are any of you familiar with the "young living" line of e.oils and products? they seem a bit pricey...are they really better like they claim?
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Austin
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Re: Young Living
Tue, October 4, 2005 - 4:47 PMSomewhere there are some posts for and against YL. The general consensus seems to be they're either a scam or the next thing to it.
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Re: Young Living
Wed, October 5, 2005 - 7:39 PMI have been a distributor for Young Living since 1999. I used to teach oil classes when I was in school, but now I am too busy with my practice (Acupuncture) and so I just use them, but don't promote them.
I signed up as a distributor because I loved the oils. I always have. I have had amazing experiences using the oils on myself and on others. Do they always work? No, but then what does?
In my classes, I used to take out YLO's lavender along with several different "therapeutic grade" brands of lavender oils (all lavendula angusifiola) and put them in unlabled vials. I would then pass the vials around and let people compare. It was extremely rare when someone chose one of the other lavenders (I actually don't remember it ever happening).
One of the reasons YLO has such fine oils is because they are harvested when the brixs content is the highest for each individual species. "Brix" is a term in agriculture that refers to the micronutrient content in plants. It could also be translated as "Qi." In Chinese herbology, we look for herbs that have the most "qi" for the most potent effect. Why would we not do the same with oils, which is another form of herbal medicine?
I think one of the problems people have with YLO is that it is a mult-level marketing program, and this sometimes brings mistrust in people. Also, Gary Young, the founder, has received bad press, been written up on "Quack watch" (so have other treatments that are indeed legitimate, including moxa). As far as I know, none of the complaints have been substantiated. From what I have experienced of him in trainings, conferences, etc, he is an amazing healer and a brilliant man.
Anyway, I love Young Living Oils. They have great blends and many wonderful nutritional products as well. I very rarely use any other brand of oils simply because I have not found one I like as much.
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Re: Young Living
Fri, October 7, 2005 - 1:34 AMI think everyone should do their own research, try different oils and make their own decision. I personally choose not to use them mostly because they are a multi-level marketing company which means they are over-priced to help pay the down-line. I have tried the oils and they seem to be pretty good, but I think that there are other comprable brands. I have recieved a Raindrop treatment and it was nice, but does contradict many traditional aromatherapy rules (i.e. putting oils on the skin undiluted, using wintergreen essential oil). I don't have a problem with people who use them, I just personally make the choice not to.
Here is the article that someone was referring to:
www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/young.html
I think there are a lot of options and you should choose oils that feel right for you.
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Re: Young Living
Sat, October 8, 2005 - 10:39 AMYeah, I hate the MLM approach, too. Too bad if the oils are really as good as they claim.
What we ought to remember about Quackwatch, whether or not they're right about YL, is that they consider ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING not approved by the AMA -- acupuncture, ayurveda, and yes, aromatherapy in general -- anything 'alternative' in the least to be out-and-out quackery. They have taken what might have been valuable: a healthy skepticism that would keep people from being taken in by genuine frauds, and made it into something akin to a fundamentalist religion. -
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Re: Young Living
Mon, October 10, 2005 - 4:14 PMGood point Bridget, and well said.
It is sort of a slimy way of duping people into getting an agenda across, ie long live the pharmaceutical companies...bleh! It figures Schwarzenegger has his mitts on this.
www.acuwatch.org/reg/cabd.shtml -
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Re: Young Living
Tue, October 11, 2005 - 1:36 PMYeah, the key words seem to be "beyond the accepted research findings". The unasked question is: "Who determines which research findings are accepted?" Quackwatch seems to be little more than a tool for the 'medical establishment' masquerading as a folksy popular education group. Mind you, when nothing else will do, I go to a doctor. But knowing that their first two thoughts are going to be prescription drugs and surgery, I don't go UNLESS nothing else will do. It helps that I'm really healthy. But is that the cause or the effect? -
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Re: Young Living
Tue, October 18, 2005 - 7:57 AMyep, quackwatch is absolute bullcrap, worse than MLM even!
as for young living oils:
my opinion-
first separate the actual oils from the marketing scheme.
1.the oils are generally good quality, they are certainly not "the best". no one company has "the best". it seems to me that everyone may have some good, a few great perhaps, and a few so-so, or even crappy.
2. yes, they recommend some techniques that are not approved by the 'aromatherapy police" who don't seem to know a whole lot about essential oils anyway. (i know i'm gonna get flamed, flame proof suit on...) there seems to be a whole lotta bs info out there about how dangerous certain things can be in essential oil land. some of which is Quite true, some of which is not. a lot of the info on the dangers of essential oil is based on ridiculous research most likely motivated by the ama types. hey they have a whole lot invested in their 'healing' modality- i've seen it nicely described as the sickness industry. but one must use some caution with ess oils, they are extremely potent. do the research, read a few books, such as Essential Oil Safety.
3. to me YL is like a cult. most of the people that i have interacted with that were part of their MLM were brainwashed into beleiving anything that Gary D Young and co. say. but:
4. a good deal of their info is indeed quite accurate and very worthwhile. their blends are good, some just plain excellent.
5. i have a few lavenders that will blow the doors off of YL. why? because i spent a good deal of currency on them and no company could afford to sell them commercially. fact is it's very hard to buy good essential oils retail, so saying that YL lavender was chosen more than all the other lavenders doesn't impress me at all, ofcourse it was. but if i order a bunch of them from my independent essential oil sources and compare them, things are quite different.
6. YL impresses so many people because there is not a lot of knowledge floating around about essential oils and how to source good stuff. if there was they would not be that popular.
that's one of the reasons they do their thing as an MLM, so they can use their admittedly vast knowledge of ess oils to convince folks that theirs are "the best". same as a lot of other companies but more effective as a MLM.
remember the third line of this post- these are my opinions. i have only worked seriously with essential oils for 12 years.
as long as the sources are good, essential oils are an amazing tool for health, especially in the emotional realm, but certainly in all of them.
rosy day all~ -
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Re: Young Living
Sun, February 19, 2006 - 9:29 AMMy wife and I have used young living oils for several years. My wife uses Lavender,Peace and Calming,Bergamont,,and clary sage. I use peppermint, and many other oils.
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Re: Young Living
Mon, February 20, 2006 - 10:31 AMI have heard wonderful things about YL. They are highly recommended by many peple. I've been a bit turned off by the price and the cult-like sense I get. I also think they are too pricey. The rule goes "the more expensive, the higher the quality." I'm not so sure about that. I have started using Simplers and really like them. www.simplers.com TRUST YOUR NOSE! -
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Re: Young Living
Wed, March 1, 2006 - 4:18 PMI have used both simplers and young living. My wife has always done best with young living. We are young living distributors and have enjoyed their products. -
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Re: Young Living
Tue, June 6, 2006 - 10:42 AMHello, all. I, too, have had only good experiences with YL products. I understand the aversion to the MLM idea, but giving up these wonderful oils is, to me, like throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water.
I am a "distributor" for YL, I do not actively seek customers. I use it to provide the oils to my family and friends (and anyone else who wants them), as well as to support my own "habit." This is not my BUSINESS, so I don't do markups with an eye to make enough to support myself. That's just me.
A few of the blends are OFF THE CHARTS FABULOUS, and I have not found their equivalents anywhere else. I have seen them help others where nothing else worked, either.
Just another country heard from. :-)
With respect to all, N -
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Re: Young Living
Sat, October 28, 2006 - 11:41 PMWhile I do like some of the blends, it just comes down to that they are WAY too expensive. Seriously... even at the "distributor level", I found that it just doesn't pay.
And, like all MLM schemes, the downline bit turns me off, as well as A LOT of negative criticism of Young's research (other than Quackwatch).
But alas, to each his own, I find it isn't worth it and I am putting my energy to making my own great blends. -
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Unsu...
Re: Young Living
Wed, March 14, 2007 - 2:43 AMThanks for mentioning Quackwatch.com, what an informative site!
~Michelle
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Re: Young Living
Thu, November 30, 2006 - 8:40 AMStudy aromatherapy and make your own blends, etc...
www.heartofherbs.com
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Unsu...
Re: Young Living
Wed, March 14, 2007 - 2:37 AMI was just given a set of these oils for my birthday. When they arrived, my friend was over when I opened the package and commented that she had a friend who was big into essential oils and who swears by this brand, calling them the best quality oils in the world. I don't know a whole lot about essential oils (having only used lavender oil over the years but I recently started using one called Pan Away, which the Young Living website says that the founder created for torn ligaments, and am having great results on my severe ankle sprain!
~Michelle -
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Re: Young Living
Fri, August 10, 2007 - 10:17 AMI, too, had much success with Pan Away, and also Trauma Life. I mashed my finger hard between a refrigerator and a door frame
and it was unbelievable painful. It started to turn black and purple. I put on the two aforementioned oils a few times and then forgot about it.
When I remembered I looked at my finger and saw that the nail was slightly dented from the impact but there was no more pain and no more bruising and that was that.
I also used it on my friend's toe after I droped an old heavy duo cassette player on it. It looked bad and it felt bad. We put the oils on maybe twice. She had the same result. No more pain no more bruising.
I am not making any generalizations about YL-- just saying that these two will always be in my first aid kit.
Anyone else have comments about "Simplers" by the way? Or "Mountain Rose?"
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Re: Young Living
Sat, March 17, 2007 - 8:09 PMI agree with most of what's been said here - YL is good but not necessarily the best, they are pricey but do have a good product and some of their blends are fantastic! I especially like "di-gize" for digestion and "peace and calming" is an awesome blend with a citrus base that most folks love.
My $.02
~Amulya
