Clean Living
Countless products that we use every day contain ingredients that are known to cause harm to the body. Unfortunately, many manufactures do not have your best interest in mind. Ever heard of fragrance? The term "fragrance" means chemicals, and it's linked to a staggering number of health issues. These chemicals are known allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins, and even carcinogens. This goes for any product with fragrance, including your lotions, laundry detergent, dish soap, candles, you name it. And fragrance is just one of the dangerous ingredients included in many of these products. Yikes.
​
Switching to low toxin products doesn't have mean throwing everything away at once. It can be as simple as replacing things one at a time - when things run out and you're ready to get more, replace it with a cleaner version. One of the best ways to start switching is to just avoid any product with fragrance, and unfortunately just because something claims to be "natural" doesn't mean it is (Mrs. Meyers I'm looking at you). So don't be afraid to read the ingredients list and do your research!
​
The easiest switch for me has been to use essential oils and products made with only oils and plant ingredients. Essential oils give you the good smells without any of the chemicals, and support your body and health instead of working against it like chemicals would.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are the lifeblood of the plant, they're what deliver the plant's nutrients and protect it from harm. They're extracted from the plant, and are made up of different compounds that give them their characteristics. Essential oils interact with our body in a variety of ways, depending on which compounds it contains. Some essential oils are best for supporting our skin, others for respiratory, others for the immune system, and so much more.
Quality matters
The essential oil industry is not very regulated by an outside force. All a company has to include is 5% essential oil, and then they can fill the rest of the bottle with whatever fillers and fragrances they want. Sketch. In addition to that, any pesticides and herbicides used on the plant will end up in the oil, and then in your body. And the actual process of extracting and distilling essential oils is a very precise one, and when done incorrectly will result in an oil that doesn't contain all of its compounds. This is why it's so important to only use quality essential oils from a brand that has their own strict quality control
Seed to Seal
Young Living is the only brand who I trust to produce 100% pure, high quality essential oils. They have a very stringent quality control, called their Seed to Seal promise. That means that from the planting of the seed to the bottling of the oil, they only use the highest qualities. They never use pesticides or herbicides - in fact, they use essential oils instead, as a "pesticide" for the growing plants for other essential oils! They only hand-weed at their farms, to avoid the use of herbicides. They own or are closely involved with all their own farms around the world. Throughout the seed to seal process, the oils are tested a number of times to ensure that they meet their quality standards. If they don't, then they don't use it! You can even visit their farms in person, that's how transparent they are about the process. You can be sure that every bottle of Young Living essential oil contains only that, pure essential oil.
How can essential oils be used?
Diffused:
Essential oils can be added to water and diffused. This disperses the actual oils in little droplets in the air, not just their smell. So not only does this make your home smell lovely, but you'll also be benefitting from the properties of the oils by breathing it in.
Essential oils can be put directly on the skin, either diluted or straight on, depending on the oil. In a very short period of time, the oil will have been absorbed and distributed throughout the cells in your body. This is a good way to use oils if you want them to have a quicker effect (and it doubles as a natural perfume!)
Topically:
Ingested:
Did you know you can cook with essential oils? You can also add them to your drink, or even take them in a capsule or directly under your tongue. This is the most direct way to use essential oils to support your body. This should only ever be done using 100% pure, high quality essential oils!
Not just oils
Young Living not only has essential oils, they have pretty much any other need covered. Supplements, cleaning products, yummy antioxidant drinks, soaps and detergents, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, even makeup - all made with essential oils and other plant ingredients. It's a one-stop shop for clean living that supports you and your family's bodies instead of tearing them down.