Neither the Company nor its suppliers, employees, or agents had any valid authorization from the Peruvian government. Young Living was recently faced with a violation of the Lacey Act for sourcing of rosewood and spikenard essential oils. Not surprisingly it came from the usual suspects: the “independent experts” who really are just loosely disguised competition hit-persons, the “aromatherapy safety warriors” who look for any opportunity to claim moral superiority over the evil “big oil” company, and the “I hate anything that looks like a pyramid except my own job’s corporate structure” crowd who would take a pot shot at any MLM alive if given the chance and the right opportunity. When they found out for sure they did the right thing and. The Justice Department announced today that YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS, L.C., (the Company), headquartered in Lehi, Utah, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal misdemeanor charges regarding its illegal trafficking of rosewood oil and spikenard oil in violation of the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act. âThis sentence reflects both the seriousness of the offenses and the acceptance of responsibility and cooperation by the Company.â. So, with that said, these oils USED to be able to be sourced plentifully, but the demand rapidly outpaced supply, and it will take decades, perhaps longer, to replenish the sources of these plants to the point where they could be ethically and sustainably source again. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Departmentâs Environment and Natural Resources Divisionâs Environmental Crimes Section and the District of Utahâs U.S Attorneyâs Office. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Many of their suppliers have said that YL is the ONLY one of the companies they sell to who have 1. actually visited them 2. checked their compliance with local labor and ethical sourcing laws 3. test their oils and monitor their distillation). September 2017, Young Living has their day in court and finishes what they started when they first contacted the Justice Department. Young Living could have quietly fixed the problem and hoped no one found out, but they chose to do the honest thing and rectify the problem with the government. Literally every single one. A reference guide for using essential oils by the brand Young Living has surfaced on social media which advises on which oils to tab on in cases of different types of abuse. Young Living is a multi-level marketing company based in Lehi, Utah.Founded by Donald Gary Young in 1993, it sells essential oils and other related products.. I started researching all over again, as if I was a brand new customer. Consumers complaining about Young Living Essential Oils most frequently mention customer service, member number and essential oils problems. In 1993, Gary founded Young Living in Riverton, Utah, but quickly moved it to Lehi, Utah. The spikenard oil was previously imported from a company in the United Kingdom that had obtained a CITES export permit. Because of years of increasing demand (not just for the oil, but in the case of rosewood for the wood for furniture and jewelry), these two plants have become endangered. They also have their own distilleries on the farms and use organic methods of farming. Internet blows up with people taking advantage of the situation to bash Young Living. So, interestingly enough I wonder how many of the other essential oil companies in the United States are currently selling products formulated with illegally sourced rosewood or spikenard essential oil? An official website of the United States government. The Government calculates the fair market retail value of the plant products involved in the violations and relevant conduct, including but not limited to product equaling approximately 1,899.75 liters of rosewood oil, to be more than $3.5 million but not more than $9 million. The investigation revealed that, in addition to the conduct disclosed by the Company, in December 2015, the Company exported spikenard oil harvested in Napal to the United Kingdom, without a CITES permit. You can read more starting with this post, or skip ahead to the final post here. Additionally, the self-reporting proves that the system works. “Pay attention to that other company! On July 20, 2015, once the internal investigation was complete, the Company made an initial written voluntary disclosure to the Government of various facts indicating their potentially illegal violations. Add to that fact that YL sells over 1 1/2 billion dollars in essential oils/essential oil-infused products currently per year and an error made several years ago that is already long rectified suddenly seems a lot smaller of a deal. Discover 2020 year-end highlights, new products and the goals we’ll be working towards to make 2021 a year of growth! Between 2010 and 2014, a few Company employees harvested, transported, and possessed a total of approximately 86 tons of rosewood, all of which was harvested in violation of Peruvian law. Nancy shares how, after a lifetime of struggling with her weight, Gary Young (her brother) found the right combination to balance the hypothalamus, thyroid and hormones using Young Living … What about the Seed to Seal program and the fact that this shows that is not the completely true? Young, and; Mark Wolfert. Earlier today, Young Living COO Jared Turner informed the company that Donald “Gary” Young has passed away due to complications from multiple strokes. Peruvian law prohibits the unauthorized harvest and transport of timber, including rosewood. I’m really confused and would love some further clarification. This summer, the years-long lawsuit between Young Living and their competetor doTerra was thrown out, and doTerra was exonorated of all wrongdoing. I’d imagine that behind the scenes many essential oil companies are quietly working on plans to clean up their sourcing and hope that no one comes knocking with questions. Company History. However, almost none of them publicly out themselves and TELL people that they made a mistake and then show them how they fixed it. The investigation also revealed that between November 2014 and January 2016, the Company purchased over 1,100 kilograms of rosewood oil from a supplier/importer in the United States without conducting sufficient due diligence to verify lawful sourcing of that oil. Sadly, people with intellectually dishonest axes to grind focus on only point number one, and would try to hide or minimize point number two. This book is a GREAT resource: Free Essential Oils Report and VIP Newsletter Access The investigation was conducted by the Law Enforcement Offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, with assistance of the U.S. Claiming to be useful against Ebola, autism, and cancer, Young Living Essential Oils came under fire from the FDA. Young Living is a $1 billion dollar company that owns 10 farms around the world in order to grow the crops in the best conditions for more health supporting benefits. Young Living established a farm in Ecuador in 2000 and was sourcing oils in South America through their network of other local growers and distillers at that time and going forward. FInd out why I cancelled my Young Living Essential Rewards. (FYI, YL is not only the largest company, but the most quality controlled company in the whole industry. Young Living is still the only essential oil company to own global farms and distilleries all over the world. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, the Company was sentenced to a fine of $500,000, $135,000 in restitution, a community service payment of $125,000 for the conservation of protected species of plants used in essential oils, and a term of five yearsâ probation with special conditions. I promise you that every single other essential oil company has made a sourcing error or mistake, but I promise you they’ve not turned themselves in, they’ve also not publicly shared their detailed plan to further increase their sourcing safeguards and requirement. It has an annual budget of $53 million. Both companies share the same business model using multi-level marketing and independent sales associates to sell their essential oils. Sustainability depends not on whether it was obtainable in the past, but on several factors including: Do the sources of these oils practice reforestation techniques, and preservation of existing forests. The Company found the product to be unsatisfactory and shipped it back to the United Kingdom. A Utah judge has ordered the therapeutic oils company Young Living Essential Oils LC to pay competitor doTERRA Inc. about $1.8 million in attorney … What does this mean for all EO users? The rosewood was intended for distillation and export to the United States and some had already been illegally brought over. If you’re curious to learn about my personal favorite essential oils that have already helped 1000s of people get the powerful results they were looking for, click here to learn more. The bottom line is that 1 sourcing error that was properly disclosed and rectified in the course of 23 years is pretty much an amazing feat. For clarification, this was always a problem with sourcing, nothing was wrong with the quality (unlike some of the allegations of people eager to capitalize on the situation). The Justice Department released a press release (linked at the bottom of the article) that detailed how Young Living had violated the Lacey Act by importing Spikenard Essential Oil and Rosewood Essential Oil without proper documentation from their source. Many people in the aromatherapy community asked me how I Also, it was my understanding that Spikenard can be supplied if through license with the Nepalese government. Young Living removed rosewood and spikenard from their product offerings. Oh, and for the record, for those of you who won’t probably read any further, that actually didn’t happen. In the case where trees must be completely cut down to distill oils, that means that the tree must have been planted sometimes decades before it is needed. According to the plea agreement, from June 2010 to October 2014, several company employees and contractors harvested, transported, and distilled rosewood (Aniba roseaodora or Brazilian rosewood) in Peru and imported some of the resulting oil into the United States, through Ecuador. The REAL Story of Gary Young and Young Living Essential Oils By Eva F. Briggs, M.D. Wanting to provide some kind of proof to my family, clients, and friends that Young Living products were pure, I decided to … A lot of essential oils like doTerra and Young Living claim to be “therapeutic-grade” or medicinal. The Company voluntarily disclosed its rosewood oil violations and has been cooperating with government investigators. The Company lacked an internal compliance program or formal procedures, training, or means to review and resolve problems and identify and stop potential violations. I worked at their Call Center located in American Fork, UT. According to the … The company’s latest claim, that its oils can kill the Ebola virus, has had distributor websites shut down by the FDA. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”. The Justice Department announced today that YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS, L.C., (the Company), headquartered in Lehi, Utah, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal misdemeanor charges regarding its illegal trafficking of rosewood oil and spikenard oil in violation of the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act. This is my last Young Living Unboxing. Yes, you are correct, spikenard and rosewood have been around for years. Led by senior pastor Ed Young, Second Baptist Church has about 65,000 members across five campuses. Again, please note that I am no longer using Young Living Oils. Because they’re just that good. Now, can we admit that a mistake WAS made? Young Living was found guilty of violating the Lacey Act by illegal trafficking of rosewood and spikenard oil. I mean seriously, who does that? Applause Kristen! They knew they’d have to deal with the legal ramifications, and probably even knew they’d deal with the internet justice warriors, and yet they went and did the right thing. I It is my hope that sharing these documents will prevent you and your family from being hurt. On March 23, 2016, a Company employee filed an application for a CITES permit for this shipment after the fact, and without providing the required copy of the permit authorizing its original export from the United Kingdom. Young Living is right at the center of it. There are still other companies who sell rosewood and spikenard. âThe importation of illegally harvested wood and timber products harms law-abiding American companies and workers and threatens forest resources around the world,â said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. It’s like when animals that once were plentiful become over-hunted, they must be protected or someday they will become extinct. Because the fact remains that there are no sustainable sources of either of those oils. Jo Beth Young has died at the age of 80, Second Baptist Church announced on Facebook. Ironically, some of the companies with the loudest surrogates actually do sell spikenard or rosewood and products made with them. SPF Global is an independent Environmental Watch Group. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Going up in my Top 5 for sure!! The Company voluntarily disclosed its rosewood oil violations and has been cooperating with government investigators.” (emphasis mine). And Young Living still makes everyone jealous. In 2008 the US Government added endangered plants to the Lacey Act (prior to 2008 the Lacey Act only dealt with animals). Covered this topic to Perfection. The conditions include the implementation of a corporate compliance plan, audits, and the publication of statements regarding its convictions. The Company did not obtain any CITES export permits from Peru. If the global demand for an oil outpaces the global supply, often the plant becomes more and more difficult to source ethically. As soon as they were aware they may have made a mistake they did an investigation to find out for sure. This brought out the usual band of Young Living bashers, as they dusted off their internet megaphones and trumpeted the “hopeful fall” of the essential oil giant to anyone and anything within digital listening distance. Then, they distilled the ill-gotten oil next to Walter White’s RV before bottling it using child labor. The Young Living Lacey Act Scandal as it Actually Happened Young Living established a farm in Ecuador in 2000 and was sourcing oils in South America through their network of other local growers and distillers at that time and going forward. They worked with the government and developed a sourcing plan (. But the fact that people actually still fall for it does make me scratch my head a bit. Peru also prohibits the export of species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), without the required permits. doTERRA produces and distributes a wide variety of health and wellness products that contain essential oils. A free inside look at company reviews and salaries posted anonymously by employees. I was an employee for Young Living Essential Oils from the end of summer to after Christmas. The Young Living Lacey Act Scandal: What You Should Know. Young Living Essential Oils has clearly tried to bury Gary Young’s past — particularly records of his multiple arrests. Young Living’s Lacey Act Compliance Program, Delicious Wholegrain Einkorn Waffle Recipe. That rosewood oil was worth bet… Later in 1993, Gary was arrested in Fife, Washington for unlicensed medical practice, again. âOur Division was proud to work alongside the U.S. Attorneyâs Office in the District of Utah, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Investigations. Yes, but EVERY company makes mistakes. I so love this article!!! 289 Young Living Essential Oils reviews. The essential oil debate is raging and I can’t help but jump in at this point. However, because Young Living is an MLM company, you will also get paid by recruiting other people to join Young Living too. Young Living Essential Oils has a consumer rating of 2.11 stars from 46 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Basic starter kit is relatively cheap. Actually, it shows that the Seed to Seal program IS true, because, despite the fact that a mistake was made, it was then quickly corrected and additional safeguards were put into place to ensure nothing of its kind happened ever in the future. It’s meant to illustrate how silly and disingenuous most of the stuff you’ll end up reading actually is. In an era of so-called “fake news”, this probably shouldn’t be a surprise. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Homeland Security to bring this case to a positive conclusion.â, âWhile the natural resource violations by certain employees of Young Living were intentional and substantial, the Companyâs decision to conduct an internal investigation, voluntarily disclose the initial violations to government enforcement authorities, and cooperate throughout the ensuing investigation is to be commended,â said U.S. Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah. Best Meal Boxes Reviewed: I tried SunBasket, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and more! Essential oil lies –what you need to know about doterra and Young Living. Young Living Essential Oils, developed by D. Gary Young, are the focus of a multi-level marketing program that have brought essential oil products to the mainstream. And as the demand for them has risen, the places where they are purchased and grown have not kept up with the demand. Robert J. In 2015 Young Living approached the Justice Department and disclosed this sourcing issue. Thank You. Imagine how a company with far less stringent requirements might currently handle situations like this? Neither of those oils has sustainable sources, so that begs the question of. As a result, the Company hired outside counsel to conduct an internal investigation into the violations due to the illegal harvesting and shipping of plants that occurred in Peru and Ecuador. I moved on for various reasons. Now as they source oils that they do not personally grow they bring SPF Global with them. Young Living put together a plan that satisfied the authorities that they would not repeat the infraction. Young Living oils are expensive though and I found it hard to be able to afford them so I signed up for Essential Rewards so I could earn free products for my family. They later faced the legal sanctions that were required by their mistake. One of the first essential oil companies around, Young Living opened its doors, figuratively, in 1993.Donald Gary Young started the company, and Young Living was off to a start with scandal as Donald has convictions on his record for practicing medicine without a license. “Young Living falsely represents to its Members that participation in Young Living—which necessarily requires hefty monthly payments—will result in material riches as long as they continue to solicit additional recruits to become Members of the Young Living family,” the Young Living class action lawsuit alleges. According to the plea agreement, from June 2010 to October 2014, several company employees and contractors harvested, transported, and distilled rosewood (, Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement, Environment and Natural Resources Division. Young was a pioneer of the essential oils industry and built Young Living into a multi-level marketing giant with over a … He claimed that the methods that were used to harvest and extract the oils were "customs that were practiced during the period of Christ." Young Living still leads every single other essential oil company in gross annual sales (exceeding 1 BILLION per year since 2015). Donald Gary Young (July 11, 1949 – May 12, 2018) was an American businessman specializing in essential oils and alternative medicine.He was the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Young Living, a Utah-based multi-level marketing company that sells essential oils and dietary supplements. While there they chopped down an entire plantation full of endangered trees and then smuggled them out on speedboats, dodging the coastguard. The market for essential oils is worth more than $5.1 billion, and expected to reach $25 billion by 2024. Now Honey Boo Boo’s sister is the company’s latest spokeswoman. That proves some integrity right there. Jo Beth helped shepherd Second Baptist Church alongside her husband for … PART 1: WHY DID I INVESTIGATE THIS OUTFIT? OK, that’s it. No one busted in their door and caught them with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. You said there are no sustainable sources of rosewood and spikenard but these oils have been around for a while, so where exactly do they come from? Retailing Young Living Essential Oils When you enroll in Young Living’s Essential Rewards (ER) program, you will be able to earn 24% profits for each product you sell. Through the painstaking steps of our proprietary Seed to Seal® process, we produce pure, authentic essential oil products for … A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. “The Justice Department announced today that YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS, L.C., (the Company), headquartered in Lehi, Utah, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal misdemeanor charges regarding its illegal trafficking of rosewood oil and spikenard oil in violation of the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act. They told the government themselves. Speculation and accusations began running rampant in the Facebook groups and Young Living’s name continued to be dragged through the “mud” so to speak. That is the case with rosewood and spikenard. With a network of farms that reaches from a sandalwood restoration project in Hawaii to an Arabian Frankincense Distillery in Oman, the Lehi, Utah-based company has built a burgeoning wellness business. In December 2002, I wrote an article exposing Gary Young, Young Living Essential Oils, and the Young Life Research Clinic as dishonest and misleading. Interesting enough, David Stirling, Emily Wright, and David Hill were former executives of another MLM company, Young Living. Interested in learning more about using essential oils for healthy living? Young Living is the World Leader in Essential Oils®. Hear about Nancy’s personal experience at the Young Living Clinic in Ecuador. This week a news story broke with Young Living at the center of a new scandal. So here’s my takeaway from this whole situation, summed up in one succinct package. Look how dishonest I say they are! I was so sure the ruling would go in Young Living’s favor, that this prompted me to dig deeper. It’ll run you about $45, which is pretty cheap, and it includes a … Official websites use .gov Because I was the front line for dealing with #bossbabes, I had access to a lot of information concerning product and inner working. Join us on January 9, 2021 for a message from the Young Living Canada team. To hear the story as it grew you’d think that the company hired a band of mercenaries and descended on the rainforests of Peru with chainsaws in the dead of night. Young Living claims in their case against doTERRA that they are conducting false advertising and that doTERRA’s misleading advertising is severely cutting into the profits of Young Living’s profits. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS I mean come on. Honestly, looking back that makes me upset because there’s a good number of people like myself that start distributing just so we could afford the oils. Spikenard Essential Oil Essential Oils Young Living Scandal Acting Face Faces Smoke Young … Gather & Grow Virtual Event. In 2014 Young Living discovered a potential problem with sourcing and immediately began an investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice announcedthis week that Young Living, a company that sells essential oils through multi-level marketing, must pay a fine to the government of $500,000, restitution of $135,000, and a donation of $125,000 “for the protected species of plants used in essential oils.” The company’s plea agreement says that some of its employees and contractors harvested 86 tons of rosewood in Peru between 2010 and 2014, distilling 1,899.75 liters of oil from the wood. Young Living actually had turned themselves in to the Justice Department and initiated the investigation that led to the eventual guilty verdict. doTERRA Membership Options by Kristen | Sep 23, 2017 | Essential Oils | 6 comments. As far as sourcing Spikenard through the Nepalese govenrment, I have not been able to find source documentation for that, so if you have it, I’d love to be able to review it .