I had a conversation recently with a friend who uses a competitor’s essential oils and is very vocal about her belief that no one should ever ingest essential oils. We’ve talked in the past about how Young Living is different and, of course, I would never even think about ingesting oils from any other company. Her reply has been “just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean you should eat it.” I would agree. Snake venom is natural, but I do not plan to ever ingest any of that. It got me thinking, though, about perception.
She uses her oils in beauty products. She’s a very smart woman, so I have to assume she knows that anything we put ON our skin can be detected in the blood stream within 22 seconds… and in every cell of the body with 20 minutes. Is that so different than having them go thru the digestive system first? Maybe? Before I joined Young Living, I did my research. Not only do they offer a “Seed to Seal” promise on every oil they make, but they’re the ONLY company out there that is 100% transparent. Meaning, I can go to any of their farms, worldwide, and get a tour. I can help in the harvesting or weeding process. I can observe the distilling and bottling and even testing processes. I can open any door and see what’s happening. They WANT me to see what they’re doing so I can fully trust in their product. In June, I will be visiting one of the lavender fields in Utah so that I can do just that.
Maybe she’s read some article going around about a kid who nearly died from ingesting essential oils. People who hear these stories rarely click thru the extremely, lightly referenced article to get the real facts. When you get to all the references, you find out that no one died, but they did ingest crappy store-bought, external use only oil in a quantity that was FAR beyond what any labeling might even suggest - even if it was for internal use. But that doesn’t sell articles or advertising, so it gets buried in the fine print at the end.
I never asked her how much research she did before she chose the competitor. But as I’ve been thinking about this latest discussion, I can’t help but wonder if she did as much research before she chose her last bottle of ibuprofen. I’m pretty sure she has one (or antacid or toothpaste or something similar). She’s a fairly health conscience woman, so I can’t imagine she thinks it’s natural. But she obviously thinks it’s safe to ingest, or she wouldn’t have purchased it, right? So why would someone be so vehemently against ingesting something natural, of which you can research the ingredients and how it’s made; but so cavalier about something made in a lab by people who purchase their ingredients from the lowest bidder using a proprietary (secret) recipe that uses mystery fillers and are really only looking to make money for their billionaire CEOs?
Her perception is that that the ibuprofen is safe, but the plant matter bottled in beyond organic practices from a company willing to show you it’s proverbial underwear, is not. I know she’s not alone. And I don’t blame her. The bottles of smelly chemicals and solvents you buy at the store say right on the bottle “For External Use Only.” And I'm pretty sure she knows that the grocery store bottles are allowed to say "100% Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil, even though they're only required to have 5% pure oil in the bottle. (That means the 100% claim is only referring to the portion that is essential oil. The other 95% of what's in the bottle can be ANYTHING... and the FDA says that's totally legal and truthful). Ok, thank you very much - I’ll pass on that one. But when a company goes out of its way to create a whole line of oils labeled, and even meeting GRAS standards, for internal use, you might want to research why they could be different. I guess I say all this to say. You have a choice. Only you can decide what you think is healthy for you. Whether that's using Big Pharma experiments or eating gluten. I will never tell you that you HAVE to do anything to be healthy. If you ask, I’ll offer recommendations based on my experiences and research.
Yes, I choose to ingest a drop of Young Living Lemon Vitality in my water because I believe it supports my body. And, yes, I add a few drops of Young Living Peppermint Vitality to a batch of gluten-free brownies because it’s delicious. Would I do that with ANY other brand out there? NO WAY!
Bottom line: Ingesting essential oils is a very personal choice and should ONLY be done with oils from a company you can trust. It’s up to you to do your research and decide what’s best for you.
If you're ready to explore more about essential oils, whether you choose to ingest them or not, click here to start your wellness journey with me.
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