If you've made it here then you have probably heard of essential oils, or "snake oils" as my husband so lovingly called them about a year ago. If you know me, then you know I get really really excited about things and tend to latch on and then eventually get bored with them and move on to the next exciting new thing. This is why I waited a year to make my blog pretty or register a domain name. I needed to prove to myself that I would actually keep this up. Turns out, I kind of love it.
I started using essential oils in March of 2014. I loved them right off the bat. Hubby, however, needed some time to come around. He eventually realized how beneficial they are and now he goes through three bottles of peppermint per month. No kidding. He even reaches for the lavender before ointment. I call that a win.
I love science and I realize I might be in the minority with that statement but stay with me here. Let's talk about some basics.
What are essential oils?
An essential oil is often called the "lifeblood" of a plant. It is the volatile liquid that is within most plants - shrubs, flowers, trees, bushes, roots, and even seeds. Essential oils are extremely concentrated and WAY more potent (i.e. stronger) than their cousins, the dried herbs. For example, let's look at our most used oil - peppermint. One single drop of peppermint oil is equal to 26-28 CUPS of peppermint tea.
Essential oils are far from simple. Each one is comprised of hundreds of different chemical constituents (parts, basically). These constituents are what give the oils their therapeutic benefits. But, listen friends, I'm not going to get into the biochemistry today. I happen to have a degree in Biomedical Science and I find these details fascinating. But, I'll spare you. Feel free to consult the google if you would like more of the science right now.
Why use essential oils?
The therapeutic potential of essential oils is just beginning to be discovered by researchers. These little gems seem very much like a new fad but the truth is they date back to biblical times. There are entire books devoted to essential oils of the Bible. They are not new. I can tell you they have literally been life changing for our family. For some reason I'm always skeptical when we try an oil but 9/10 times they work for whatever *issue* we are trying them for. Seriously, if you're dealing with XYZ, there's an oil for that! We use oils as our first line of defense to boost our immunity and help our body heal itself. We still see the doctor if needed, lest you think we've gone to the extreme.
Why Young Living?
I mentioned my Biomedical Science background. I'm very analytical and quite honestly, research soothes me. Yes, I am super cool, thank you for noticing. I need to know that I've made the best (healthiest) decision when something is going to be used by my family, in or on our bodies. Before I started researching how oils are produced, I started learning about companies. I knew I wanted to stay away from any multi-level marketing company. I've done the MLM thing before and while I loved the product, I hated the pressure. I wanted nothing to do with sales quotas ever again thankyouverymuch. I'm just not cut out to be a sales person. I do love to share about products I've found that I think are great but I do not like being forced to sell them to continue to get my distributor discount. Not knowing anything about Young Living, I ruled them out simply because of the MLM company structure. I set my sights on a cheap brand I found on Amazon and even ordered a bottle to try. I was not impressed. Shocking, I know. But as time went on I kept seeing Young Living on blogs I followed and on my very trusted friends' Facebook pages. Eventually I agreed to attend a class hosted by one of those very trusted friends. There was no sales pressure, just information about the basics of essential oils. When asked why they use Young Living, I found out that they would rather have items be listed as out of stock than sell a sub-par product. That really stood out to me because most companies would rather do whatever they can to ensure they never run out but not Young Living. They care more about quality control. The biggie for me was their Seed to Seal Guarantee. You can read all about it here. And what really sealed the deal for me, NO sales obligations. Seriously. None.
Retail vs. Wholesale
I opted to become a wholesale member for a number of reasons. I'll share my top three.
1 - 24% discount off retail cost.
2 - The Premium Starter Kit is fabulous and an awesome value.
3 - There are NO sales requirements!
*To remain active with your wholesale membership they do require a minimum ANNUAL purchase of 50pv. But in all reality, if you aren't already doing that, then you probably aren't using your oils. In which case, feel free to send them to me.
How to get started
1 - Click here to go to the sign up page to create your Young Living account. I started with the Premium Starter Kit and I highly suggest you do too. I have had several friends buy the cheaper kit and then end up buying the premium one later the same month. Here's why...
The Premium Starter Kit Includes:
Diffuser (You've got to have this!)
Premium Essential Oils Collection;
Lavender 5-ml
Peppermint Vitality™ 5-ml
Lemon Vitality™ 5-ml
Copaiba Vitality™ 5-ml
Frankincense 5-ml
Thieves® Vitality™ 5-ml
Purification® 5-ml
R.C.™ 5-ml
DiGize™ Vitality™ 5-ml
PanAway® 5-ml
Stress Away™ 5-ml
AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment
10 Sample Packets
10 Love It? Share It! Sample Business Cards
10 Love It? Share It! Sample Oil Bottles
2 NingXia Red® 2-oz. samples
Product Guide and Product Price List
Essential Oil Magazine
Essential Edge
2 - You can sign up as wholesale or retail. I highly recommend wholesale because of the savings and access to the starter kits. You are welcome to sign up as a retail customer, just remember you'll be paying 24% more than wholesale and will not have access to the fabulous kits.
3 - Make sure my member ID (1665703) is showing in both the Sponsor ID and Enroller ID spots.
4 - Fill out all of the required information. For the tax section, know that your information is safe and secured and is only required because once you use your oils, you'll inevitably love them and want to tell someone about them. When you do and they also join using your ID number, you become eligible for commission. If you make more than $600 in a year there are tax implications and thus they need your SSN for this purpose. If you are uncomfortably with this but still want to join, you can get an EIN number very quickly and use that.
5 - Select your kit of choice. Seriously, the Premium is where it's at. I have had the home diffuser (pre-flood) and currently have the bamboo. I want the dewdrop next!
*update: I now have the Dewdrop and I love it! It's my favorite!!
6 - You can skip the Essential Rewards for now.
7 - That's it! Complete the payment and get excited for your oils to show up!
I will add you to our secret Facebook group and send you some info via email to help you learn the basics for using your oils once you sign up. I love my oily friends!
If you already use essential oils, I'd love to know you're favorites and what you use most often! Leave me a note in the comments :)
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
