Good oils aren’t cheap and cheap oils aren’t good.
When it comes to essential oils… QUALITY MATTERS!!!
Have you ever wondered what makes Young Living’s essential oils and products unique? Check out this podcast episode to learn more about the science behind it all.
What’s the difference between Young Living essential oils
and all the other essential oil companies?
The Extraction Process
Where do essential oils come from?
A lot of people think that essentials oils are just some new fad, when in reality, essential oils have been around for thousands of years! Essential oils are stored in plants, and within the plant, they play a special role in keeping it healthy and thriving. To gain access to the many benefits essential oils offer, we have to extract the essential oil from the plant. There are three main ways this can be done: steam distillation, cold pressing, and resin tapping.
Steam distillation
The most common method of extraction is steam distillation, and it has been practiced for over 5,000 years! In steam distillation, freshly picked plants are suspended over boiling water. The steam from the hot water rises through the plant material and subsequently pulls the oil from the plant. As the steam and oil mixture rises, it gets captured in a vessel; it then travels through tubes and is rapidly cooled. This causes the steam/oil mixture to condense back into water. Since water and essential oil do not mix, the two separate, and the essential oil is then collected. If you visit our farms, you can see this process firsthand! It’s incredible and fun to witness!
Cold pressing
Cold pressing, also known as expression, is a method of extraction specific to our citrus essential oils such as Tangerine, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, and Lime. Historically, cold pressing was done by hand. Back then, people would press down with their bare hands on presoaked citrus rinds until a mixture of water and oils was obtained. Thankfully, a more modern method of extraction (and less labor-intensive!) allows us to obtain our beloved citrus oils. During cold pressing, the rind of the citrus fruit is placed in a container with spikes that puncture the peels while the device is rotated. The puncturing of the rinds allows the release of essential oil, which is then collected and separated from the natural juices.
Resin tapping
Some of our favorite essential oils—Frankincense, Copaiba, and Myrrh, for example—must be extracted through a process known as resin tapping. In these cases, the essential oil is stored in the resin that the tree creates to protect itself. To obtain essential oils from resins, a process called tapping has to occur. This method involves wounding the tree, which causes the tree to react by secreting a resin. Once the resin hardens, it is collected by hand and then steam distilled to extract the essential oil. If done properly, tapping trees causes no harm to nature, and with our Seed to Seal® promise, we make sure to comply with the most responsible and scalable sourcing practices available.
No alcohol or solvents used
We do not use alcohol or solvents of any kind in the distillation process for our essential oils. Solvent extraction is only used for our absolutes. Absolutes are technically not essential oils but essences. Because the oils are very volatile and water soluble, they would not survive distillation and undergo a unique extraction process using a solvent extraction technique.
First vs. Complete Distillations
Young Living individual oils are “first distillations” and genuine with no additives or dilutions. The cost of the oil changes based on the number of distillations.
Complete distillations are a blend of first, second, and sometimes third and fourth distillations, with each subsequent distillation requiring higher temperatures and pressure to extract the oils. This process can and often does DAMAGE the components of the oil.
lst distillation of oils is the most expensive, the 2nd distillation costs less, and IF a plant can still produce oils for a 3rd or 4th distillation the resulting oils are of such inferior quality they are sold cheaply and often used as fragrances only due to their inferior quality.
When 1st, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th distillations of certain oils, like peppermint or lavender, are blended it changes the aroma. In particular, peppermint develops a less “plant-y” smell and a more “candy-like” aroma when it is more distilled or when the multiple distillations are blended. Similarly, lavender develops a candy-like sweetness when distilled longer and blended.
Have you ever smelled oils from other companies and wondered why they have a “sweeter”, stronger “candy-like” smell? Now you know why that bottle of Peppermint essential oil from Young Living smells like a peppermint plant not a piece of candy or gum.
Seed to Seal Promise
Young Living has something that no other company can claim: our Seed to Seal® quality commitment. Seed to Seal is supported by three pillars:
Pillar 1: Sourcing
Young Living’s essential oils are sourced from our corporate-owned farms, partner farms, and Seed to Seal-certified suppliers. This empowers us to source conscientiously and with sensitivity to local communities and eco-systems.
Pillar 2: Science
While product quality starts in the fields, it’s proven in our state-of-the-art labs. Our Research and Development and Quality teams are staffed with more than 50 highly trained, highly skilled scientists, who use advanced testing methods to help ensure that all products meet our lofty standards.
Pillar 3: Standards
Inexpensive essential oils are often synthetic, adulterated, or unethically sourced, which is why we choose partners who produce pure essential oils and ingredients ethically and legally. This practice sets a top-tier standard for legal and ethical sourcing. Our efforts also go beyond a conscientious supply chain. Young Living’s commitment to sustainable business includes reforestation of harvested trees; recycling at Young Living offices; and the construction of our brand-new, LEED-certified headquarters in Lehi, Utah.
Why do we uphold these rigorous Seed to Seal standards? Because they result in a superior quality product, providing you and the Young Living family with quality beyond anything else on the market.
As the industry continues to expand, Young Living users can feel confident passing by the “other guys” on the shelves, knowing that no other label comes with Seed to Seal promise of uncompromised quality.
Interested in learning more about Young Living’s commitment to quality?
Visit Seed to Seal. An industry-defining commitment to our products, our Seed to Seal® quality commitment serves our planet and ensures the highest quality standards.
