At the dawn of civilization, when people first discovered the enchanting and powerful fragrances of plants, the Oil Story begins.

From the earliest days on earth, our ancestors used the fragrant plants to heal, uplift, anoint, and empower their lives. Why should fragrance, or aroma, be so powerful, and so sought after by people all over the world throughout history?

Consider for a moment:
Why do you give flowers as a sign of love, good wishes, or blessing? What is so magical about the fragrance of a rose? The scent of a pine forest?

Is it possible that these fragrances are not only beautiful but also life changing?

The answer appears not only in the stories of our ancient ancestors, but in the literature of modern science as well. Modern day discoveries help us to understand our need for plants as something more than just food, decoration and shelter. Thanks to laboratory research, we now know something about the chemistry and action of plant fragrances, which come from the unique and mysterious aromatic liquids hidden in various parts of plants--their leaves, petals, roots, seeds, bark, stem, and even fruit.

These aromatic liquids are called "essential oils" now, but they were called "precious oils" and "sacred oils" in ancient times. They were used anciently not only for physical well-being, longevity, beauty, courage, wealth and political power, but for sacred purposes in temples, religious rituals, and at births and deaths.

Typically, essential oils are very light to the touch (not greasy like cooking oil) and evaporate readily, releasing their aromas into the air.

Their function in nature is to keep plants healthy, free of infection, to repel harmful insects, and to communicate--to each other, to insects, to animals, and to us! As it turns out, the way they affect us is a lot like the way they affect plants, acting on our immune systems, our muscles, internal organs, skin and circulation, and even our emotions, sometimes all at once!

How?

Plant fragrances are made of nature's ancient molecules: complex substances whose structure allows them to pass easily and quickly through our skin, and through the cell membranes of every cell in our bodies. We breathe them in and instantly, as they touch the brain, the molecules of essential oils enliven neurons, inspire emotions, awaken immune response, stimulate hormones, which can then enhance energy, digestion, mental clarity, body temperature, circulation, and the feeling of being connected to nature.

We inhale, and then… aaaaahh. We feel the magic. Or, we mix them with a few drops of vegetable oil (a completely different kind of oil!) and gently apply them to our skin, on the bottoms of our feet, or in a massage. The molecules pass easily through our skin, muscles, veins and connective tissue to bring their physical effects within moments to the whole body! And even then we can smell their healing fragrance.

Just one drop of an essential oil can carry as powerful a message as an entire bouquet of flowers. One drop can carry as bio-chemically complex a message as a food or a medicine: It can stimulate our immune activity, open our lungs, enhance our hearing, ease tired and achy muscles, improve flexibility and so much more!

While essential oils are neither food nor medicine, they sometimes act as if they were! They are, in a word, mysterious. They are also unique in nature, different from any other natural product you have ever tried, enhancing every part of your body, mind, and spirit, with just one or two drops at a time.

Now, Young Living is writing a new chapter in the Oil Story, discovering innovative ways to use and benefit from essential oils, through research, farming, formulating of unique essential oils blends, nutritional supplements, fitness and weight management, personal care, education, and its unconditional guarantee of quality.

Please note: It's really important to understand that the safety and life-changing effects of essential oils are dependent entirely on their purity and their quality. Generally speaking, essential oils that you find in department stores, and even health food stores, are of uncertain quality at best. That's why Young Living has made its mission to provide you with the very best, independently tested essential oils. Read our Guarantee to get a good idea of what we mean.

Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Gary Young and his company, Young Living Essential Oils, thousands of men, women, children, and even animals are now enjoying the homey miracles of their own, personal "oil stories." What a concept! To take the most powerful natural solutions ever created and use them again, just as our ancestors did--in virtually every culture of the world--since the dawn of civilization.

You can read some contemporary Young Living oil stories in "What People Say". Or read a few historical stories in the Library.

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