Young Living Essential Oils Scientific Advisory Council

The Young Living Essential Oils Scientific Advisory Council provides valuable insight into the development of our pioneering essential oils and oil-infused products. This professional organization comprises prominent scientific professionals from around the globe, uniting years of experience in natural products. The council’s unmatched leadership, expertise, and passion for essential oil innovation is redefining the way the world thinks about wellness.

R. Michael Buch, PhD

Chief Science Officer

As Young Living’s first-ever Chief Science Officer, Dr. Buch’s work includes scientific research and development on new and established products, new applications and claims, and product strategy and stewardship.

Dr. Buch brings with him more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. He earned a BA in chemistry from Franklin and Marshall College and MS and PhD degrees in analytical chemistry from the University of Delaware. Dr. Buch has led global organizations at some of the world’s leading companies, and his success has resulted in more than a dozen patents in the health care field, several books, and a number of published articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is personally responsible for developing health care products with annual sales of nearly $3 billion, and his products have been marketed in more than 100 countries. Dr. Buch is also a member of several prestigious associations, including the Institute on Science for Global Policy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Buch enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing and has a passion for photography. He loves the crisp, outdoorsy scent of Young Living’s R.C. , and he often diffuses it during the winter months to add a fresh scent to the air.

Richard Carlson, PhD

Senior Director, Research and Analytical Sciences

Dr. Carlson holds a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He brings three decades of experience in the field of analytical chemistry to his role as Senior Director of Research and Analytical Sciences for Young Living.

Dr. Carlson leads the team responsible for scientific research for Young Living, including the development of analytical test methods that determine the authenticity of essential oils. As part of Young Living’s Seed to Seal® program, Dr. Carlson’s team analyzes more than 1,000 essential oil samples annually.

Dr. Carlson’s commitment to hard work began at the age of 10, when he started helping at his family’s turkey farm. After discovering his love for chemistry, he obtained a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD in the field. His studies focused on analytical chemistry, including sample preparation, chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Before joining Young Living, Dr. Carlson worked as a staff chemist at ThermoFisher Scientific.

In addition to having a passion for chemistry, Dr. Carlson enjoys travel, baseball, and music—especially listening to live performances. He also loves cooking for his family.

Of all the Young Living products Dr. Carlson interacts with daily, his personal favorite products to use are Peppermint and Sacred Sandalwoodessential oils.

Alishia M. Alibhai

BS, MS, PhD (Psychology), Certified Reiki Master/Teacher, Coach

Dr. Alibhai has a passion for teaching and helping people achieve health, happiness, and abundance. She completed her PhD in social psychology at the University of Calgary in 2009. Upon graduating, Dr. Alibhai decided to teach at the college level, which she continues to do today. She also opened her own private practice through which she offers coaching, meditation gatherings, and Reiki (energy healing) sessions and certifications. In August of 2011, Dr. Alibhai discovered Young Living products, and they have since been an integral part of both her personal life and her private practice.

Christi Bonds-Garrett

MA, MD

Dr. Bonds-Garrett has been offering integrative medical care since 1995 and has treated thousands of patients from this perspective. She received her master's degree in counseling and her doctorate of medicine from the University of Nevada in Reno and became board certified in family medicine in 1992.
For nearly 20 years, Dr. Bonds-Garrett has specialized in women's health care, utilizing unique combinations of herbs, oils, tuning forks, color/light therapy, and other forms of vibrational medicine to help her patients attain internal balance. With the publication of her first book, Vibrational Raindrop Technique, Dr. Bonds-Garrett completed the rigorous requirements to become a certified acutonics practitioner. Her third book, Sacred Solfeggio VRT, has just been published.

Clell M. Fowles

RPh, BA, BS

A recognized expert in the fields of prescription medications and natural remedies, pharmacist Clell Fowles is a graduate of Utah State University with degrees in history and sociology and of the University of Utah in pharmacy and medicinal chemistry. Clell has used and studied natural products for his entire professional career and serves as Young Living’s manager of product safety.

He is the author of two books: Drugs and Natural Alternatives and Drugs and Nutrient Depletion.

Peter Minke

PhD

Dr. Minke earned a PhD in biology from Texas A&M University in 1998. He currently has a bodywork and movement practice in Bryan, Texas, and is a certified Aston Patterning practitioner. His motivation for spreading wellness through natural medicine comes largely from surviving conventional treatment for bone cancer while in college but ending up with chemotherapy-induced lymphoma.
Dr. Minke has used wellness practices and products, including Young Living essential oils, for more than 15 years and enjoys abundant health with his wife and five children. Dr. Minke is on a mission to teach people how to promote wellness in their lives and the lives of those around them.

Carlos Orozco

BS (Experimental Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics), MS (Immunology), MD (Rep Med, Gynecological Oncology), PhD (Biochemistry), ND (Nutritional Medicine)

Dr. Orozco is passionate about quantum healing and the natural ability of the human body to heal itself when given the opportunity to do so. His professional training encompasses a bachelor’s degree in experimental biology with honors in biochemistry and biophysics, a master’s degree in immunology (tumor cell biology), a medical degree (specialist in reproductive medicine and gynecological oncology), as well as experience with naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and nutritional medicine.

Tom Reed

DPM, DABPS, DABPM, FACFAS

Dr. Reed is a double board certified medical and surgical specialist. He has been in practice for more than 30 years, has published various articles in national medical journals, and has personally invented devices designed to improve orthopedic surgery.

In recent years Dr. Reed's attention has been focused on natural alternatives to prescription drugs. He teaches these principles to national as well as international audiences, and he has produced several DVDs on how to live a healthy life and avoid being chained to chronic disease or medications.

Dr. Reed has been married to his wife, Evangeline, for 28 years, and they have five children. Together, they teach classes on health and wellness, emphasizing the importance of physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Ellyn Shander

MD

Dr. Shander is passionate about helping people “live their magnificence” and overcome any obstacle in that pursuit. She earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and was board certified in Psychiatry from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
As an expert in crisis intervention and post-disaster healing, she has provided physical and emotional aid to the victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, earthquake-stricken Haiti, and also counseled victims of the elementary school-shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. She uses meditation, spiritual counseling, and Young Living’s essential oils to empower people to live abundant lives in grace and gratitude.

SAC Dr. Lindsey Elmore

Pharm.D., BCPS

Dr. Lindsey obtained her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Alabama Birmingham and a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Elmore is also a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist.

Prior to joining our group of Brand Ambassadors, Dr. Elmore served as Director of Education for Young Living and gained an in-depth knowledge of Young Living’s essential oils and supplements, speaking about natural products, healthy eating, and integrative therapies on five continents.