not necessarily an antiviral. If they tested it on the common cold which is spread through mucous particles floating through the air I could understand their claim to kill airborne bacteria, but how exactly are you suppose to get the thieves oil to the airborne particles, vaporizer, mister?
I’m not sure how to respond. Just because a disease is spread by fleas doesn’t mean that only a bug repellant will take care of it. I am not sure of the Thieves legend, but the stuff really killed my son’s herpes sores fast. I am not saying I am in love with YL….and hope to post more soon, but there is more to it than what you wrote. The cold is also passed by touch, correct? Thanks!
Also, the Black Plague was the mid-1300’s, the ingredient eucalyptus is native to Australia, and Australia wasn’t “discovered” by Europeans until the mid-1700s.
I started using EOs approximately five years ago for depression that I had been battling since I was a child, I am now 45. I started out with Lavender, Lemon, Frankincense, Clove, Fennel, Orange, Hyssop, Thieves and some others. I didn’t use these oils all at once, just as I needed them for whatever ailments. After about 3 months into the use I was talking to my daughter on the phone and I had been telling her about how I was beginning to actually like myself and what I see in the mirror and how much better I felt and she stated that she had never really heard happiness in my voice before (she was 24 at the time)! I was being healed and I felt it. Along with using the oils I was also completing a colon cleanse, drinking more water and eating healthier and I’m sure all of these things combined contributed and I must attribute it all to God; but I honestly believe that the oils, specifically Young Living, helped a great deal. I too have concerns about Young Living now and I haven’t ordered anything from them in a while but in all honesty it is more financial than anything else. But in my opinion, good, quality essential oils are the way for healthy living.
Thanks for sharing, Deltra. I am so glad to hear you are feeling better. I am sorry this has taken awhile to finish up but I will be continuing w/ my posts. Take care and hope to see you around again! You might be interested to hear about what I am learning.
Hi —
Thanks for this post. I’m also looking into YL’s essential oils. However, I’ve come across some strong criticism against Gary Young. Have you read Quack Watch’s critique of Gary Young? Here’s the link: (link removed by blog owner as it no longer works),
What’s your opinion on this? And, can you expand on how some claims against Gary Young are unsubstantiated?
Thanks.
Hi Jennifer.
I have read that. And…well, I’ll “tip my hat” a bit here, but I may be moving away from YL. I’d be happy to correspond w you about it.
I think that QW has a lot against a lot of folks and that some of what he criticizes is unfounded. That being said, I am concerned about other things about YL. For a number of reasons. I’ll be sharing more as I can.
QuackWatch is a total shill for the harmaceutical industry. The site appear to be very authoritative, but it’s actually pure propaganda designed to scare people away from actual cures and into the hands of the cut-burn-and-poison quack brigade.
I have had a few occurrences of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), diagnosed each time by board-certified cut-burn-and-poison quacks. The first one I had burnt off in a painful in-office procedure. The second and third ones I had cut out by cut-burn-and-poison quacks. When the first one returned with a vengeance, I began looking for something more effective and less expensive.
I was considering using Black Salve, as recommended by my naturopath (ND) until I read the QuackWatch page about it, which scared me away from that cure for four years. I tried several different natural treatments, including several different essential oils, manuka honey, hydrogen peroxide, and several others. Some of the treatments seemed to be working, but the cancer never went all the way away, and when I would quit the treatment, the cancer came roaring back and got even larger.
As it got larger, it also got deeper, and then it began bleeding and I had to keep it bandaged all the time. Very yucky, not to mention inconvenient, embarrassing and scary. So I restarted my internet research and found Bill O’Leary’s personal story of using Black Salve on his basal cell carcinoma on his nose. His story was so similar to mine, I was inspired to try to find a source for Black Salve. This product has been heavily persecuted in the USA, but I was able to get in touch with the makers of the original product (Cansema). I ordered some and had the exact same experiences as Bill O’Leary, except my BCC was much larger by the time I finally used the black salve, and it was on my arm rather than on my nose.
I have since used the black salve (same jar; a little bit can cure a lot of cancer!) on three more cancers. Now I know for certain that it is harmless and painless to healthy skin, so I have not hesitated to use it and completely and permanently cure the BCCs. I have also been changing my diet to make my body less friendly to cancer (less sugar, etc.).
Bill O’Leary’s site is here, but every time I tried to look at it tonight as I write this note, I got a LinkedIn redirect, which is preposterous, as Bill’s site is his own, and has nothing whatever to do with LinkedIn. I will nevertheless offer his URL here, in hopes that the LinkedIn interference is related to my own computer or ISP, and not the latest suppression of information about Black Salve-Cansema.
I offer this long post as an expose` about the wicked intent and misleading information of the fear-mongering monsters at QuackWatch dot com. They are the worst sort of propagandists, who would prefer that people suffer and die needlessly rather than be cured by means outside the control of the cut-burn-and-poison medical monopoly.
The Bill O’Leary link did not appear, so I’ll try again. Remove the 3 blanks which I added so you may see the link.
I enjoyed your thoughts on these oils! I started out very much like you – mildly intrigued but skeptical. My sister-in-law started using Young Living oils to help with her RA and raved about them but I kept thinking, “Really? Oils? How can they be that effective?” About a year later though I broke three bones in my ankle and needed surgery to repair it. I was on some serious pain meds that had yucky side effects and really didn’t completely take away the pain. I would writhe in pain every night and was getting very little sleep. In my desperation I ordered some PanAway from Young Living. When it arrived I diluted the PanAway oil 50/50 with pure almond oil. Within 15 seconds the pain in my ankle was gone. I went right to sleep and slept for about 6 hours straight! I could not believe it!! From that day on I was no longer on pain medications at all. It was a miracle! From there we started using other oils for different things and each time are shocked at the effectivenes. I’m very cautious of signing up to sell anything but I love these oils so much I signed up to distribute them. My kids have not been to the doctor for a sick visit in a year now and we’ve even found a couple of oils that have helped my daughter’s seasonal allergies so much that this year she didnt need antihistamines to sleep at night. Amazing.
I have heard that the acidity of the lemon breaks up the stones. I had a friend who had stones that they found on a Sunday. She immediately started taking Lemon Essential oil. Three days later, she had to go back to the doctor, due to the pain. The doctor went in to try to remove it, and as soon as he touched it, it dissentigrated!! 🙂
Interesting..because I was told to avoid acidic foods and was told by several folks in essential oils that there is little acid in the citrus oils. Maybe it is something else.
I’ve been using Young Living products for several years now, and from what I understand, the citrus oils are always distilled from citrus peels, not from the flesh of the fruit (not just YL oils – I think perhaps all citrus oils are distilled this way). Also, I’ve heard that citric acid does not work in your body as an acid. I don’t fully understand that yet, but I got a book on acid vs. alkaline diet, and I’m hoping it will explain it! I LOVE Citrus Fresh in my water! Any citrus oil is a natural antidepressant, and if you go someplace where the tap water is disgusting, a little YL citrus oil – any citrus – makes it completely palatable! I always have it in my purse for my bottled water and municipal water sources. Watch out, though, citrus oils on your skin will make you photosensitive – which means you’ll sunburn easily in that spot for 2-3 days after applying. Also, if you put a drop of geranium oil anywhere on yourself and then drink a glass of water, an odd but pleasing effect I’ve noticed is that I can taste it in the water. Maybe it’s just me? I love it! So much to learn!
I love essential oils as well! I have mostly used YL because that’s what I was introduced to about a year and a half ago. I had kidney stones and bladder infections. My friend told me about lemon essential oil, and I have been using it in my water ever since! No more kidney stones or infections! 🙂 My family also uses Thieves oil and the hand sanitizer. We have had very few colds, and no major illnesses this past year! It has been amazing! I use several other of the YL oils as well, and diffuse them weekly in my home. It has made a huge difference in our lives!! Thank you for this blog!
You are so welcome! I am looking at YL still and a few others. Finding out much more than I would have thought….stay tuned!!!! Glad to hear about the kidney stones! Do you know the science behind why???
Sara,
My 2.5 year old has eczema really bad all over her body. Her cheeks get so red and dry that she would cry out in pain. I just found out about oils about 2 months ago and have been using butterfly expressions oil called Baby me on her for the last several weeks. The eczema is completely gone now. I have been mixing 2 or 3 drops with a quarter size amount of Cetaphil lotion and rubbing in all over her after her bath each night. Her cheeks are clear now and her arms that are normally as rough as sand paper are now smooth. I noticed that when I got lazy about doing it for about a week it started to come back a little bit, but as soon as I put it on that night it was completely gone the next morning. Good luck I hope you find out what your daughter has and can help her.
Very interesting Melissa.
One thing that I have heard over and over about eczema is that it is important to try to find the root cause – otherwise the irritant continues to aggravate the system and cause damage. Take care – my son had horrible eczema for a long time – it turned out to be life threatening food allergies and later candida. Blessings on you.
Just wanted to conferm the value of essential oils. Wonderful and versatile for everything from treating alements to cleaning your house and laundry and preventing illness. I use ForeverGreen for everything because of it purity guarantee. They also have weekly training calls on how to use essential oils. I’m totally excited if you can’t tell. I could go on and on about organically grown and wild crafted and how I’ve helped people be cured of MERSA, burns, etc. the important thing is I’m hooked. I just took your advise and ordered some wool laundry balls so I can give up laundry sheets and there are so many essential oils to choose from to scent my laundry with.
Health and wellness naturally!
Diane- you mention that you’ve helped people with MRSA cure it with Theives? Well maybe you can help. My 4.5yr old daughter has eczema and now we are waiting to find out if she has MRSA or moscullum contagious, but in the meantime I’ve bought thieves in hoping to starting curing whatever it is. I mixed the thieves in with some coconut oil, since that’s what we use on her eczema, but it seems that it has caused such a reaction on her skin that it is blistering around where she has the pimple-like spots. Any thoughts? I’ve now stopped putting it on her spots for fear of it continuing to irritate her. I’m now rubbing the mix of thieves and coconut oil on the bottom of her feet, but it’s a pretty diluted ratio and I’m wondering if it’ll even help the MRSA or moscullum? Any insight or thoughts are greatly appreciated! I live overseas and knowledgeable people in natural healing are hard to come by here. Thanks!
Wow, a lot of info here! I’m thinking of making and using the oils for my grand kids who, once they get a cold it lasts forever and is passed around the family. I have been lucky, I can’t remember the last time I had a cold or the flu , it’s been over 8 years in spite of being exposed to the germs. Thanks for everyone’s input.
Adrienne, the YL oils sound like incredible stuff! Thank you for all the information!
Hi Jenn! You’ll want to see my new series – Which Essential Oils Company is Best? There may be some surprises in store …hint hint!
I love, love,love yL oils. Have used them for years. Since I started using them I just don’t get sick anymore. Before I travel, especially by air or if I know I’m going to be with a large group of people, I put Thieves on my feet twice a day, diffuse it at night and drink it in water. Works great. I use the skin care products, the toothpaste, mouthwash and several supplements. I recommend the products to everyone.
Young Living Oils are amazing! I use them all. I love to use Valor. I carry it in my purse everywhere. These oils are pure and they work!!
I haven’t used Thieves’ Oil yet, but I’ve heard plenty about it! Guess I will have to try it out. Thanks for sharing at Healthy 2Day Wednesday; come back tomorrow and see if you were featured!
I have used Essential Oils for years and swear by them. I have a LOT of health issues and they have been a source of comfort and pain relief for me. One thing I discovered was that Lavender gets rid of skin tags! It takes a while, up to 3 weeks of daily use, but they disappear! I tend to get them under my arms. I also swear by peace and calming for a restful sleep.
Wow! Nice tip on the lavender oil! I think my husband has one!
By the way – how many applications per day?
My family has been useing Oils for everything for years. After reading herbalism books and knowing what root helps what, what flower can do that, the idea of oils is clearer in my mind. Because most of them are plant based I feel safe using them with my children & around my children.
Plenty of plants can kill you too 🙂
I love essential oil!!!! But dont believe everything you hear about yl being “the only pure oil” you pay 3-5 times the price for the oil because you are paying commission for several levels of distrubutors. Yes there are many brands that are not suitable for internal use. . . But yl would have you believe that all other oils are toxicly made. Just saying do your reseach and dont believe evrything you hear. I do have some yl oils in my growing oil collection (as well as a couple ither brands)
I just loved how it worked and want to be able to take it internally. I’d love info on other oils that are OK for internal use. I know about DoTerra. And I know they are more $$. That being said, they are also very generous w/ freebies and discounts. I am on the lookout though – just can’t do everything at once!
There ARE no essential oils that are “OK” for internal use. The FDA regulates essential oils as a fragrance product and does not oversee their purity. They have never certified ANY oil as safe for consumption. There is no such thing as a “food grade” oil. Or, for that matter, a “therapeutic grade” oil or an “aromatherapy grade” oil.
Young Living has, in the past, claimed that AFNOR (French Association of Normalization) and ISO (International Standards Organization) certify their oils as, variously, “therapeutic grade, “aromatherapy grade,” and “grade A.” The fact is, neither AFNOR nor ISO certifies essential oils at all. Nor are they regulatory organizations – AFNOR is a private company and the name AFNOR is a trademark. The fact is, there’s no official certification process – in the US or in France – for “certifying” essential oils. YL claims that their oils are “A grade,” when there is actually no grading system for essential oils whatsoever. The Cropwatch website did an investigation of the “certification” of essential oils a few years ago and absolutely excoriated both Young Living and doTerra’s claims of grading and certification.
The FDA has cited Young Living on more than one occasion for misleading labeling on their essential oil products, and independent testing has revealed several chemicals, including artificial chemical fragrances, that do not appear on the ingredient list for these alleged ‘natural’ products. Founder Donald Gary Young has been arrested multiple times for misrepresenting himself as a doctor, a naturopath, misleading and deceptive advertising of products claiming to be medicinal, and the distribution and sale of falsified medical treatments.
I’m an essential oil user myself. However, I think people have to be careful about where they get their information. Young Living and doTerra are MARKETING companies – they’re pyramid schemes with the aim of making money that are pretending to be “natural medicine.” In addition, both Young Living and doTerra mark up prices by a truly insane amount – some essential oils are expensive, sure, but you can get Basil essential oil from a major essential oil company for about $4.50. Young Living charges almost $25.00 for the same amount of the same oil. Why? Because they can.
Frankly, I think it’s a miracle that neither of these companies have been sued into oblivion. As it is, Young Living is locked in a legal battle with doTerra over “trade secrets.”
Be careful, do your own research, and please remember that while essential oils may be extremely effective for you, the multi-level marketing companies selling them at insanely inflated prices aren’t necessarily the only place to buy them.
Hi Bea. I appreciate your comments. The internal use of oils is murky but I think it’s a difference of schools of thought – English vs French usage. I do think it’s important to make sure the oils you get are pure and that you don’t use them willy-nilly.
If you haven’t noticed, my YL links are down – for several reasons.
I think the YL lawsuit is bogus but I haven’t looked into it that much.
Take care and hope to see you around.
What companies do you buy oils from, Bea?