Essential Oils
"Scent takes us to the depths of sensuality and passion. It awakens lost parts of our soul through the intimate connection of smell and our primal being. We can travel through memories of our existence with odoriferous cues. Aromatherapy brings us in intimate contact with nature. It allows us to share parts of the plant world known by bees and butterflies. When we are privileged to use medicines the earth provides, we see the perfection of nature - we can be healed by the simplest of natures remedies. Yet the exact action of many of nature's cures is still a mystery to our supposedly sophisticated science."Marlene Ericksen
Author: Healing with Aromatherapy
Table of Contents:
2. how do essential oils work? by d. gary young
3. history of essential oils, by v. opfer
4. guidelines for the safe use of essential oils, and mandatory disclaimer
6. other ways you can use yl essential oils
7. can you be allergic to essential oils?
8. wondering about negative info you've encountered about g. young?
9. the french model and the british model of using essential oils
My Story about Young Living Oils…
First off, I am not a Doctor, or a Nurse; I have absolutely no medical training. I do not diagnose or prescribe anything for anybody. I do not claim that the oils treat or cure anything. If you require the help of a medical doctor, please contact one! We all have to make our own, informed decisions based on what we feel is best for us. I share this information here to tell you my story and to let you know you have options when making decisions to support your own holistic wellness. Before using any essential oils, please be aware of safety guidelines. ALL information here pertains ONLY to Young Living Essential Oils. The way I see it, our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies know how to harmonize and heal themselves. YL oils can support us energetically, which in turn enhances our innate healing capabilities. So, with that being said, here’s my story.
Many years ago, I think it was 2001 or 2002, I was working at a Holistic Health Fair. I had a table and was sharing information about QiGong. Next to me, there were a couple of women who were sharing information about Young Living Essential Oils.
I had never heard of YLEOs, and during a lull in the groups of people walking through the Fair I stopped over to their table to check things out. It certainly smelled good! The women there started to tell me about the qualities and therapeutic benefits of YLEO’s; I just wanted to smell them. Just smelling them somehow made me feel better: clearer, more centered, relaxed. Hmmm…
They asked me if I wanted to be added to their email list, and I agreed. I wanted to know more, but was not ready to make a commitment or place an order. I was skeptical; how could these oils really help me? Then, I began receiving emails. A lot of them. They were testimonials from people who were using the oils and all the “amazing” things that were occurring. The stories I was reading seemed way too good to be true. How could an essential oil really do “that”? If these testimonials were really true, how come more people did not know about these oils?
Intrigued, I kept on reading. And reading. And reading.
For over a year I read these testimonials and at a certain point I began to see patterns in the data, patterns that would have taken some serious effort to artificially create. Maybe there was something to this. Even if only half of this information was true, it was worth checking this out.
At this point in my life I had just moved, we were remodeling our home, I was going to school to get my master’s, had a small QiGong practice, and was teaching full time. Any help I could get that wasn’t going to give me nasty side effects was going to be a good thing! Even with qigong, the stress I was under had left my physical being way out of whack. According to my allergist I was allergic to just about everything: dust, mold, pet dander, grass, trees, pollen… We had dogs and he said I really should get rid of them. (I never did.) I was taking allergy medicine everyday which made my heart race and my throat dry. All of a sudden I had asthma, and three inhalers to go along with it. These inhalers left my mouth tasting very yucky, gave me more chemicals to make my heart race, and interrupted my sleep. I had inhalers in my purse, in my car, and in my desk at work. I depended on them to help me breathe. My digestive system was also out of whack. I was carrying antacids around with me to keep the heart burn at bay. I did not like being dependent on all these things, and definitely did not like the side effects that came with using them.
So, could these oils really give me the support that would help bring things back into a harmonious state of balance? It was worth a shot.
I placed my first order and began using YLEO’s, YL supplements, and drinking Ningxia Red, (which at that time was Berry Young Juice). I bought a diffuser and started diffusing oils at night while I slept. I began to be aware of the chemicals that were in the personal care products I was using, and started ordering YL shampoos, toothpaste and lotions as well.
A short time after starting to use these YL products, I realized that I was “forgetting” to take my allergy medicine and use my inhalers; I was getting a good night’s sleep without taking antacids before bed; my skin looked better, my hair was thicker.
I was stunned. So was my Doctor. Now I had my own story that was seemingly unbelievable, and I realized that all those emails I had been reading were written by people just like me!
I renewed my prescriptions each year for a few years after this, and each January cleaned out my medicine cupboard and threw out the inhalers and allergy medicine because it had expired. Today I don’t use them at all.
I started to tell anybody who would listen about the oils and the other YL products. I couldn’t believe these were right there, ready for anybody to order, and people didn’t know about them! Anybody who walked in my house with any kind of challenge was a guinea pig! My friends and family were graciously allowing as we tried different oils to support the body for different challenges. Pretty soon, people were asking me to order a bottle of this or that for themselves, and I inadvertently started another new aspect to my business. I was now a YL Distributor. That was never my intention, but that is what organically occurred. I started using the oils on our dogs, too. I put a few drops of lemongrass on their collars to keep the fleas away, sprayed lavender on any skin issues, and used Peace and Calming for Queenie, who hated thunderstorms.
Today I continue to share the oils with others and to help people who want to create and develop their own YL business. I still get fired up when I tell my story because it reminds me of where I used to be, and how my life has changed for the better because of these oils.
I have found over the years that these oils are really another form of energy therapy. They support the naturally innate healing abilities of our physical bodies by working at the energetic level, supporting, balancing, and harmonizing our energy fields.
I use many oils for myself everyday and also for clients during sessions. The students in my meditation classes have all experienced the way oils can enhance a deeper state of peaceful awareness.
Because the oils work energetically, they can support us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And they smell great! What more can you ask for?It’s very important to educate yourself about the safe use of oils. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have an illness or disease, it is important to check with your doctor before using oils.
There are several ways to get started....
If you would like to support my work, and would like me to support you in the education of the oils, when you order, you would use my "number".
It is 610929.
Next choice: Do you want to order at retail price or distributor price. Basically, retail price is ~ 24% higher than distributor pricing. If you choose distributor pricing, this requires that you provide YL with a "signed distributor agreement", and your SS # . They would use your SS # when and if you earned any commissions in order to provide you with a 1099 at the end of the year. The only purchase required to maintain a distributorship is one order of $100 per calendar year.
To order, go to: www.youngliving.com and use #610929 for your sponsor and enroller. 
*New Fifth Edition of the Essential Oils Desk Reference is now available.
A site where others have shared their stories is here.
Check out the research.
For reading material, supplies, etc. here is another website to check out.
If you would like to know more, contact me!!
To place an order, click here.
Here is a video from Gary Young, the founder of Young Living.
Ready for Essential Oils 101? Here you go!
by D. Gary Young
Aromatherapy is a phrase coined by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Ph.D., in 1920. He was a French cosmetic chemist. While working in his laboratory, he had an accident that resulted in a third degree thermal burn of his hand and forearm. He plunged his arm into a vat of 
lavender oil, thinking that it was water. To his surprise, the burning slowly decreased and then stopped within a few moments.
Over a period of time, with the continual application of lavender oil, the burn healed completely without a trace of a scar. As a chemist, he analyzed the essential oil of lavender and discovered that it contained many substances referred to as chemical constituents or chemical properties. As a result of this, Dr. Gattefosse determined that essential oils contained tremendous healing properties. He came up with the word "aromatherapy".
Dr. Gattefosse shared his experience with his colleague and friend, Dr. Jean Valnet, a medical doctor in Paris, France. During World War II, while serving as a medical physician in the French Army at the China Wall, treating war victims, Dr. Valnet ran out of antibiotics, so he decided to try using essential oils. To his amazement, they had a powerful effect in reducing and even stopping the infection, and he was able to save many of the soldiers who otherwise might have died even with antibiotics.
Dr. Valnet had two students who did their internship with him who were responsible for expanding his work, Dr. Paul Belaiche and Dr. Jean-Claude LaPraz. They discovered that essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as being powerful oxygenators with the ability to act as carrying agents in the delivery of nutrients into the cells.
For example, if you take a geranium plant and tear the leaf or the stem, a clear liquid will appear. This liquid is a very subtle and volatile essence that exudes from the damaged tissues of the leaf. So it is with the human body. With a cut or scrape, we see the flow of blood from that opening in the skin.
One significant difference between the blood and the plant liquid is the color. In the resin or oil being released from the plant, we find trace elements of nutrients, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antibodies, and antifungal, antibacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic, and immune-stimulating properties. Another key agent found present in that resin is OXYGEN. Oxygen molecules are part of the chemical elements of the resin, such as alcohols, phenols, esters, sesquiterpenes, terpinols, etc., which together create an essential oil.
The plant releases the oil in order to clean the break, kill bacteria and start the regeneration process. When blood is released because of broken skin, it is for the same purpose: to clean the wound, kill the bacteria, prevent infection, and begin the healing and regeneration process.
A simple comparison of the plant and the human body shows us a precise similarity, as both the oil and the blood are the transporters of the fundamental nutrients necessary to feed and nurture the cells.
Furthermore, the essential oil has the ability in its chemical structure to penetrate the cell wall and transport oxygen and nutrients inside the cell, thus increasing cellular oxygen and giving more support to the immune system. Research has shown that with their immune-stimulating properties, essential oils enhance and support the building of the immune system, whether they are inhaled or rubbed on the body topically.
Those who contract a cold or the flu generally recover 70 percent faster using essential oils!
It has been said that when essential oils are diffused in the home, they have the ability to increase the atmospheric oxygenating molecules into the air. Oils increase ozone and negative ions in the home, which inhibit bacteria growth. This prevents and destroys existing odors from mold, cigarettes, animals, etc. Essential oils have the electrical magnetic attraction to fracture the molecular chain of chemicals and take them out of the air, rendering them non-toxic to the body. Scientists in European countries have found that essential oils will bond to metallics and chemicals and carry them out of the body, working as natural chelators, inhibiting these toxic substances from staying in the tissues. Essential oils remove dust particles out of the air and, when diffused in the home, can be the greatest air filtration system. These are all wonderful attributes of essential oils.
Essential oils can be extracted from plants, trees, seeds, flowers, petals, stems, roots, bark, or even the whole plant. Today, about 200 different types of oils are being distilled with several thousand chemical constituents and aromatic molecules that have been identified and registered.
These aromatic substances and compounds within the oils will alter and change -- based on weather conditions, climate, temperatures, 
and distillation factors. Today, 98 percent of essential oils are used in the perfume and cosmetic industry.
Essential oils are recognized as being the greatest substances for increasing cellular oxygen through their normal function. When applied to the body by rubbing on the feet, essential oils will travel throughout the body and affect every cell, including the hair, within 20 minutes.
They may have a lasting effect for as long as five months from only one application. The oils do not build up and store in the body because they are very subtle and volatile and have a high evaporation rate. Because of their chemical structure, they are metabolized like other nutrients in the cells.
One of the causes of disease in both the plant and the human body is the inability of nutrients to penetrate the cell wall, causing cell deterioration, leading to cell mutation, creating a host for bacteria and disease.
The integral part of the nose responsible for odor detection is the olfactory, consisting of two membranes, one on each side of the mucous membrane covering the bony extension of the nose. The olfactory membranes are very tiny and are well protected by the casing of the nose. They contain about 800 million nerve endings for processing and detecting odors. These nerve endings are triggered from a signal from the genes along the inside passage of the nose. The olfactory hair-like nerves receive the micro-fine, vaporized oil particles, carrying them along the axon of the nerve fibers, connecting them with the synapse of the secondary neurons in the olfactory bulb. The impulses carried to the limbic system and the olfactory sensory center at the base of the brain, pass between the pituitary and pineal gland and then to the amygdala, which is the memory center for fear and trauma. The impulses then travel to the gustatory center where the sensation of taste is perceived.
Only in 1989 was it discovered that the amygdala plays a major role in storing and releasing emotional trauma, and only odor or fragrance stimulation has a profound affect in triggering a response with this gland. Dr. Joseph Ledoux, of the New York Medical University, feels that this could be major break-through in releasing emotional trauma.
People who have turbinate problems, such as a deviated septum, polyps, or who have had nose surgery, may have a very difficult or impossible time detecting the complete odor. The same holds true for people who have worn a lot of make-up, perfume and cologne or used hair sprays, hair colorings, perms and other products with synthetic odors. Many olfactory hairs respond to only one kind of odor molecule, and simultaneously others will respond to several different kinds of odors. This tells us that not all of the receptors are stimulated at the same time in the presence of odorous vapors.
The olfactory nerves are very much like other nerves and organs in the body. They also respond to electrical signals and impulses that form coded messages that are dispatched to various areas of the body. This may be why some oil inhalation will increase endorphin, neurotransmitter and antibody production.
Fragrance is one of man's greatest enjoyments, bringing back memories of past experience and creating a feeling of security, grounding and well-being.
Copyright 1996-2000 Dr. Gary Young
According to the translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using essential oils thousands of years before the time of Christ. They were man’s first medicines.
The Egyptians were the first to discover the potential of fragrance. They created various fragrances for use in rituals and ceremonies, and for use as medicines.
The ancient art of distillation dates back several thousand years before the time of Christ. In 1922, when King Tutankhamen's tomb was opened, 350 liters of well-preserved oils were found in alabaster jars.
There are some 188 references to oils in the Bible. Some precious oils, such as frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, hyssop and spikenard, were used for anointing and healing of the sick. Biblical prophets recognized the use of essential oils as a protection for their bodies against the ravages of disease. The three wise men brought the oils of frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. Clinical research now shows that frankincense oil contains very high immuno-stimulating properties.
During the Black Plague of the 16th century, a small band of rogues were caught in the act of theft and brought before the king, who forced them to divulge a most curious secret. The thieves were all from a family of apothecaries. They had been entering the homes of plague victims and stripping the dead bodies of anything of value that could be found. Although the plague was highly contagious, not one of these ever contracted the dreaded disease, even though their thefts had put them in constant daily contact with the dead bodies of their victims. The thieves were familiar with a combination of specific plant oils that, when rubbed over their bodies, would protect them from contracting this feared and deadly plague. The Thieves blend from Young Living was re-created from the documentation of the extraordinary case.
In another example from history, virtually the entire town of Bucklersbury, England was spared from the plague, even while residents of other towns in close proximity were dying in droves. This fortunate town was the center of European lavender trade.
This is not a new science. It’s a science and an art form that is being rediscovered in modern times.
Europe, especially France, England, Germany and Switzerland use essential oils in medical applications. Hospitals and doctors use them to treat patients.
What are Essential Oils?
Volatile liquids or resins from plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes and seeds. They are what give plants their characteristic odors, as in the fragrance of pine or a rose.
Essential oils are literally the life force of the plant. The powerful chemical properties of the plant is what gives it the ability to repair structural damage, destroy infections, ward off infestations, and promote healthy growth.
Essential oils and blood are almost identical in function and purpose.
--Blood is there to nurture and feed the cells of the body.
--Essential oils are there to feed and nurture the cells of the plant.
--Both cleanse a cut or tear.
--Both fight off harmful microorganisms
--Both provide nutrients and oxygen for cell regeneration.
How therapeutic oils transform on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels:
Offactory:
Odor molecules travel to the top of the nasal cavity and fit like puzzle pieces into specific receptor cells on the cilia. The cilia are little bundles of six to eight tiny hairs that extend from each of about 10 million olfactory nerve cells. These millions of nerve cells (that are replaced every twenty-eight days) make up a membrane that is known as the olfactory epithelium. The epithelium serves to transfer electric impulses from the 
cilia to the olfactory bulb, which it covers. The olfactory bulb, in turn, sends those impulses along to the amygdala (which is responsible for storing and releasing emotional trauma) and further on to the limbic system of the brain. Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance, essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects.
Frequency:
What is frequency and how does it pertain to essential oils? Frequency is a measurable rate of electrical energy that is constant between any two points. Everything has an electrical frequency. Bruce Tainio of Tainio Technology in Cheny, Washington, developed new equipment to measure the bio-frequency of humans and foods. The frequencies of essential oils are harmonious with the electrical field of the body. Essential oils raise the frequency of the body, which allows the body to heal itself. This is known as vibrational medicine.
The benefits of pure therapeutic essential oils:
Essential oils are the regenerating, oxygenating, and immune defense properties of plants.
Essential oils are so small in molecular size that they can quickly penetrate the tissues of the skin.
Essential oils are lipid soluble and are capable of penetrating cell walls, even if they have hardened because of an oxygen deficiency. In fact, essential oils can affect every cell of the human body within 20 minutes and are then metabolized like other nutrients.
Essential oils contain oxygen molecules, which help to transport nutrients to the starving human cells. Because a nutritional deficiency is an oxygen deficiency, disease begins when the cells lack the oxygen for proper nutrient assimilation. By providing the needed oxygen, essential oils also work to stimulate the immune system.
Essential oils are very powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants create an unfriendly environment for free radicals. They prevent all mutations, work as free radical scavengers, prevent fungus, and prevent oxidation in the cells.
Essential oils are may help to reduce and eliminate bacteria, fungus, infections, microbes, parasites, viruses and growths. Essential oils have been shown to destroy all tested bacteria and viruses simultaneously restoring balance to the body.
Essential oils may detoxify the cells and blood in the body.
Essential oils containing sesquiterpenes have the ability to pass the blood-brain barrier, as was discovered through research in Austria and Germany.
Essential oils are aromatic. When diffused, they provide air purification by:
*Removing metallic particles and toxins from the air.
*Increasing atmospheric oxygen.
*Increasing ozone and negative ions in the area, which inhibit bacterial growth. 
*Destroying odors from mold, smoke, and animals.
*Filling the air with a fresh, aromatic scent.
Essential oils help promote emotional, physical and spiritual healing.
Essential oils have a bio-electrical frequency that is several times greater than the frequency of herbs, food and even the human body. Clinical research has shown that essential oils can quickly raise the frequency of the human body, restoring it to its normal, healthy level.
Purity and quality--not all essential oils are equal:
* 97% of essential oils are produced for industrial use.
According to Flora Research, a major international essential oil testing laboratory, many so-called “essential oils” on the market are either synthetic, adulterated or improperly distilled. Jean Valnet, MD, a pioneer in essential oils research, also warned, “Essential oils are often adulterated with alcohol, fixed oils, essential oils of less value and certain synthetic esthers.” Why? Because of economics.
Example: Much of the oil sold as lavender is a actually a hybrid called lavendin, which yields more but doesn’t have the same therapeutic properties as true lavender. This hybrid is often cut with synthetic linalol acetate to amplify the fragrance, and then adulterated with propylene glycol, an odorless solvent to expand volume.
What to look for in a pure, therapeutic essential oil:
* Organically grown--no pesticides
* Soil enriched with enzymes, trace minerals and organic bio-solids.
* Steam distilled with low heat and low pressure.
* Precise timing for each plant in the distiller (some plants need 24 hours in the distiller; others only need 2 hours (see chart) to get all the constituents out.
* Plants harvested at the correct time of day (each plant is unique) to get the fullest properties of the plant.
* Grow only authentic species, not hybrids.
* Use independent testing for quality control. Every batch of oil at Young Living is independently tested at Flora Research, and sometimes in labs in France and England as well. Each batch is guaranteed not only for purity, but also for the highest quality to assure therapeutic value.
How to use the oils:
Essential oils are easy to use. You don’t need to be an expert.
* Apply them “neat” (undiluted) on location.
* Apply them via Massage.
* Apply on the feet. The reflex points on the feet reflect the entire body. There are many nerve endings are in the feet.
* Baths. It’s recommended to use the bath gel base to help disperse the essential oils into the water.
* Diffuse: diffusers, spray bottles, misters
* Compresses
* Animal wellness
(community outreach and philanthrophy...)
What makes Young Living what it is today comes out of Dr. Gary Young’s unique story. 
He grew up in a remote area of Idaho with no electricity or running water until he was 16 years old. His parents taught him how to live from the land.
In 1973, at the age of 24, while homesteading in Canada, he was seriously injured in a near-fatal logging accident. He suffered multiple fractures, including 3 open-skull fractures, 19 broken bones, a severed brachial plexus, and a herniated spinal cord. He was in a coma for 3 weeks, spent 4 months in intensive care, and languished for one year in a rehab center. According to the medical specialists, there was no hope--he was going to be confined to a wheelchair and paralyzed for the rest of his life.
After two years of intense pain, depression, and 3 suicide attempts, he decided to take action and regain control of his life. He fasted for 257 days on juice and began to regain sensation in his legs.
He began to research, study, and then apply various methods of alternative healing, thus beginning his gradual regeneration. Over a period of two years, he went from a wheelchair to a walker, then to crutches, and finally to walking--but not without considerable pain.
Gary’s search for natural ways to heal the body led him to study the sciences of hematology, medicine, anesthesiology, acupuncture, pathology, nutrition, herbology, massage, orthomolecular cell therapy, lymphology and naturopathy.
In 1982, after receiving a master’s degree in Nutrition and a doctorate in naturopathy, he opened a family practice in Chula Vista, CA, as well as a research clinic in Las Mesa, Mexico. He later received the Humanitarian Award from the State Medical Examiner’s Office of Baja California (one of only six ever awarded) for his research and successful treatment of degenerative diseases.
Dr. Young was invited to attend a medical seminar being held at the Medical University in Geneva, Switzerland, taught by doctors Jean Claude Lapraz, MD, and Paul Duraffourd, MD, on the treatment of respiratory disease with essential oils. He returned to his clinic with 13 oils and great anticipation. The first year he conducted research and the results were amazing--he discovered that the oils could increase cellular oxygen and promote immune function.
It had been 13 years since Gary’s accident, and he still suffered with pain. He had great limitations, and could only walk short distances. One morning, awakening with intense pain, the thought came to him to use the oils on himself. Within three days he was walking without pain. One week later, he was jogging for the first time in 13 years. By November of 1986 he’d entered a half-marathon and finished in 60th place out of 970 participants.
Dr. Gary Young’s Vision
To introduce organic cooperative farming to underdeveloped countries throughout the world, in order to support ecological and financial sustainability and to develop economic independence.
To teach the use of essential oils, so we can heal our planet, as well as our physical, emotional and spiritual selves.
To see essential oils used worldwide in the home as the medicine of the future.
Quality of Young Living Essential Oils
The True Meaning of AFNOR by David Stewart, Ph.D., R.A., D.N.M.
The acronym, AFNOR, is seen on bottles of Young Living Essential Oils and on no other brand of essential oils in North America. YLEO oils are sold as therapeutic grade. However, there seems to be some confusion as to the meaning of therapeutic grade oils and how such oils relate to AFNOR. In fact, I have been confused myself and have previously held some misconceptions on the matter. I hope that the information that follows here will clarify things for you, as it has for me. The following article has been reviewed for accuracy by personnel at AFNOR in France as well as Young Living Essential Oils in Utah.
What is AFNOR?
AFNOR (Association Francaise de Normalization) was founded in 1926 and is a French government-approved organization under the administrative supervision of the French Ministry for Industry. It has a membership of approximately 3,000 companies. Under a decree of January
26, 1984, AFNOR controls the central standardization system or the country of France. AFNOR consists of 31 standardization fices, public authorities, and 20,000 experts.
AFNOR acts as a standards-setting body for a variety of products and services. They are an agency which sets minimum standards by which quality, safety, reliability, and performance requirements described in French, European, and International Standards can be validated.
This is not the same as certification of a product or service. The act of certification designates that a recognized body, independent of the interested parties, gives written assurance that a product, process, or service conforms to specified requirements. Hence, AFNOR, itself, does not certify essential oils. AFNOR standards for essential oils are only reference documents used by professional and commercial buyers and sellers to guage their conformance to standards set and agreed upon by the participating parties. There is no official AFNOR certification for oils at this time.
The person in charge of AFNOR standards for essential oils is Bernadette Ruetsche, who reviewed and edited this article for accuracy. She can be reached via email at bernadette.ruetsch@afnor.org
The AFNOR postal address is: Association Francaise de Normalisation (AFNOR), 11 Avenue Francis de Pressense, 93571 Saint-Dennis La Plaine Cedex, France. Their phone number is 33 (0) 1-41-62-88-87.
Their fax is 33 (0) 49-17-90-00. The AFNOR website is www.afnor.fr. It is in both English and French.
What is ISO?
The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies drawn from 130 countries. It was established in 1974. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is a nongovernmental body with a mission to promote worldwide standardization among the products and services of international commerce. Its aim is to facilitate the global exchange of goods and services as well as to develop scientific, technological, and economic activity among nations. AFNOR represents France as a member of the ISO.
The ISO website is <www.iso.org
Their postal address is: International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, rue de Varembé, Case postale 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland. Their telephone is 41-22-749-01-11. Their fax is 41-22-733-34-30. They have several email addresses depending on the department you wish to contact. These are given on their website, which is in English.
The ISO hosts 214 technical committees to set standards for a variety of products and practices. Technical Committee, TC #54, is the one designated to deal with essential oil standards, which includes not only essential oil composition, but packaging, storage, sampling methodology, and even the laboratory procedures approved for oil analyses. The ISO committee on essential oils was primarily set up for the food, fragrance, and cosmetics industries in order to insure similarity of products. There are 15 countries represented on TC #54, including the United States. The chairman of the committee is from Spain. They meet every other year.
Thus, the ISO, as well as AFNOR, sets standards for many items in a variety of areas, not just essential oils. For example, the international symbols you see on automobile dashboards, in airports, and in other public places all over the world were set by the ISO. The ISO standards for essential oils are the same as those for AFNOR.
Does AFNOR or ISO Test Oils? 
AFNOR and ISO have no laboratories and do not do any testing themselves. They only set standards as agreed upon by the industries involved. An AFNOR or ISO designation on a packaging label for an essential oil does not mean it has been approved directly by AFNOR or ISO. It only means that a laboratory, independent of the interested parties, has tested the oil and found that it falls within the compositional profile designated by the AFNOR/ISO standard for that oil.
At this time, AFNOR standards for essential oils deal only with the ew chemical components of importance to the flavor and fragrance industry. AFNOR/ISO standards for essential oils deals only with the chemistry of the finished oil and not with how the oil was derived.
Furthermore, it includes only the most prevalent compounds of the oil--those of interest to the perfume and food industry. It does not address the hundreds of minor and trace components of a natural oil that are necessary to its therapeutic properties. An essential oil could be devoid of most of its healing compounds and still pass AFNOR standards.
A typical AFNOR/ISO standard usually consists a statement of minimum concentrations of only the five or six compounds that provide taste and/or aroma. In some cases, there may be only one compound of interest to define the standard for a species of oil-- like the menthol in peppermint (Mentha piperita). Thus, the hundreds of healing compounds that comprise a therapeutic grade of oil are not considered at all. Hence, AFNOR/ISO standards simply do not address the therapeutic aspects of an oil. An oil that tests within AFNOR parameters only means that the oil fits a certain minimum chemical profile set by the industry, which is predominantly for food and cosmetics.
What is a Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil?
According to Young Living, besides a chemical profile that includes as many of its natural ingredients as possible, what makes an essential oil therapeutic has even more to do with how it is derived. It must be grown organically (or wildcrafted), distilled at minimum pressure and temperature in vessels of non-reactive materials, and bottled unchanged, unrefined, and unadulterated. It is these latter aspects that make YLEO oils therapeutic.
An oil could fulfill all the AFNOR/ISO criteria and not be therapeutic. In fact, many commercial oils do. Unfortunately, the existence of AFNOR/ISO standards, such as they are, causes many companies, who wish to sell their oils to the food or fragrance industries, to compound, manipulate, refine, denature, and adulterate oils to make them comply with the standard. Hence, the appearance of AFNOR on a label does not prove its therapeutic quality nor does the absence of AFNOR indicate that an oil is not therapeutic.
Dr. Herve Casabianca (along with 34 other experts) is a member of the French national committee on essential oil standards. Dr. Casabianca spoke at a Young Living Convention in Salt Lake City several years ago. Dr. Casabianca represents the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). He agrees with the YLEO definition of a therapeutic grade essential oil. No individual can afford to test for the hundreds of compounds in the oils they use. And even if an individual were to have an oil tested, Casabianca pointed out that commercial chemists are very clever in their schemes to fool laboratories and with a standard as minimal as AFNOR/ISO, they can usually make a synthetic or adulterated oil look natural when it is not.
Radioactive Analysis as a Test for Naturalness:
In his laboratory at CNRS, Casabianca said that they test for radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that is constantly released through the soil from the nuclear decay of minerals in the bedrocks below. A natural oil will contain traces of radon. An oil synthesized in a laboratory will not contain radon. Thus, they can sometimes identify a synthetic or manipulated oil containing only the few key ingredients to pass the AFNOR test from a natural one that would contain all the other ingredients. However, radon is not a customary element looked for in testing for AFNOR compliance because it is too expensive and most laboratories do not have the necessary pparatus.
Even so, according to Bernadette Ruetsche, speaking for AFNOR-- With AFNOR/ISO standards it is possible to attest to a high degree of certainty as to the purity of oils because the AFNOR-adopted quantities of components correspond to those found in natural products. Hence, according to AFNOR authorities, if an essential oil fits AFNOR/ISO standards, it is generally considered to have come from a natural source.
What AFNOR Does Not Include:
Testing for compositional compliance with AFNOR/ISO standards does not include testing for traces of pesticides, herbicides, or allergens. If an organic farm is next to one that uses chemicals, the wind can contaminate the soil and air of the organic farm. It is possible for a certified organic crop to contain traces of pollutants and still pass as certified organic. If an essential oil distributing company wants to be sure it oils contain no such contaminants, it would need to test specifically for them. An AFNOR designation does not address these issues.
Neither does AFNOR address the issue of high-temperature, high-pressure distillation, which destroys many of the therapeutic ingredients while preserving those of interest to perfumers and/or companies that employ flavors from oils. AFNOR also does not address the issue of petrochemical contaminants in oils extracted by strong solvents.
Dr. Casabianca concluded that in the end, no matter how much you analyze an oil in a laboratory, based on the analysis alone, you cannot always be sure whether it is completely natural and therapeutic or not. To test every oil sample to a certainty would be economically prohibitive. You can determine if it fulfills AFNOR/ISO standards by simple laboratory techniques, available and possible throughout France and in most countries worldwide, but such a test will not ascertain that an oil has healing properties.
Casabianca said the best measure is to know your grower, know your distiller, know your bottler, and know your distributor. It is a matter of trust, he said. He said that YLEO is the only North American company that routinely ends samples of its oils to France for testing against AFNOR/ISO standards and that he has always been impressed with the high quality of oils sent by YLEO.
Summary of Key Points:
1. There is no nationally or internationally recognized agency that sets standards for therapeutic grade essential oils. Neither AFNOR, ISO, CODEX, or any other agency does that.
2. Therapeutic grade has not only to with the chemical composition of the oil, but also with its origin--how and where grown, how distilled, as well as how packaged and distributed.
AFNOR and ISO do not consider these factors, which are crucial in the determination and maintenance of therapeutic grade properties.
So What's an Essential Oiler to Do?
With respect to any particular oil or brand of oils, the question you need to ask is this:
Do you obtain therapeutic results with that brand of essential oils or not?
The proof is in the healing that results-a factor anyone can experience, observe, recognize, and document for themselves. No laboratory test is needed for that. This is anyone's perogative, and it is available to you at no cost.
As for YLEO oils, those of us who use them know of their authentic healing power first hand. We have seen it and we have experienced it repeatedly. We don't need AFNOR, ISO, or any other test for that.
So, are Young Living oils therapeutic grade? You can answer this for yourself. I know they are, not because they are designated as AFNOR, but because I have seen and experienced their healing power over and over again. I need no other proof. Your personal experience is more valid than any lab test, however scientific.
A USP/NF Postscript:
Until recently, there were no American standards for essential oils.
Young living scientists are currently working with the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary ( USP/NF) which are American standard setting organizations that have been around for more than a century. As recently as one year ago USP/NF had virtually remained uninvolved in establishing standards for essential oils.
That is now rapidly changing as of the Spring 2005 Pharmacopeial Forum. Standards for essential oils are now being established by the joint efforts of various industries (including pharmaceutical), various government groups (including the FDA), as well as university scientists and consultants who know what standards for therapeutic grade oils should be--including authorities from Young Living.
USP/NF standards go beyond AFNOR/ISO in that the latter concern themselves only with a chemical profile in the finished oil while USP/NF also specifies the manner in which the herbs are grown, cultivated, and harvested, as well as how the oils are distilled, extracted, bottled, and labeled.
In other words, if things work out they way they should, an essential oil that qualifies to be designated as a USP/NF grade oil will not only fit a minimum chemical profile (like AFNOR/ISO), but will also fit the definition of a therapeutic grade oil, as defined by YLEO. Hence, at some time in the future, we can expect to see aromatic oils that carry the designation of USP/NF on their labels which will have valid meaning in defining a therapeutic grade oil, whereas AFNOR does not.
Life Force in Essential Oils
James Aker, Ph.D., is a biochemist with two Ph.D.s, one in biochemistry and one in quantum physics. He has been doing research with an amazingly powerful microscope. It magnifies more than 18,000 times. It allows you to see motion exhibited by minute particles of matter when suspended in a fluid.
Unlike an electron microscope, you do not need to pull a vacuum on the sample, which destroys all life. Dr. Aker tested more than 200 different essential oils and was very disappointed to find no movement in any of them. He knew that if he couldn't see any movement, then there was no life force in the oils. He knew that a gas chromatograph or a mass spectrometer could show the constituents in an oil, but if these constituents were 'dead', then they would be useless for healing the body on a cellular level.
The body best utilizes 'active' minerals, enzymes, coenzymes, and most importantly, oxygen. Dr. Aker had given up trying to find quality oil until he found Young Living Essential Oils. When he tested the oils in the Essential 7 pack, he was very surprised to see they were full of life. When Nancy Carnahan from Vitality Consulting saw this for the first time, she said chills went through her body! She was astounded and amazed to see such a magnificent sight.
She saw the Young Living lavender shimmering and moving and vibrating with total motion everywhere, right on the monitor. When the Young Living peppermint oil was tested, it nearly jumped off the screen! Pulsating and vibrating molecules were everywhere. It looked like a fireworks display.
Then a number of MLM and store-bought oils were tested and, not to Dr. Aker's surprise, no life was found, only a dark screen with a very few non-moving specks. She was able to see a film of this event and said she is more excited about the quality of Young Living Essential Oils than ever. She was very confident we had a superior production the market however had not realized that the other oils were as bad as what was seen.
Vicki Opfer on Essential Oil Quality
I’ve researched various essential oil companies. What I’ve found is that you can buy cheaper oils, which are also cheaper quality. You can also buy oils of comparable quality. If you find oils of comparable quality, the price of those oils is very similar to the price of our oils. Their lavender may be a dollar cheaper, and their basil a dollar more. Overall, they’re very close.
If you ask the other companies if they use a GC analysis, even if their quality is comparable, the chances are that they do not. They trust their 
supplier. Years ago, when Gary Young was starting Young Living, he trusted his suppliers, and learned that it was not a great idea. That’s when he implemented the toughest testing of essential oils by any company in the industry.
I choose Young Living because I, personally, know the extent they go to in order to sell pure oils. I don’t know of any other company who uses organic seeds, soil nurtured with enzymes and organic fertilizers, waters with spring water (city water has too many chemicals), weeds the plants by hand, harvests on the right day, at the right time, gets the peppermint (for example) to the distiller within 15 minutes of harvest or someone loses their job, distills with low pressure and temperature, for an extended period of time to maximize, not the yield, but the molecules found in the oil. This company is amazing.
I encourage all of my students to go out and experience other oils for themselves. Smell test them. Use them. Compare prices.
To smell test an oil, you open the bottle and waft it at about waist level. See what you can smell. Bring it a little higher, and waft it back and forth again. See how many different smells reach the nose. Bring it up again, and smell again. Do this several times until you’re at the chin, and then smell with one nostril, then the other, then both together.
While this smell test is not fool proof (I’ve seen the owner of an essential oils company (not YL) tricked by an oil produced in a lab, thinking it was a real, and decent, oil) it’s a reasonable test. What you’re looking for is a rich bouquet of smells. If it smells the same as you move it all the way up the body, it doesn’t have much in it as far as a variety of molecules. When you smell one nostril, and then the second, the odors should be a little different. When you smell with both nostrils, it should smell like a rich bouquet of both smells. If it has synthetic chemicals in it, you can often smell them when you smell with both nostrils together.
Frankincense is oil with the most noticeable and dramatic differences between a good one and a poor quality one. Wafting the bottle slowly up the body and smelling, a poor quality oil smells pretty much the same all the way up. With the YL frankincense, it has delightfully different smells at each level.
So, even if I had no money (which was true for me when I joined Young Living) I would still buy Young Living oils, and use them sparingly and carefully, rather than buying cheaper oils. I can now afford to buy any oils that I want, and I choose Young Living. Vicki Opfer
MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: This information is intended as educational material for those seeking chemical-free nontoxic wellness solutions. It is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe; I am not a Doctor. I encourage you to discuss this information with the health authorities of your choice. The decision to use, or not to use, any of this information is the sole responsibility of the reader. Any and all essential oil information is made in regards to Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils only!
GUIDELINES FOR THE SAFE USE OF YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS.
1. Always keep a bottle of V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil, Massage Oil Base or any pure vegetable oil handy when using essential oils. Vegetable oils dilute essential oils if they cause discomfort or skin irritation.
2. Keep bottles of essential oils tightly closed and store them in a cool location away from light. If stored properly, essential oils will maintain their potency for many years.
3. Keep essential oils out of reach of children. Treat them as you would any product for therapeutic use.
4. Do not use essential oils rich in menthol (such as peppermint) on the throat or neck area of children under 30 months of age.
5. Direct sunlight and essential oils. Lemon, bergamot, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, White Angelica and other citrus oils may cause a rash or darker pigmentation if applied to skin exposed to direct sunlight or UV rays with 3 to 4 days of use.
6. Keep essential oils away from eye area and do not put into ears. Do not handle contact lenses or rub eyes with essential oils on fingers. Oils with high phenol content – oregano, helichrysum, cinnamon, thyme, clove. Lemongrass, bergamot, Thieves and ImmuPower – may damage contacts and irritate eyes.
7. Pregnant women should consult their health care professional before using essential oils.
8. Epileptics and those with high blood pressure should consult their health care professional before using essential oils. Avoid using hyssop, fennel and Idaho tansy oils.
9. If you are under the care of a physician due to illness, consult your physician prior to using essential oils.
10. People with allergies should test a small amount of oil on a small area of sensitive skin, such as the inside of the arm, before applying the oil on other areas. The bottom of the feet is one of the safest, most effective places to use essential oils.
11. Do not add undiluted essential oils directly to bath water. Use Bath Gel Base as a dispersing agent for oils in the bath.
Obligatory Disclaimer: The information in this handout is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from any disease, illness or injury should consult with a physician.
THESE SUGGESTED USES APPLY ONLY TO THE USE OF THERAPEUTIC GRADE, YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS.
References: Young, N.D., Gary D. An Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils. Eleventh Edition, 2001.
Essential Oils Desk Reference. Compiled by Essential Science Publishing, Second Edition, July 2001.
Other ways you can use yl essential oils:
Gary Young’s "Great Day" Protocol
- You can begin each day with this routine, or use it at any point throughout your day.
- Place one drop of Valor on the inside of your left wrist. Hold the inside of your right wrist to your left wrist for a few minutes. This step balances the body.
- Apply a drop of Harmony to your solar plexus (the area just above your belly button) to calm your mind and promote positive feelings.
- Apply one drop of Joy to the area above your heart. This step helps bring happiness to your mind and body.
- Place a single drop of White Angelica in the palm of your hand and rub your hands together. Lightly brush both hands over your head, face, shoulders, chest, and down the rest of your body as though applying an angelic shield.
7. Can you be allergic to Essential Oils?
In Dr. Stewart's book entitled, "The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple", he answers the question: "Are Essential Oil Allergens?" Consider the following facts:
1) Allergens are almost always composed of proteins or polypeptides, which are relatively large molecules. There are no proteins or polypeptides in essential oils. In fact, nitrogen containing compounds are virtually non-existent in essential oils except in occasional trace amounts. 2) Allergens are composed of large molecules. There are no large molecules in volatile or aromatic oils, otherwise they would be neither volatile or aromatic.
3) There has never been a documented instance of an anti-body response (i.e. sensitization) to an essential oil. Essential oil antibodies have never been found or detected in anyone. Unless sensitization occurs and antibodies are produced and stored in the body, there can be no allergic reaction. Therefore, we can state unequivocally that essential oils are not and cannot be allergens. Sometimes people do have allergy-like reactions but these are no allergenic in nature. They are detox reactions.
While allergenic reactions from pure therapeutic grade essential oils never happen, this might not be true for perfume, massage, or food grade oils, depending on what synthetic substances and fatty oils are used to alter and dilute them. However, even in cases of reactions to non-therapeutic grade oils, reactions are not likely to be allergens.
To be an allergic reaction, there must be antibodies in the system of the person having the reaction. There must be a period of prior sensitization before an allergic reaction can occur. If a person has a reaction to an essential oil the first time they receive it, it cannot be an allergy, because there was no prior exposure whereby sensitization and development of antibodies could have taken place. Such a reaction is nonallergenic.
People can be allergic/sensitive to fatty oils. This is because fatty oils are not distilled. They are cold pressed from the fruit and seed and contain many molecules that would not survive distillation but do come through a pressing. Among these molecules are traces of proteins, amino acids, and polypeptides - all potential allergens.
For massage purposes, essential oils are often added to fatty oils. When this is done, the possibility of an allergic reaction exists. Fatty oils are implicated as potential allergens include walnut, almond, olive, peanut, safflower, and virtually any vegetable oil.
Allergic reactions are also possible to expressed oils (citrus) and aromatic oils obtained by solvents (such as jasmine, onycha, or neroli). These two types of oils are not true essential oils since they are not obtained by distillation. Distilled oils are never allergens. Absolutes, expressed oils, and fatty oils can be allergens, including carrier oils.According to data reported in A Statistical Validation of the Raindrop Technique, the most frequently reported negative results of applying undiluted oils was a burning sensation on the skin, skin rashes, nausea, headaches, and tiredness (in that order). Among the outcomes of thousands of Raindrops sessions included in the report, no negative experiences more severe than these were reported. Not one case of an allergic reaction was discovered by this study even though an honest effort was made to find and report such reactions if they existed. In all the reports of negative outcomes with undiluted oils in the study, experiences were temporary and interpreted as detox reactions, not allergies. Given enough time, accompanied by a cleansing regimen, detox reactions to oils will cease and the oils that caused the reaction initially will no longer do so. This is an indication that the cleansing is complete and proof that the reactions was no allergy. When a detox reaction happens, stop using the oils for awhile and reduce their quantity in order to slow down the release of toxins. Focus on cleansing procedures with lots of water, fiber, and fresh foods and, perhaps, some fasting, to flush out the toxins. Gradually, use the oils again and eventually the toxins will be gone and you won't have unpleasant reactions to the oils any more. Many people have experienced this. Detox reactions may be unpleasant but they are temporary and beneficial. They are the beginning of healing in a body full of toxins that would have eventually resulted in a serious chronic disease.
Source: The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simpe - God's Love Manifest in Molecules" by David Stewart, Ph.D, D.N.M.
8. Have you encountered confusing, negative information about Gary Young and Young Living?
The way I see it, whenever there is a pioneer out there, in any industry, they become a threat to others who are trying to control and manipulate other's perceptions. Gary Young has been attacked and betrayed by many people who are simply threatened by his fearlessnes, his drive, his passion, and his powerful mission to bring essential oils to everybody who can benefit from them. When people are threatened, they can do and say some pretty nasty things.
I have met Gary Young personally. I have heard him speak several times. I shook his hand and gave him a hug. I trust my perceptions, and I trust Gary Young.
Young Living has posted an Official Quackwatch Rebuttal on the YL Website, and I post it here for you.
Quackwatch Rebuttal Executive Summary
Alternative and complementary medicine are on everyone's radar screen. Not only are more Americans visiting alternative practitioners than primary care physicians, but the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health organized the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to find ways to integrate alternative medicine into conventional medicine.
The downside to the explosion of knowledge about nutrition, natural alternatives, and increased health is that detractors are springing up determined to halt choice in healthcare.
Organizations like Stephen Barrett's Quackwatch and Robert Baratz's National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) have seemingly bottomless pockets to attack natural health proponents with lengthy articles on their websites and through expensive lawsuits. Stephen Barrett solicits reader donations on his website. He no longer practices psychiatry. How is he funding his expensive lawsuits?
Because you can't patent nature (and thereby profit from it), pharmaceutical companies apparently are threatened by the rise of natural medicine and people seeking improved health through nutrition and the use of essential oils. Some even believe they may be the deep pockets behind these front organizations. D. Gary Young and his company, Young Living Essential Oils, have come under attack on the Internet. A lengthy article on Barrett's website has rumors, gossip, and innuendo presented as if they were fact.
Gary Young is not the only natural health proponent whose integrity is being questioned. Several hundred people have made the list on Stephen Barrett's Quackwatch site with articles assailing their beliefs and their personal lives. Others who Stephen Barrett has gone after are Andrew Weil, M.D., Julian Whitaker, M.D., Ralph Moss, Ph.D., Gary Null, Ph.D., Earl Mindell, R.Ph., and Bernie Siegel, M.D. Even the late Dr. Linus Pauling has become a target.
Please click here to see an article that explains in detail who these “quackwatchers” are, why they are attacking the leaders of the natural health movement, and why it is vital that people listen with discernment to their voices. The disinformation about Gary Young and Young Living Essential Oils is refuted and the truth is documented.
A person's right to determine what type of healthcare they choose is a valuable freedom that no one, including Stephen Barrett, has the right to endanger. Freedom is costly to uphold. If you are seeking answers, we urge you to become informed by reading this important document.