Here's the thing about oils I've come to know and love: they work. When they started becoming trendy a few years back, I was more skeptical than most. They seemed super woo-woo and weird, and why would I want to be all greasy just in the name of health?! I was never going to spend serious money on a starter kit, and instead decided I would test the waters with cheap oils found on Amazon and at Whole Foods to see what I thought... and then I fell in love. I wanted the real deal.

I realized over time that the cheap oils were okay, but they weren't great. Quality was worth investing in, especially when it came with peace of mind that what I was putting on and in my body was actually pure, organic, ethically harvested, and legit in every sense. I fiiiiinally bit the bullet and got my Young Living starter kit recently, and I'm never looking back.

I did NOT buy my kit because I wanted to "do the business." (And literally nobody pressured me, haha!) I genuinely just loved the products, and because I’m an over-instagrammer anyway… I wanted to share. Not just trying to sell you on anything (your girl is on a budget too so I GET IT), but just genuinely sharing what's been helpful to me in case it might be helpful for you, too.

There are affiliate links here, as you've seen here before! No extra cost to you, and usually, extra savings instead. :)

So. Oils. Where to start?! What does it all mean?! What do you need?!

Here is my best advice for how to get started with all things oils:

ps— I updated this in January 2019 to reflect the new starter kit upgrade! it changed since I bought my own kit, so that picture isn’t 100% accurate now!

What you need:

A starter kit // $165 - includes:
- A diffuser (I have the desert mist one — it has several settings and lots of great light options too!)
- 11 oils:
  - Lemon (for cleansing and purifying)
  - Lavender (for calming, sleep, relaxing)
  - Peppermint (for digestion, headaches, energy)
  - Thieves (for boosting your immune system)
  - Digize (for your digestive system)
  - Panaway (for aches and pains)
  - Frankincense (for soothing and calming)
  - Raven (for help with stuffiness, deep breathing)
  - Citrus Fresh (for lifting your spirits, positive energy)
  - Stress Away (for instant stress relief and vacation vibes)
  - Valor (for bravery)
  - Peace and Calming (for… peace and calming!)
- Samples of thieves cleaner (for all the household cleaning) + Ningxia Red (an antioxidant drink for extra immunity support), roller tops you can pop right on a bottle (put it on the stress away or valor blend!), resources, a lifestyle booklet, an essential oils display tray, etc!
Carrier oils.
- I like fractionated coconut oil ($12.99) for most things. I also use jojoba for rollers going on my face. Grapeseed oil works too!
Roller bottles. // $13.95
- This is a great deal for 12 bottles, extra rollers, labels, and funnels. The amber colored bottles protect oils from the light better than clear glass, so be sure to always get brown ones!
Glass spray bottles. // $16.99
- This is an awesome variety pack with several big bottles with great sprayers, a few medium size, and several small, with extra tops for them all! Again, get amber ones to protect the lifespan of your oils.
Oil labels. // $5.49
- These are such a great way to easily label your oils. This is a fun watercolor set is specifically for Young Living oils so you’ll have everything exactly right, and they just stick right on top of the caps! Great for easy organization and quickly finding what you’re looking for, since the colors match the bottles and are super intuitive. (YL sells these too, for like $3! Search for “essential oil bottle labels” on the site.)

For a grand total of about $210, you’ll have everything (literally) you need for a good long while!

I know that’s a serious investment and not just pocket change. I get it, trust me. But the starter kit alone is valued at over $400 and you’re getting it all for $165… plus, these babies last a good while! You’re only using a few drops at a time, so they go a long way. Having clean, nontoxic, helpful tools like these in your arsenal is worth investing in. Just trust me on that. ;)

You can wait to get spray bottles, get a few roller bottles over time to make more, etc. You don’t have to get ALL the things right away! But you really will want to have some rollers on hand at least to be able to mix up some blends and do more than just diffusing, but even if you just diffused with the starter kit oils, you’ll fall in love.

A few other helpful things to consider:

Sign up for Essential Rewards!
- It’s 100% free. (FREE.)
- You pick your products each month, set a date for shipping, etc.
- You get points back on everything you buy! It acts like cash, which is super awesome. YES PLZ MONEY BACK. (You get 10% back for the first 3 months, then 20% after 3 consecutive months, and 25% after 24 months!)
- FREE loyalty gifts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
- Discounted shipping
- FREE promo oils + products with qualifying orders
- Cancel whenever!
ALSO sign up for YL GO once you’re on Essential Rewards!
- FREE, FAST SHIPPING. Yep, I’d do just about anything for free shipping… This gets your orders to you within 2-4 days. HOLLA.
- All you have to do is pay $59 one time for the annual subscription and get 13 total shipments without paying for shipping. (Saves you SO MUCH MONEY.)

FAQ

Here are all the most commonly asked questions about getting started with Young Living:

Do I have to sell oils if I buy a starter kit?
- Nope! Not at all.
What does “joining” even really mean?
- When you get a premium starter kit, you get 11 oils + free diffuser + samples.
- You get a wholesale membership and 24% off!
- You get added to an incredible community (these people are already the BEST and it’s been so fun!) online — we have all sorts of Facebook groups and emails of AMAZING INFO we will get you looped in on. It’s awesome.
- Access to recipes, DIYs, roller + diffuser blends, more!
Why Young Living instead of other brands?
- The quality is unbeatable. This is the only company with a Seed to Seal guarantee, with rigorous quality control standards and conscientious sourcing. It’s top-notch.
- The community is AMAZING and the support, resources, knowledge, and DIY tips shared are so incredible!
What if I want to join the business?
- WOOP WOOP! That’s awesome! It’s super easy, and I’m learning right now how it all goes too! I’ve had such incredible support and coaching already and it’s been a blast to dive in. I’d love to help you get started! I’m learning from the best and can help share all of that with you.
Are there costs involved with being a member?
- Nope! You can obviously join YL GO and pay that $59 to get free, fast shipping all year, but there aren’t membership costs or any yearly fees or anything. If you get started with a kit and join Essential Rewards, you actually save money instead, get points back (to use as cash on future products), and can get freebies each month with different promos too!