Researching products since 1994
If you think you deserve the benefits of plant-based products without compromise, you’re right. We won’t settle for anything less and want the best for you, your family, and your home. From our industry-leading testing and research labs to our world-class aromatic farms and distilleries, our insatiable curiosity constantly pushes us to challenge the status quo and bring you the wellness solutions you deserve.
Through our stringent, unyielding quality benchmarks, we are committed to identifying high-quality, genuine essential oils and product ingredients.
Our Quality Control (QC) team uses several validated physical, chemical, and microbiological scientific tests to measure the components and properties of our essential oils and essential oil—based products. For our essential oils, these tests are repeated numerous times from raw material to finished product by our highly trained scientists and independent third-party laboratories as part of the quality control process.
Our team of highly trained, highly skilled scientists perform state-of-the-art tests. Tests are performed when applicable and as required by our material specifications. These tests include but are not limited to:
Densitometry: Measures the density (specific gravity) of a liquid, such as an essential oil or a beverage. This ensures that each Young Living® liquid product has the correct liquid consistency from lot to lot. Density can also be used to identify if an essential oil has been adulterated/diluted with another oil.
Viscometry: Measures the resistance of a fluid to flow for products such as toothpastes, lotions, and shampoos. This ensures that the thickness of Young Living® products is consistent.
Refractometry: Measures how light bends as it passes through a liquid. This helps assess the composition of an essential oil.
Organoleptic: Tests the sensory characteristics of a product, such as taste, aroma, color, and appearance. This ensures that user experience will be consistent from lot to lot.
Polarimetry: Measures the rotation of light as it passes through a liquid. This helps assess the composition of an essential oil.
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Determines the amount of low-level minerals and metals.
Heavy Metals: Young Living® raw essential oils are tested for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury using ICP-MS.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES): Tests the concentration of high-level minerals.
Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID): Separates and detects aromatic components in an essential oil. Our scientists use this data to help assess the quality of Young Living® essential oils and identify aromatic compounds such as terpenes.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): Separates and detects aroma components in an essential oil.
Chiral Gas Chromatography: Separates molecules of the same molecular weight but with different molecular arrangements.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet Detector (HPLC-UV): Separates and detects components such as vitamins.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS): Separates and detects components in a product. This can detect low-level components and contaminants.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR): Measures the absorption of infrared light to determine a substance’s “fingerprint” and determine authenticity when compared to a standard.
Automated Micro-Enumeration: Automated technique that identifies microbial growth in raw materials and finished products.
Accelerated Stability: Stability testing that determines the estimated shelf life of a product using elevated temperature and humidity.
Real-Time Stability: Testing that verifies the shelf life of a product over a determined period of time.
Fill/Count: Verifies the amount of liquid or number of tablets/capsules/softgels/packets/etc. in a finished product container.
Disintegration: Determines how long it takes a capsule, tablet, or softgel to disintegrate.
pH: Measures the acidity or alkalinity of a product.
Microscopy: The use of a microscope to characterize the physical shape and form of materials.
Combustibility: Measures how easily a substance will burn.
Flash Point: Determines the lowest temperature at which a substance will ignite.
Water Activity: Measures the availability of water to microorganisms.
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS): Measures elemental abundances related to the origin of essential oil constituents and distinguishes between natural and synthetic compounds.
Microbial: Tests for microorganisms such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, yeasts, probiotics, and molds using validated methods based on industry requirements and standards.
Agrochemicals: Analysis of essential oils and other finished products for agrochemicals, including pesticides and herbicides.
We’ve always put essential oils and other plant-based products to the test. This means our products are built on decades of industry-leading research and data. Developing this expertise internally allows us to be more thorough and agile in our analysis, and we can quickly identify and address any quality issues.
Because of our decades spent testing essential oils, we have an extensive data library, and we understand our products better than any third-party or contract laboratory.
Another advantage of in-house testing is that we control the scheduling, so we save time and resources during sample analysis, resulting in better timelines and product launches. For example, if expedited testing is required for a Young Living® product to meet supply-chain deadlines, our Quality Control laboratory can prioritize the testing for optimal turnaround times. Young Living has limited control over sample scheduling when using Third-party or contract laboratories, which increases the potential for issues with releasing products and/or potentially going out of stock.
Young Living uses third-party or contract laboratories when specialized testing is needed and/or the specific test methods are not available at our in-house quality control laboratory. Third-party laboratories are also, utilized during verification and validation activities to help ensure Young Living’s methods and data are accurate. Testing conducted at third-party laboratories includes but is not limited to active ingredients (vitamins), preservative efficacy, and skin sensitivity (also known as repeated-insult patch testing, or RIPT).
Our corporate-owned farms use thoughtful environmental practices that consider water and soil conservation. With continuous research and experimentation, we document nutrients added to the soil through composting, the use of natural fertilizers, crop rotation, the amount of water received through rain and/or irrigation, and the effects of daily sun and temperatures. We share our research and knowledge with all our partner farms and Seed to Seal-verified suppliers to embody the same practices throughout their farms.
Young Living sources essential oils and wellness product ingredients from carefully vetted corporate-owned farms, partner farms, and Seed to Seal-verified suppliers. We use our own research and knowledge, in addition to the expertise of farmers at our partner farms, to ensure that our ingredients are of high quality. The individuals working at our partner farms often have a unique, generational connection to the land, which allows them to understand and implement best practices for both their land and plants, resulting in high-quality ingredients.
If our Science and Quality Assurance teams find that a supplier’s product does not meet our demanding standards, then we will not use it
Young Living has been issued 17 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, we previously filed 10 other patent applications, which also show our innovation and ingenuity. We have been issued more essential oil production patents than any other direct sales company globally. It is also interesting to note that Young Living and/or its products are cited within an additional 14 patents or patent applications filed by 3rd parties who have found additional novel ways to use Young Living products.Young Living’s founders, D. Gary Young and Mary Young are listed as Inventors on 14 and 4 Young Living Patents respectively.
Our R&D team of highly skilled scientists continue to develop proprietary and trade secret methods and compositions for our products and business that will result in additional patent applications being filed and new patents being issued in the near future, assuring our place as leaders of innovation and creativity.
All these patents and applications are publicly available at the United States Patent and Trademark Office searchable website. View all recently published research papers and patented items here.
Young Living sources products from carefully vetted corporate-owned farms, partner farms that share our values, and Seed to Seal-verified suppliers who can meet our extremely high standards for quality.
From the start, we’ve been developing, enhancing, and living by the strictest standards, so you know you’re getting the finest essential oil products in the world.
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