You know I love Young Living products and that their therapeutic grade essential oils are the only oils I use for myself and my family. (Read why, here!) I would be remiss, though, if I didn’t share the information I’ve acquired about the presence of gluten in several of the products Young Living offers. I’m not saying gluten makes these products ineffective. Surely, there are so many people with testimonials about the benefits of many Young Living products. This is not to devalue their experiences or yours, but to educate and inform for those, like me and my daughter, who cannot include gluten in any of our food, supplements or skin care products.
I originally signed up with Young Living to get their Tender Tush diaper rash cream for my youngest. It wasn’t much better than other creams, but essential oils mixed with coconut oil were definitely more effective. I didn’t think about it then, because honestly, it never crossed my mind that there could be gluten in a diaper rash cream. I know better now.
As I’ve been leading essential oils classes, I’ve included information about the Young Living supplements and skin care line. Because I want to provide as much real life information as possible, I started looking into some supplements to try myself so I could report back with results. My first purchase was going to be MultiGreens. I researched the ingredients and noticed Barley grass juice concentrate. My years of gluten research had alarm bells ringing in my head. I immediately wrote customer service. Here is their reply:
Hello Theresa,
Thank you for your email and for your patience in our reply to your inquiry. Multigreens are not Gluten free, I have also attached to this email a gluten content list.
If you have additional questions or concerns, or if we can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact us via telephone at 1-800-371-3515, fax at 866-203-5666, email at customerservice@youngliving.com, or our Live Help feature at www.youngliving.com.
If you are gluten intolerant, gluten sensitive, or allergic to gluten, like me, please read the following list carefully, to make sure you are not inadvertently putting gluten into your body and stimulating an immune response.
The essential oils themselves have NO gluten in them. However there are massage oils that do, as well as the V-6 oil used for capsules to swallow and diluting oils applied to the skin. The oils that contain gluten are:
Dragon Time Massage oil
Ortho Ease Massage oil
Ortho Sport Massage oil
Relaxation Massage oil
Sensation Massage oil
V-6 Enhanced vegetable oil
Cel-Lite Magic Massage oil
(The gluten in these products is in the form of wheat germ oil.)
The following are supplements that contain gluten, including what form of gluten it is:
Allerzyme (Barley Sprout Powder)
Balance Complete (Barley Grass Juice)
Ecuadorian Dark Chocolessence (Contains quinoa, which may contain gluten-like proteins)
Essentialzymes-4 (vendors have been unable to confirm gluten-free)
ICP (oat bran)
Juvapower (Barley Sprout Seed)
Juvaspice (Barley Sprout Seed)
Kidscent Mightyvites (Barley Grass)
Multigreens (Barley Grass Concentrate)
OmegaGize 3 (“none to our knowledge”)
True Source (Barley Grass)
Ultra Young + (“none to our knowledge”)
As I said before, the diaper rash cream came as a shock to me, but a LOT of Young Living personal care products contain gluten. They are listed below:
ART Creme Masque (Oat kernel extract)
ART Day Activator (Tocopheryl acetate is sourced from wheat germ)
ART Night Reconstructor (Tocopheryl acetate is sourced from wheat germ)
ART Renewal Serum (Oat Protein)
Bar Soaps (Oat kernel meal)
Boswellia Wrinkle Cream (Barley Extract – Hordeum Distichon)
Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Copaiba Vanilla Conditioner (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Genesis Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Bath & Shower Gel (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Shampoo (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Tender Tush (wheat germ oil)
Lavender Foaming Hand Soap (Hordiam Distichon)
Lavender Lotion (Hordiam Distichon)
Lavender Mint Shampoo (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Lavender Mint Conditioner (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Lavender Volume Conditioner (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Lavender Volume Shampoo (wheat germ oil)
Orange Blossom Face Wash (Hydrolized wheat protein)
Prenolone + Body Cream (wheat germ oil + hydrolized wheat protein)
Protec (wheat germ oil)
Regenolone Moisturizing Cream (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Rose Ointment (wheat germ oil)
Sandalwood Moisture Cream (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Satin Facial Scrub (hydrolized wheat protein, hydrolized wheat starch, barley extract, Hordiam Distichon)
Sensation Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Wolfberry Eye Cream (hydrolized wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat starch, barley extract, Hordiam Distichon)
Thieves products are beloved by many and thankfully there aren’t a lot that contain gluten. However, it should be noted that the Foaming Hand Soap contains Tocopheryl acetate from wheat germ oil. I plan on making my own foaming hand soap when my September order of Theives arrives. Keep looking for that post!
The Animal Scent Ointment also contains wheat germ oil.
FAQ
Can you have a copy of this chart and e-mail?
Most certainly! Use the “Contact Me” box on the homepage and I will get it right over to you.
Do I feel differently about Young Living now?
I’m a little disappointed, but if I’ve learned anything from this process, it is ASK! Always ask. Don’t assume that because a company has high standards and superb products, that they’re allergen free.
Am I frustrated by the use of gluten in Young Living products?
Yes, I am. I feel like I won’t get to try some of these products that people have experienced great results with. That said, thankfully their oils are gluten free and that’s what really matters.
Should Young Living change their product formulations?
I wish! I wish Young Living would recognize that we are a society overburdened with gluten and that so many people are sensitive and allergic. I wish they’d consider that and produce a reformulation that included products without gluten. I also wish I knew how to get that ball rolling…
Should we avoid these products?
You should avoid the products mentioned above if you are sensitive to gluten. Even rubbing products containing gluten on your skin can cause an immune reaction and we wouldn’t want that! I won’t ever get to try the MultiGreens, but perhaps I’ll find a blend I like for myself elsewhere and supplement with additional oils, separately.
Is Young Living still the best company for oils?
I say yes. I say this is the only company that follows their oils from the very seed planted in the ground to the harvesting of the plant, from the rendering of the oil to the seal on the bottle. I think for me, the disappointment and “a-ha” moment came when I realized that just because they make awesome, pure, therapeutic grade oils, does not mean that they are a supplement company or can produce a product for personal care better than I could at home. It’s so easy to fall in love with a company and surrender to them, believing they are the only company for you, without double-checking the things you would anywhere else…
That being said, my supplements will continue to come from Designs for Health and Apex Energetics, because these companies are GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) Certified and I know every ingredient that goes into their products. Also, they never include gluten or dairy, corn or soy in their products, and I personally, need that validation.
Remember, for oils, Young Living is the only way to go, in my opinion. For other products, I may recommend heading elsewhere…
To sign up with Young Living, go here and enter 1414775 as the Enroller ID and Sponsor ID. Choose the Premium Starter Kit in order to get the most for your money and start enjoying your oils today!
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EDITED JULY 2017 TO ADD: I have updated information and have made it super easy to download it directly from my blog! See the updated post here: http://www.atpeacewithhealth.com/blog/what-young-living-essential-oil-products-contain-gluten