These 17 tips help us afford to buy essential oils, and we’re not buying the cheap kind from Walmart or Amazon either (because those aren’t pure). The best essential oils can’t be found in a local store! Get wholesale pricing online and be able to afford essential oils on a budget!
There’s something I need to get off my chest. It’s a confession of sorts, so bear with me as I do my best to explain it. It’s kind of long, so you might want to get that second cup of coffee first.
I first joined Young Living several years ago because of the essential oil craze. Everyone and their mother were selling oils and I thought I needed to as well.
So I signed up. I started to share a few DIY’s (like fabric freshener and cinnamon toothpaste) and I got push back.
A LOT of push back.
My inbox was flooded with emails. People criticized me, saying things like “We can’t afford food – how do you expect us to afford essential oils?” and “You’re just another blogger trying to push that MLM crap on us. I thought you were different.”
Those emails hurt. Words still sting, even if they’re read by the eyes and not heard by the ears.
I didn’t want to get those types of emails, so I stopped talking about essential oils. I put my kit in a closet and ignored it.
When it came time to move across the country, I almost gave my starter kit to a friend. I figured if you guys didn’t want me to talk about them, then what was the point of keeping them?
But something inside me told me to keep them anyway, so I did. I packed that box, in another box, and shipped it 2500 miles. When we unpacked here in Georgia, I unpacked the box of oils and put them back into another cabinet where they continued to sit.
A few months later, we bought a house and moved again. This time though, I didn’t put the essential oils behind closed doors.
I put all my oils (still the original 11 from my starter kit) on my counter where I could see them every day. I figured that even if some people didn’t want to hear about them, I still spent my money on them and I wanted to use them.
When people ask me what I do, I tell them I teach families how to eat healthy food on a budget. When they probe for more, I give them the 10,000 foot overview… I teach meal planning, shopping strategies and how to read food labels…
Speaking of labels. Have you ever stood in the shower and read the label of your shampoo bottle?
I don’t mean “read” as in you quickly glanced over while your conditioner sat for 2 minutes. I mean really truly READ, as in, you went through the entire list of ingredients one item at a time.
Have you ever tried to pronounce those ingredients?
After being on this journey for several years now, here’s what I’ve learned: You can’t be concerned about your health and focus only on food.
We cut strawberries on a cutting board that was cleaned with chemicals that you would never dare put in your mouth.
Doesn’t that strike you as odd? Or worry you even in the slightest?
We wash the bathtub with chemicals known to be toxic to our organs and then we bathe our babies in that tub.
Our children break out in itchy red bumps and we immediately think its gluten. Why are we not looking at the products we use to clean the tubs, scrub the toilets, and wash the clothes?
We use harsh chemicals so we don’t have to scrub the shower tiles so hard, and we think we’re protecting our family if we keep the cleaning bottle out of their hands. Do you know what my daughter said to me a couple weeks ago as I was cleaning the shower, “Mom! I can smell the lemon all the way down the hall!”
The products I use don’t just affect me. My daughter was 2 rooms and 20+ feet away when she made that comment!
Furthermore, why are we blindly trusting “healthy” cleaning products and assuming they’re safe?
The “natural daily shower cleaner” I had in my bathroom is made by a well-known and highly reputable “healthy” cleaning company, yet it ranks 9 on the Think Dirty app because it contains hormone disrupters. That’s worse than the mainstream “scrub” I was using before!
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These are the things that consume me when I’m not working on recipes or teaching Grocery Budget Bootcamp.
What if I wasn’t using essential oils to clean my bathroom? She’d be able to smell whatever harsh chemical I used from her bedroom and she wouldn’t have a choice in the matter.
What if my hormones aren’t wacky because I’m getting older… what if they’re wacky because the “healthy” cleaners I’ve been using are disrupting them?
This blog is an extension of my real life. A reader once wrote to me, “Tiffany – thanks so much for being real. You don’t judge and make us feel bad if we can’t afford organic or don’t make everything from scratch. You’re a real person, struggling with the same things we are. I appreciate your honesty – it’s a breath of fresh air.”
THAT is why I write. THAT is why I teach.
I’m no longer afraid to say this out loud because it’s what I’m going through. I’ve seen for myself how essential oils can drastically change lives.
- My kids are testimonies to the power of a supported immune system.
- I’ve seen laundry stains – set in for 5+ years – disappear in a single wash using plant-based laundry soap.
- I’ve replaced EVERY cleaner in my house with one single highly concentrated plant-based formula that works AND I’m not afraid to let my kids use it!
You don’t have to agree with me. We are all in different places in our lives and perhaps chemical-free living isn’t a priority for you right now. I get it. I was in those shoes several years ago and it’s okay.
This blog – and in turn me – will be here when you’re ready to venture down that path.
For now though, and with all this said, I want to talk about the number one excuse why people don’t invest in quality essential oils – the cost.
I heard people say, ALL THE TIME, “I can’t afford essential oils – they’re too expensive.”But here’s the thing. If something is important enough, you will find a way to make it happen.
I don’t know where you’re spending your money… maybe you like new shoes, or fancy coffee or getting your nails done. There’s nothing wrong with any of these things, but if you say living chemical-free on a budget is a priority and you’re not willing to invest your time and money into it, then perhaps it’s really not a priority after all.
And while I can’t evaluate your budget for you, or even tell you what your priorities should be, I can tell you what I have done to afford essential oils and practical ways you can do the same.
How We Afford to Buy Essential Oils
I changed my mind set.
If you think you can’t afford to buy essential oils, or that they don’t belong in a frugal household, I can relate. I used to think that too.
But when I realized how important they were to me and the health of my family, I found ways to make it work.
- I cancelled a VIP subscription to an online company that offers cleaning and personal care products and instead used oils to make my own.
- I stopped buying new clothes and used Christmas money to pick up a few “new to me” items at a local second hand clothing store.
- I delayed grocery shopping by a day or two each week so we were forced to eat the food we already had.
- We stopped going out to eat. Completely.
- I’ve been saving all of my Swagbucks and trading them in for Amazon gift cards so we don’t have to buy school supplies or new shoes for the kids out of pocket.
It’s just like when we were saving up to buy a house. We cancelled cable, sold things we no longer needed, turned down dinner with friends and worked the coupon circuit like it was my JOB so we could pay our bills AND put money in the savings account. My husband and I said no to thousands of little things so we could one day buy a house in cash.
It wasn’t easy, but that goal was important and we made it a priority. We were willing to do whatever it took to meet that goal.
I feel the same way about the health of my family. Nothing will stand in my way. I will find a way to make it happen.
I researched the quality of essential oils.
When I first joined Young Living, it was because my sister-in-law was a member. I hadn’t heard anything bad about Young Living, but I figured that if I was serious about oils, I needed to make sure I was using the best my money could afford.
I chose to buy an eBook bundle, partly because I wanted to learn more about essential oils, but also because one brand was a “bonus” when you bought the bundle. I tried other brands too, and made sure to use them whenever I thought the situation warranted it. Some worked okay, and some didn’t work at all.
I started digging and found that some companies manipulate oils in order to create a more desired scent. For example, Dr. Cole Woolley (an analytical chemist with expertise in essential oils) evaluated a “pure lavender” essential oil using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). He found small percentages of Roman chamomile and geranium essential oils. These oils have a greater floral aroma than lavender, but neither of which should be present in pure lavender essential oil!
This same chemist also found bottles of “pure peppermint” oil to contain 1% ethyl vanillin (it enhances the “candy cane” aroma), bottles of “pure lavender” with 5% linalyl acetate (added for a more floral aroma) and bottles of “natural wintergreen” to actually be 100% synthetic.
Finally, I found this chart by Jen O’Sullivan. It was compiled by a team of 12 advocates and took over 50 hours of research, and while O’Sullivan is a Young Living member, this chart is still one of the most thorough and informative side-by-side comparison charts of the major essential oil companies on the internet.
For me, it boiled down to this: I don’t want to waste my money on oils that could be watered down, pumped with pesticides or have chemicals added just to make it smell better.
If I’m taking the health of my family seriously – and truly trying to steward my money wisely – then it meant choosing a brand that doesn’t produce anything less than 100% pure oils.
I started with a kit, and still buy kits whenever possible.
Have you ever seen those gift sets at Christmas? Maybe it’s a parfum, an eau de toilette and lotion boxed together. Or maybe it’s deodorant, body wash, a razor and shaving cream, all in your husband’s favorite scent. I know they’re all over the local drug stores when the holiday season comes around!
Whether you actually buy them or not, you and I know that these gift sets are more cost effective than buying everything separately. The same concept goes for essential oils too.
Young Living offers FIVE different starter kits to choose from when you first join, plus another THREE kits are available to existing members.
These kits let you save anywhere from $50 to $120 over buying each item individually. I took advantage of that savings when I first joined, and I still buy the kits when it works in my favor. Doing this makes it easier to afford essential oils as a whole.
I didn’t replace everything at once.
Common sense says that if you throw away everything in your pantry and re-buy it all again, you’re going to be spending a lot of money. Again, the same idea applies for essential oils.
When we started to make the switch to chemical-free living and was looking to replace our commercial cleaners with essential oil based cleaners, we worked through one room at a time using something called transfer buying.
Transfer buying is the idea of reviewing what you’re already buying and where you’re buying it from.
For example, maybe you buy all-purpose kitchen cleaner and laundry detergent from Target. The next time you run low, instead of buying those same items at Target, you transfer your purchase to Young Living.
You’re not necessarily spending MORE money, rather you’re changing WHERE you spend it.
Using this method allowed me to use up what I already bought and paid for first, so I’m not wasting anything from the budget. By working through one room at a time (I found going through one room each month to be a good pace) I was able to spread out the purchases even more.
I buy in bulk whenever possible.
Young Living offers essential oils in two main sizes, 5ml and 15ml. In every instance I could find, the 15ml bottle was the better deal. For example, here are a few instances of how much you can save just by buying the larger bottle:
- $38 on Sacred Frankincense
- $15.75 on Balsam Fir (Idaho)
- $26 on Northern Lights Black Spruce
- $27 on PanAway
- $9 on Christmas Spirit
It’s no different than buying food in bulk. If it’s cheaper per ounce (or per pound or per milliliter) to buy the larger size, then why wouldn’t we?
I buy “refills” whenever possible.
Buying refills of your favorite item is a great way to save money in general, and Young Living makes it possible with a few items that they specifically offer refills for.
For example, you can save $39 if you purchase the V-6 Vegetable Oil Complex refill instead of the 8 oz bottles.
You can also save $13.50 on the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap refill instead of buying the 8 oz dispensers. (Yes, I know you can make your own foaming hand soap using aloe, water, castille soap and essential oils, but not everyone is gifted in the DIY department.)
Even if an item doesn’t have a designated “refill,” you still might be able to make it work if you look at it from a different angle. The Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier doesn’t have an official refill, but if you start off with the small 1 oz bottles and then buy the large 7.6 oz container to refill the smaller bottles when you run out, you’ll save $10.75!
I DIY my own refills, when it makes sense.
I alluded to this one already, but if it makes sense (time-wise and money-wise) to make my own refill, then I’ll do that instead of buying the refill itself.
A perfect example is the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap. I bought the 8 oz so I had the containers, but I plan to make my own foaming hand soap when I run out.
The plus side though, of having the Young Living branded soap containers, is that it opens the door for people to ask me about essential oils! Sharing oils with other people brings me SUCH joy, that it was worth the few dollars to invest in the containers.
And re-using these containers means not paying out of pocket for specific foaming hand soap bottles!
I break it down to the price per drop.
One concept that I’ve shared is the idea of price per serving. If you’re not sure if your meals are frugal, break them down into the price per serving and see if it lines up with where your budget should be.
I apply this same concept to essential oils too. Because Young Living only produces 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils (with ZERO fillers or synthetics or chemicals), they are highly concentrated. You often only need 1-2 drops in order to get the benefits.
Since I started with the Premium Starter Kit (and recommend that to most people interested in getting started because it’s the ONLY thing Young Living sells that’s 50% off), let’s breakdown the price of each oil, per drop:
- Frankincense: 28¢
- Joy: 15¢
- Lavender: 9¢
- Lemon: 4¢
- PanAway: 40¢
- Peppermint: 8¢
- Purification: 7¢
- StressAway: 11¢
- Tea Tree: 10¢
- Thieves: 13¢
The most complicated DIY face serum made with essential oils costs $5.25 to make and it will last at least FOUR months (that’s just $1.31/month for all natural face serum that actually works.)
The typical mainstream face serum lasts about 2 months, and costs around $20, if not more!
When you look at how little oil you need to make a recipe, and compare that to what you’d normally pay for a similar product at the store, you can see that using essential oils is significantly cheaper!
I make sure to use the right amount.
I’m sure you’ve seen concentrated laundry detergent before, right? And how you’re only supposed to fill to the “1” line or the “2” line?
Well, Young Living has Thieves Laundry Soap and it’s 6x concentrated. One 32 oz bottle costs $29.50 as a wholesale member.
The bottle itself says to use ½ capful for a conventional washer and ¼ capful for high-efficiency (HE) washers. Young Living says you can get 64 loads out of the 32 oz bottle, but I think they’re being modest and here’s why – I measured it myself.
I took off the cap of my own Thieves Laundry Soap, filled it to the line with water and then poured that water into measuring spoons. I found that each capful is 1 ½ Tbsp. There are 2 Tbsp in one ounce, so there are 64 Tbsp in the 32 oz bottle and just over 42 capfuls.
But remember we only need ½ capful per load – that means we can get 85 loads in one bottle if we’re using a conventional washer. If you have a high-efficiency washer though (like I do), you can get twice that amount – 170 loads per bottle!!
This works out to just 35¢ per load for conventional washers, and 17¢ for HE washers.
And at the rate we wash (about 5 loads/week), I only have to buy two bottles of detergent every year!
Compare this to “natural” laundry detergents – they cost anywhere from 13¢ to 30¢ per load. The scary part though, is where they rank on the Think Dirty app.
I looked up a detergent that’s specifically designed for newborn clothes and it ranked 9 out of 10 because of ingredients linked to carcinogenicity and developmental & reproductive toxicity.
NINE.
OUT OF TEN.
And this stuff is supposedly safe ON OUR BABIES!
Psst! Some members dilute the Thieves Laundry Soap 50/50 with water and are STILL getting clothes that are just as clean. If you join my Young Living team this month (March 2018), I’m sending you a pump bottle in your welcome kit (among other goodies – see the bottom of this post for details). Fill that up halfway with laundry soap, top it off with water and you’ll be savings TONS of money on laundry!
I calculate the actual usage price.
Just like the laundry soap, I calculate exactly how much it costs me to take a concentrate and turn it into a full-size bottle of multi-use cleaner.
The Thieves Household Cleaner is 14.4 oz, costs $22.50 as a wholesale member and like the laundry soap, is also very concentrated. You only need one capful to make a 16oz bottle of cleaner and there about 60-65 capfuls per bottle. For the sake of numbers, let’s be conservative and say there’s an even 60.
I can see the sticker shock of paying $22 for a bottle of cleaner. But when you consider that this single bottle will make over SIXTY full-size bottles of cleaner, the shock wears off. Do the math and you see that it only costs 37¢ to make one 16 oz bottle of cleaner! (And at the rate we use it, I only have to buy one bottle every EIGHT months!)
Those who doubt will point out that most mainstream cleaners don’t come in “small,” 16 oz bottles.
Okay then, let’s go ahead and double this just to cover the bases: one 32 oz bottle comes out to just 72¢!!
Compare this to the “healthy” brand cleaners in stores. Have you EVER seen a plant-based cleaner rated 0 on the Think Dirty app that cost less than a $1 per bottle?
I know I haven’t.
In fact, the “natural, all purpose surface cleaner” that we had been using (that ranks a 7 out of 10, by the way) costs $2.99 for 28 oz on Amazon. That same amount will make OVER FOUR bottles of Thieves Household Cleaner!
By the way, if you think using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide will work to clean your kitchen counters, you’re wrong. I did a test and both of these FAILED. Watch it live HERE, and see what cleaners actually did work!
Psst! Young Living also offers the Thieves Household Cleaner in a 64 oz bottle too. If you If you take my previous tip of buying in bulk, it reduces your cost per 32oz bottle to just 66¢!
I signed up for the loyalty program.
- I have a Kroger card and every Friday they have a free item coupon.
- I have an ULTA card (that’s where I get my haircut) and I use my points on brushes and combs.
- When I played the drugstore game and was clipping coupons, I had a CVS card – that’s how we got our diapers for free!
Why would I sign up for these loyalty programs? Because they save me money.
Young Living has a loyalty program called Essential Rewards (ER) and it comes with a lot of really great perks:
- Up to 25% of your purchase back in points that spend like cash
- Reduced rate shipping
- Free “thank you” oils at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 (typically worth over $10 each)
- Exclusive kits that aren’t in the regular catalog (and remember that kits are the best way to save!)
- Free oils and products at different spending levels
It’s because of the ER program that I’ve been able to try a lot of different oils and products FOR FREE. In fact, in just five months Young Living sent me over $1100 worth of product FOR FREE… AND I’ve earned over $500 worth of MORE free products.
If you had a store loyalty card that you knew would save you money, would you ever NOT give it to the cashier? Heck no! That’s why all of my purchases are done on ER!!
I give oils as gifts.
I mentioned that on ER (Young Living’s loyalty program) you earn free oils and products at different spending levels. One way I reach those spending levels is by giving oils and oily products as gifts.
For example, I like to give my kids’ teachers gifts at Christmas, on their birthdays and during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Our budget for these gifts isn’t very big – maybe $5-10 per teacher. Instead of spending that money on unhealthy treats or on things she’ll never use, I give them 1 oz bottles of Thieves and a sample of StressAway. These purchases help me reach the threshold on ER to earn me free oils and products (PLUS I get up to 25% back on those purchases!) and I know the teachers would appreciate these gifts far more than junk food – I know I would!
Another idea would be to use your oils to make lip balm, homemade lotion or foot soaks!
I buy products that have multiple uses.
I’ve mentioned previously that I like using coconut oil in my beauty routine because it serves as both my face moisturizer AND my make-up remover. I also use goat milk soap as my face wash, body wash AND to wash my hair.
Choosing items that can serve more than one purpose means saving money in the long run, and the same goes for oils and oily products.
My Young Living team is constantly sharing ways they afford essential oils, and they’ve shared awesome and creative ways to use their products in more than one way! Here are just a few:
- Thieves Dentarome Toothpaste can double as a zit-buster & armpit de-stinker
- Mirah Shave oil can double as hair smoothing serum
- Seedlings Baby Wipes can double as a fabric softener (some even cut the wipes in half to get twice as many, and then use each sheet multiple times!)
- Lavaderm Cooling Mist can double to detangle your hair & also help set your mineral make-up
- Thieves Dishwasher Powder can double as a cleaning scrub when you add water to make a paste
- Cool Azul Sports Gel can double as hair gel
- Thieves Laundry Soap can double to treat stains
- Thieves Hand Purifier can double to get permanent marker off surfaces
I usually avoid the expensive oils.
There are some oils that are naturally more expensive than others. Take Melissa for instance.
Melissa plants are grown in France and harvested in early summer, before the plant is in full bloom. It takes 7 tons of Melissa leaves and tops to make 2 ¼ pounds of oil.
Rose oil is another example. It takes 22 pounds of rose petals to make one 5 ml bottle!
While these oils both offer amazing benefits, they’re not high on my wish list at the moment. You can usually find ways to make recipes and DIY’s using the oils you have.
However, when Rose or Melissa or any other expensive oil does make its way to the top of my wish list, you can bet I’ll use my ER points to pay for it so my out of pocket cost is nothing!
I almost always buy carrier oils elsewhere.
Unless Young Living is having an ER promotion where you can get carrier oil for free, I always buy my carrier oils elsewhere. My budget is only so big and my priority is on high quality essential oils, not carrier oils.
- I get olive oil from Costco or Walmart – it’s the same oil I use for cooking!
- I still have jojoba, sweet almond oil and vitamin E oil from beauty DIY’s I’ve made in the past. When I run out, I probably won’t replace them UNLESS I need them for a DIY as well.
- Frankincense is part of my morning skincare routine, and I use the same exact organic virgin coconut oil that I use to moisturize my face, take off my make-up AND make black bean brownies with!
It’s not that I don’t love Young Living’s carrier oils – I most certainly do! But to keep my costs down and to make essential oils affordable, I buy my carrier oils elsewhere.
I also limit my carrier oils to those that I already use in the house for other things – namely, the olive oil, fractionated coconut oil and organic virgin coconut oil. Again, it’s back to the one item for multiple purpose mentality.
I don’t buy EVERYTHING from the catalog.
It’s true – Young Living has a VERY extensive line of products that goes beyond essential oils… there’s baby care, make-up, supplements, oral care, cleaning and everything else in-between.
But I know where to invest my money, and where to skip.
For example, I really like my goat milk soap and it’s half the price of some of Young Living’s soaps. I won’t turn away free soap because of my ER order, but I’ll likely continue using goat milk soap as my face soap, body wash and to wash our hair. I’ll continue to DIY other things too, like tooth-powder, body butter and bath bombs.
It’s important to me that our supplements and essential oils are high-quality and therapeutic-grade, but the other things that don’t rank quite as high don’t necessarily have to be. I can still live chemical-free without buying every single thing that they offer – and that’s how I save money!
I choose to be proactive with my health to avoid sick days.
My husband gets 10 paid days off each year. Between one week to visit family at Christmas, and another week in the summer to go on a family vacation, he has ZERO sick days left for the year. If he doesn’t go to work, he doesn’t get paid. It’s not ideal, but that’s the situation.
The same goes for those of us who don’t have traditional jobs too. None of us can really afford to get sick. There are people to take care of, food to cook and places to clean (to prevent the further spreading of germs, if anything).
We all know how important it is to eat healthy and get rest when you’re not feeling well, but how many of us have the energy to make homemade chicken noodle soup or have the luxury of napping for several hours when there’s other people to take care of?
Odds are we don’t, so it takes us longer to get better and we spend money on convenience things to get us through. Don’t get me wrong – I know we all do what we have to do sometimes to get through the yuck. But these things cost us money.
Instead of waiting until germs hit our house, I choose to be proactive and use essential oils to stay healthy in the first place.
It’s the same reason we eat real food – we want to take care of our bodies. Yes, it means spending a few pennies up front, but it saves us money in the long run.
I just shared with you SEVENTEEN practical tools you and I both can use afford essential oils.
Here’s the thing. People tell me ALL THE TIME that healthy food is too expensive. That it’s much cheaper to buy boxed food than it is fresh produce and yada yada yada…
Guys. I’ve been writing this blog for over SIX YEARS teaching those people otherwise.
My family – and the thousands of families who have gone through my course, who read my posts, purchased an eBook or subscribe to my weekly newsletter – PEOPLE LIKE YOU – are living proof that it is not only possible to eat real food on a budget, but that it’s sustainable over time.
So when people say to me that essential oils are too expensive or they’re not budget-friendly, I know they’re misled.
The same principles that I’ve used to reduce our grocery budget to $330 (and keep it there for 5+ years) are the SAME EXACT principles I teach in my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp, the SAME EXACT principles I write about here on the blog, and the SAME EXACT principles I use to afford essential oils every month:
- Establishing priorities
- Buying in bulk
- Buying refills
- Not replacing everything at the same time
- Using loyalty programs
- Making gifts
- Using items for more than one purpose
- Avoiding expensive oils
- Using items you already have whenever possible
Notice though, that of the 17 ways to save money on essential oils that I just shared with you, I didn’t talk about the most obvious one: sharing your oils with other people.
Now, let’s get a few of things out of the way.
1. You probably know that Young Living is an MLM company. But do you know why?
According to Essential Sharing:
“Gary Young, the founder of Young Living, said that he selected network marketing for his essential oils for a very specific reason. He was concerned that consumers wouldn’t know the difference between his oils and other oils on the store shelves. Why would YL’s Lavender be $20 when the bottle beside it was $6? There would be no one there to talk about purity, quality, or why we cared about what molecules are in our oils. He knew that he needed a referral system. Thus, YL became a network marketing company.”
2. Working for an MLM company means you are your own boss, you get to work from home, set your own hours, meet and work with some pretty amazing people and you get to blab all you want about products you use and love.
It also has a built-in mentorship program (my team places a HUGE emphasis on education). To quote Dave Ramsey, “… [MLMs] are a legitimate method for some people to make some side money and sometimes to literally build their own business.”
I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like a bad gig, does it? And for those of us who want to stay home to raise our babies AND do whatever we can within our power to raise them in a healthy environment, it’s a viable solution.
3. You might be thinking, “But I don’t want to sell oils.”
Hear me out – if your mom was struggling to stay healthy and it was taking a toll on her quality of life, and you knew how to help her, wouldn’t you share with her?
Of course you would! And that’s why I teach families how to live chemical-free, and train them how to build a business doing the same.
There are MANY ladies on my Young Living team who simply share their love for oils with those around them and in turn, earn bonuses and commission checks each month that cover the cost of their oils. Essentially, they’re getting their oils for free!
(Here’s the full compensation plan.)
Join my Young Living Team today!
- Click HERE to join my Young Living team! I’m offering $25 in free product credit when you join with the Premium Starter Kit and enroll in Essential Rewards.
- And if you’re curious about how your can be your own boss, work from home, set your own hours and create your own business using and loving essential oils, I’d love to chat with you! Send me an email tiffany(at)dontwastethecrumbs(dot)com!
Whew – that’s a lot of information. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re in information overload.
So let me close with one last thought.
You might be in a financial situation where you can’t even pay your mortgage. You’re working multiple jobs, not eating out and lucky to have enough gas to get you through the rest of the week.
This article is not directed at you. You keep doing whatever it is you have to do to make ends meet, for as long as it takes.
But for the rest of us, before you say you can’t afford something, let’s think about where we’re already spending our money.
If something is important to you, you’ll find a way to make it work. I use these tips because the health of my family – my kids – is incredibly important to me. I want them to live a long, healthy life free of toxins and chemicals and I’m willing to sacrifice in other areas to make it happen.
This is a great blog post! I’m sorry you’ve had such negative feedback before. That was uncalled for. I’ve been using Young Living essential oils for a couple years now and love them. (I use birthday money from my dad each year to buy them!) I choose not to buy the pre-made Thieves foaming handsoap and I make my own. (castille soap, water, Thieves essential oil) It is very easy and works great. Depending on our budget we can choose how to use products, what to buy, etc. Like Tiffany said – It’s all about priorities, people!
♥ Thank you Lisa!
I watched your experiment with raw chicken yesterday, and it was pretty eye opening. I’m curious if you’ve ever compared Young Living’s Thieves blend to DoTerra’s OnGuard (composition and effectiveness wise). I’m not brand loyal but I am scientifically minded and just beginning to dabble into the world of oils. Thanks!
Hey Shanna! I haven’t done side by side tests between the two, but I thought I heard awhile back (through the grapevine) that a lab did test them and Thieves came out a smidgen ahead. I love Thieves (obviously), but that’s not why I choose Young Living. I choose YL because of their incredibly high commitment to quality, and the fact that they control EVERY aspect of the oil, from seed to bottle!!
Thanks!
This sounds so great. Too bad I do not live in the continental US. I would cost me 28 dollars to have a 1 dollar bottle of spice mailed here. Rediculous! But I am happy for you….
Hey Sandy! Young Living has locations all across the world. If you’re serious about quality essential oils, I highly encourage you to look into this!
Love this article! Thanks for writing this! Love, Stephanie
I have been trying to learn more about using oils and their quality. This was a very eye opening, interesting read! Thank you! Where/how do you find recipes and know what oils to use for different things or how to combine different one’s to be most effective?
You’re welcome Theresa! I have a few trusted resources that I like, a reference guide and a big group of oily friends who share their knowledge with each other. ♥
Can you share your favorite reference guide(s), apps, books, etc.? Thanks!
Hi Kristi! I really like the reference guides offered by DiscoverLSP.com. There are a few others, but just a heads up – they’re not entirely compliant, which makes it hard to share within FDA guidelines. If you can modify the language before sharing, then go for it!
I totally agree. The products really take so little, that they last a long time. All the Thieves products are the bomb. I’ve replaced a lot of things, and I get that percentage back! I have three kids 7, 4, and 1 in school/daycare and NO sick days this year.
Also, seedlings wipes are great for make-up removing! And I have been buying the goat milk soap bulk scraps you recommended. I also get their unscented lotion and use my YL essential oils to scent it so I know exactly what we are using. Thank you!
You’re so very welcome! I hadn’t thought about using EO’s to scent my own lotion – BRILLIANT! ♥
Can you share the recipe for the DIY face serum you mentioned? I’d love to try it!
Hey Christina! It’s not my recipe to share, but it’s in this book: http://amzn.to/2Ghj9IF
Thank you for this great article! I’ve just joined Young Living and your guide will be a great help. I love the idea of ridding our home of all those chemicals! I will be re-reading and implementing your ideas!
You’re most welcome Karen!
Great information here. I recently started using oils and already notice the difference. When invited to a YL demo I jumped at the chance. Came home an ER member with a bottle of Thieves cleaner and bath salts as a gift from the hostess. My daughter and I are working together to be less chemical dependent for her children.
I enjoy your blog and appreciate the information you share.
Hi,
I am very familiar with Young Living Oils. I have never sold them, but I am a licensed Aesthetician and used to teach Aesthetics, mostly advanced medical. Well, between teaching, going to trade shows, working with a plastic surgeon where the reps would buy my lunch to get me to think about trying their product, I can tell you I was in product overload.
I am level one certified, part two is too much science and essential oils are not an area where I’ve ever specialized. I learned that, even though I am not suggesting anyone else do this, but in other countries, it is legal to ingest oils. This made me dig deeper, as I don’t want to ingest something that isn’t exactly what it is supposed to be. Again, let me warn, unless you have consulted with a medical professional, do not ingest the oils.
In Europe, prescriptions are written and filled by pharmacists for essential oils in specific amounts. In the US we don’t have the quality standards to just pick up a bottle and put a few drops in our food. That said, if I was going to use one, after countless hours of research it would be Young Living Oil, that is a product that although expensive, is worth buying.
Again, I don’t sell the product, don’t receive commission for saying this. Your skin is your largest organ, it absorbs what is on it, so following this logic, if something is in its most concentrated pure form, it can either do harm or good. I don’t want to breathe in the most concentrated form of anything toxic.
I am not saying buy all the ols, and if you are struggling, as I am at the moment, I would concentrate on buying only oils that are used in products that are on your skin. Essential oils are very potent, if they are high quality they are alive, I assume most know the benefits of live food which is why raw is included in almost every type of diet.
I think Tiffany gives very valuable information, due to potential legal issues few talk about what other countries allow, but if this is a product that they are comfortable writing prescriptions for, it means it’s consistent high quality. I know Tiffany suggests buying kits, but if you can’t afford a kit, the next best thing is to buy a single oil that you have a specific use for, do some research, I am not saying buy blindly, I am saying that if it has a use, it’s replacing something else. The two most common I’ve seen almost everyone have are lavender and tea tree as individual oils but if you are buying for purpose you may want to buy a blend that will be more inclusive.
I will admit I have slacked off in my essential oil use, but I was just reminded of why I started to begin with. I hope everyone who reads this and decides it’s not for them, reads just a little bit further.
Tiffany, would you be able to explain what requirements need to be met in order to keep one’s membership (and continue getting the 24% discount and other member benefits)? A minimum monthly order? A certain monthly sales goal? Anything like that?
Hi Sarah! There are no monthly sales goals and in fact, you don’t have to do the business side of Young Living at all if you don’t want to! The only “requirement” to maintain the wholesale membership is to spend 50pv in a year… I put “requirement” in quotes because if you’re using the oils as part of your wellness routine, you’re bound to empty a bottle or two, and simply replacing a few of your favorites covers that. ♥
Thanks! This is helpful!
You’re welcome!
Hi Tiffany,
This is a GREAT blog! I would love to get your permission to share it with a Make n Take class I’ll be conducting within the next few weeks. Words are hard for me to speak in public, and it makes it even more difficult when I try to wing it, lol. If you don’t mind me sharing your blog with my class, I’d appreciate it! You’re so eloquent in the way you speak and the way you describe everything is exactly the message I would like to share.
With your permission of course!
I’m in Canada and our compliance is different because we have our government’s approval to claim some of the essential oils as Natural Health Products and share the claims of what the oils do in our bodies, it’s simply amazing!
I love Young Living and I AM brand loyal!! Been with YL since March 2016.
Hi Neveeen! If you pull up my article and share on your laptop to a screen, where your class can see that the content is coming from me, then I’m okay with you sharing. I appreciate you asking! Best of luck in your class!!!
Hi Tiffany! Love all of these perspectives. I have a couple of questions –
1) would you link to the pump bottle you use for the laundry detergent? Would you say three pumps if the bottle is half water-half detergent?
2) Are you using bar soap to wash your hair? I didn’t see a liquid soap on the website, I didn’t think!
Thanks!
Hi Sarah!
Here’s the pump I use: https://amzn.to/2J81cxm. I’ve never diluted the detergent personally, but I’d start with 3 and go from there. You can always adjust on subsequent loads!
I do use bar soap to wash my hair! It took some getting used to at first, but the whole family is sold now and we love it!
This is a FANTASTIC post. Thank you for all the great information. Combines my love of saving $$ and my newfound love for EO, especially YL ones. Awesome!
Do you still use YL oils? What are your thoughts about Young Living violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act? I read the article where you decided to transition from a Grove Collaborative subscription to a Young Living subscription. I’m so happy you ditched the Commericial soaps and suds and settled for Essential oils. However, the same level of research should go into finding the safest and most ethical essential oils (some companies are just as scary as Meyer’s) too! I stopped using essential oils years back…My Mum and dad were such hip dips so Oils were an essential in our everyday life 😉 Now I make my own “essential oils” …raw veggies and fruits to nourish the mind, body, and soul. I enjoy your writing!
Hi Jessica! Someone just recently asked me this via email, so I’m sharing what I wrote since it applies!
Regarding the accusation, the truth is an employee violated Young Living’s procedure, Young Living found out about it, Young Living launched their own internal investigation using a third-party (which they didn’t have to do), found out that the employee did in fact violate procedures, and then Young Living voluntarily went to the government to share what happened. Young Living could have easily done nothing and swept the incident under the rug, but they chose the high road, even though that meant penalties and bad press.
All companies are comprised of humans who make mistakes, and that’s exactly what happened. Young Living immediately made changes to their procedures to ensure this didn’t happen again. They developed a new comprehensive Lacey Act Compliance Program to help ensure that plant products come from legal and sustainable sources, and they are the first and only essential oils company to have a comprehensive Lacey Act-specific compliance program that has been reviewed and accepted by the government. You can read more about Young Living’s sourcing standards here: https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/seed-to-seal. 🙂
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you for the hard work to put this post together. Very informative. We have started using Young Living Essential oils back in 1996. Indeed this is an issue that comes up quite often. You have done an excelent job addressing this issue. We have not been to good in our efforts to save along the years. Now that we are somewhat retired and have a little more time we are using our time differently. Definitely we will share your information here with our daughter and grandchildren and friends.
We bought also your “Real Food FAST Bundle” and barely waiting to check out some of your tips there.
Be blessed! John
You’re so very welcome John! Wishing many blessings to you and your family as well! ♥
Hi Tiffany
May I know how do I use Seedling baby wipes as fabric softener if I do not have dryer?
Hi Lifong! That’s the only way that I know how to use the seedling wipes for laundry – in lieu of a dryer sheet.
Hello
YL has great products. And the education is so vast
Adding a few products really makes a difference.
I too squawked at the prices in the beginning. ER really helps and a few drops goes a long way
Thank you for posting.
Hi I very much enjoyed your informative post. This may seem a tad bit off subject…..just a little….. but I recently received the thieves laundry soap and it seems my clothes don’t have that fresh smell out of the wasing machine. I have a top loader HE washing machine and have been hearing that front loader machines is the better option for cleaner clothes when using a detergent like thieves (natural detergents). Which washer would you recommend? Please and thank you in advance.
Hi Naketa! You don’t need a new washer. 🙂 You’re not smelling a smell because CLEAN has no smell! You’re simply used to the artificial fragrances of other detergents. As you use your Thieves laundry soap, and other natural products, you’ll soon realize how strong of an odor commercial cleaners and soaps have. 🙂
Hi! I found this post through your original post about homemade laundry detergent and toiletries and I’m wondering if you still make homemade laundry detergent and other toiletries? It does sound like you’ve switched to quite a few YL products so I was just curious if you’ve managed to keep that toiletry budget about the same? It was low before I noticed!
Hi Jasmine! I don’t make our own laundry detergent anymore, but I do make hand soap and dish soap. I buy the Thieves cleaner because it costs the same if I were to make it myself, but it works so much better!
Hi Tiffany,
Is it safe to use Thieves detergent on baby clothes? I’m using Dreft now and kinda freaking out about it, haha.
Thanks!
yes!