Essential Oils

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I like essential oils because they smell good. The end.

Okay, not “the end,” exactly. Yes, essential oils are all the rage right now – you can't swing a carrot without getting mobbed by people “selling” their favorite brand of essential oils via social media. (#Annoying)

But I'm not some EO-vangelist claiming the things work miracles. If your dog won't stop chewing on the tennis balls on your grandma's walker, contrary to what many EO obsessives will probably tell you, there's NOT an oil for that.

While there are, admittedly, some great studies and anecdotal evidence suggesting EOs can be great tools for supporting good health, and certain oils (like lavender and oregano and chamomile) are well-known for their health-supportive properties, I SERIOUSLY just like them because they smell good.

Well, scratch that. I actually hate the smell of lavender. But I think I'm the only one who feels that way.

At this point, you're probably wondering which EOs are my favorites. There are MANY brands out there, many of which are cheap and (bonus!) relatively good-smelling and effective. You can find them online and at Whole Foods. Go forth and smell. Buy an affordable diffuser (a MUST) to enjoy the smelly-good. Report back.

If you're not super excited about what you smell, you might enjoy the ones I like. I use one particular brand – I'll get to that in two seconds. But first, let me tell you WHY I use them.

1. They smell better than all the other brands, and while I love making my house smell yummy, I refuse to use candles because they spread toxic nasty all over my house.
2. Their blends are my favorite, and they smell better than any candle anyway.
3. I trust their quality.
4. If I refer you to them, I can SOMETIMES make a little bit of money while getting YOU an enticing discount. (See below.) I'll call this my “EO biz.” “Biz” is a term I use loosely. 

And even if #4 wasn't true, I'd still use these oils. #4 is really just the reason why I bother to TELL people about them.

So: the brand I like best is Young Living. Their blends are AWESOME, and their single oils are great too, quality-wise.

Here's what I like:

• Frankincense (I LOVE using this for my skin),
• Lavender  (still hate the smell, but I like using it on my skin),
• Tea Tree (skin),
• Thieves (cleaning and diffusing), and for exclusive diffusing, blends called
• Peace & Calming,
• Christmas Spirit,
• Valor,
• Stress Away,
• Joy, and
• Citrus Fresh.

You can go here, search for the ones you want, and buy them retail. No in-depth sign-up required, and no benefits to me what.so.ever.

The end. Enjoy, and have a nice day!

…

…

Now. If you're still here, and you want to get a discount, support my “EO biz,” and invest in what I call a “starter kit” – the Everyday Oils kit – read on. The Everyday Oils starter kit contains 10 oils, 6 of which are on my favorites list (above) and all of which you'll use at some point. 

(The other 4 oils in the Everyday Oils kit are intended for supporting your physical health and wellness.)

It's a good investment if you want to make your house smell good, support healthy skin, and nerd out on EOs a little.

If not, no worries. Seriously. We can still be friends.

If you're ready to go for it, you can jump right in with this link. Sign up as a “member” and order the Everyday Oils kit, along with any others you think you'll like, to get your discount.

But I promise, if you click over right now, you'll end up right back here to read this. Why not just START here, with this post?

 

 

The process of joining and ordering WITH the member discount will be a bit more comprehensive than just going to Whole Foods or Amazon to buy an oil that sounds/smells good.

So here's what happens: when you head over to the YL website to buy your starter kit, you'll be asked at the VERY beginning whether you want to be a MEMBER or a RETAIL CUSTOMER.

Sign up as a member. This is how you get the wholesale discount (plus you also get the OPTION of becoming a distributor in the future – that's what I'm doing here, technically – serving as your distributor – if you want to).

There's no obligation, however – all you're really signing up for is the discount.

Signing up as a member is a seamless “check box” step when you buy your first kit, and I did it for the same reason I worked at The Gap in high school: for the discount. It doesn't cost me anything and, quite frankly, doesn't require anything of me unless I want it to. (More on that later, if you're interested.)

All I had to do was check that box and choose the Everyday Oils Kit for my purchase – which I was going to do anyway.

Here's the full process of getting an EO kit from YL.

(See bottom of this post for more details on being a member/distributor, or just go for it with the steps below):

Step 1:

You'll click here to get started…and READ WHAT I'VE WRITTEN BELOW AS YOU GO!

• You'll first be asked to select “member” (which enables you to grab the Kit) or “retail customer.” If you sign up as a “member,” you'll have to do a few little extra things – but you'll get that yummy 24% discount, PLUS you'll be able to become a distributor seamlessly if you're ever interested. Again, see bottom of this post for more on being a member/distributor.
• When you click the link above, you'll be signing up through me – that's the “sponsor ID” and “enroller ID” that you'll see – 2158142. This lets them know I referred you. (THANKS!)

Step 2: 

• You'll fill out your personal deets for shipping and billing.If you signed up as a “member,” you'll be asked for your tax information. This is done to make your transition, should you choose to make it, from member to distributor completely seamless.

  To show how easily and quickly a person can become a “distributor,” consider this scenario: you fall in love with a blend – say, Thieves. You tell a friend about it. That friend then buys Thieves. BOOM. You've referred him/her. If they had ordered through your link, you'd have earned a portion of their sale as a thank-you. Bam. You're a distributor, and now you've earned a commission.

  Of course, you'll only worry about being a “distributor” if/when you decide to recommend YL to others; in which case, IF you make more than $600 in a year from referrals, you'll receive a 1099 from YL easy-peasy since they've already got your info. (Trust me, this is a smart step on their part – you'd be surprised how many people actually choose to become distributors. The oils are that good.)

  Then again, you don't have to do any of that. You CAN just buy retail, without the 24% discount.

  FYI: I've had NO issues with having given my SSN/EIN to Young Living.

• Next up, you'll create your password and PIN.

Step 3:

• You'll select your kit. Remember, you MUST choose a kit at this point to get the 24% member discount. 
• All you need to do to keep getting your 24% member discount going forward is to spend $50 per YEAR on YL product(s) through their store. That'll be a cinch if you're anything like me. Again, you don't have to. That's just how you'll be able to continue buying with a discount. 
• Once you've selected your kit, you'll then be asked to set up your OPTIONAL Essential Rewards program. Buying/setting up with Essential Rewards is NOT a requirement. Only do it if you think you'll want to order every month.
• Then, read and agree to the terms and conditions and…
• CONFIRM YOUR ORDER! If you don't do this, the order won't go through.

You're set! Now they'll ship you the order and you can get started with essential oils.

Q&A on being a member/distributor

• Why Should I become a Member or Distributor?

Simple – because as a MEMBER, you get wholesale pricing (24% off retail), beginning when you order your Starter Kit. You also gain the option of sharing the oils as a DISTRIBUTOR in order to earn commissions and participate in promotions. If you decide to go from member to distributor, you'll have tons of tools already at your disposal.

• Is there a monthly order minimum? 

No.  You do not have to order monthly in order to benefit from being a MEMBER.  If you WANT to, there is an autoship program called Essential Rewards (ER) that you have the option of participating in to earn more points on your orders (and potentially more product). ER is perfect for those who get REALLY into the oils!

As a member, your one requirement is to make a 50 “PV” order (about $50 in purchases) PER YEAR to stay signed up for the wholesale discount. Of course, YL explains it all in detail.

• I don’t really want to sell oils. Do I have to Sell Young Living Products to be a member? 

No way! It's just easier to get folks signed up from the beginning – you'd be surprised how many people become passionate advocates for the benefits of high-quality essential oils and transition from member to distributor.

Becoming a member from the get-go, thanks to that discount, is most beneficial for your bottom line, no matter what.

How do I join Young Living Oils? 

Go through the ordering steps I outlined above. Purchase a Kit. Start learning. Start using. Start learning. Start learning.

 

Did I mention start learning? This is an investment and a commitment, and quite honestly, it's not for dabblers or people with a tendency toward buyer's remorse. This is a purchase you want to take seriously. (You'll be glad you did.)

That's all you need to know! If you've got questions, ask away on the blog or, better yet, my Facebook page.