Seed to Seal – Science

Innovative Science

Researching products since 1994

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.

Testing and research

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. 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Determines the amount of low-level minerals and metals.

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.

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.

Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS): Measures elemental abundances related to the origin of essential oil constituents and distinguishes between natural and synthetic compounds.

Our tests go deep

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.

But here’s the best part: You can actually see the results for yourself.

View Test Results

In-house testing

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.

Third-party laboratories

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).

Thoughtful agricultural practices

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.

Ingredient selection

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.

Did you know?

Young Living has been issued 17 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, we have 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 in the world. All these mentioned patents and applications are publicly available documents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office searchable website and select patent links are provided below.

Our Research and Development 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 bringing the goodness of the earth and its plants into your homes.

Young Living Patented Items

AromaGlide® Massaging Topical Oils Applicator.
Patent No. 9,211,228 B2 D. Gary Young

AromaGlide® Roller-ball Applicator Assembly with Retainer for Topical Oils Application.
Patent No. 8,956,066 B2 D. Gary Young

AromaGlide® Roller-ball for Topical Oils Application (AromaGlide® YL Products).
Patent No. 8,939,669

Aroma Carousel ™. The ornamental design for a vial display, as shown and described.
Patent No. D697,742 S D. Gary Young

AromaLux® Diffuser. The ornamental design for a liquid diffuser, as shown and described.
Patent No. D718,431 S D. Gary Young

Blue Spruce essential oil. Composition containing an essential oil product and method for using to maintain testosterone levels (for use with YL Blue Spruce and EO products).
Patent No. 9,066,904 B2 D. Gary Young

Blue Spruce essential oil. Composition containing an essential oil product and method for using to maintain testosterone levels.
Patent No. 9,675,653 B2 D. Gary Young

Desert Mist® Diffuser. The ornamental design for a diffuser, as shown and described.
Patent No. D831,815 S

Dietary Supplement Composition. A dietary supplement composition is presented, which includes omega-3 fatty acids, one or more of tocopherols and tocotrienols, and/or one or more essential oils.
Patent No. 9,211,277 B2 D. Gary Young

Dino Land Diffuser and Dolphin Reef Diffuser. Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for a diffuser and one or more removable diffuser covers.
Patent No. 10,864,292 B2 D. Gary Young

Dino Land Diffuser Cover and Dolphin Diffuser Cover. Diffuser with Interchangeable Cover System.
Patent No. 10,869,945 B2 D. Gary Young and Mary Young

Distillation System. Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for extracting essential oil from plant material.
Patent No. 10,000,723 B D. Gary Young

Dolphin Diffuser Cover Design. The ornamental design for a diffuser cover, as shown.
Patent No. D759,798 S D. Gary Young, Mary Young

Lantern Diffuser. The ornamental design for a diffuser, as shown and described.
Patent No. D883,463 S

Liquid Diffuser. The disclosure relates to a diffuser apparatus and system.
Patent No. 9,358,557 B2 D. Gary Young

Massaging Multiple Roller-Ball Application for Topical Oils.
Patent No. 9,205,020 B2 D. Gary Young

Ornamental Diffuser Design. The ornamental design for a diffuser cover.
Patent No. D766,418 S D. Gary Young, Mary Young

Seed to Seal

Innovative Science

Researching products since 1994

Testing and research

Through our stringent, unyielding quality benchmarks, we are committed to identifying high-quality, genuine essential oils and product ingredients.

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:

Our tests go deep

In-house testing

Third-party laboratories

Thoughtful agricultural practices

Ingredient selection

Did you know?

Young Living Patented Items

You have now learned our innovative state-of-art technology and research in the Science pillar,

now let’s dive deep to the third pillar that upholds the Seed to Seal quality commitment – Standards.

Seed to Seal

Seed to Seal – Science

Innovative Science

Researching products since 1994

Testing and research

Through our stringent, unyielding quality benchmarks, we are committed to identifying high-quality, genuine essential oils and product ingredients.

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:

Our tests go deep

In-house testing

Third-party laboratories

Thoughtful agricultural practices

Ingredient selection

Did you know?

Young Living Patented Items

You have now learned our innovative state-of-art technology and research in the Science pillar,

now let’s dive deep to the third pillar that upholds the Seed to Seal quality commitment – Standards.

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