It all started in the summer of 2018 when I was listening to a business podcast to help with my book biz. They interviewed Casey Wiegand and I gained so much value from her 50-minute talk, I followed her on Instagram. As Instagram does, it showed me her life and I saw Young Living’s products constantly appearing in her stories. I had heard of Young Living before, but I honestly wrote it off as “hippie” and not my style 😛 However, she presented it in a fresh way so I decided to follow her oil account, intrigued but not interested in pursuing that life for myself. After a few months of watching, I slowly became interested. Interested because I became convicted. And I was convicted because I had been educated.
I took Casey’s advice and downloaded the ThinkDirty app (sounds weird, but it’s a product information app where you can scan the barcode of items in your home and it will tell you the ingredients in it with a rating of how safe it is). Once I actually started paying attention to the ingredients in the products we use daily, I couldn’t ignore it any more.
All these products I was allowing into my home (that cost me less than $10) were actually harming us.
There are an estimated 65,000-100,000 chemicals currently on the market today. Most of these chemicals have not had any safety testing and we know very little information about their effects. Of the chemicals tested, toxic labeling is required only if 50% or more of the animals tested with that chemical die. WHAT!?!?
Soap has sodium laureth sulfate, a toxic chemical used to remove car grease off of garage floors. It’s very damaging to the skin, disruptive to immune health and hormonal health.
Shampoo (for adults and kids) has phthalates, a toxic chemical that has been banned in children’s toys, but is still found in body cleansing products. It’s an endocrine disruptor and is extremely hard for the body to break down when used consistently.
Candles and room sprays’ main ingredient is formaldehyde which is the number one cancer causing chemical and is used for embalming at the morgue. Ew. Plus, some have said inhaling scents from candles or sprays is the equivalent to inhaling second hand smoke.
Most household cleaning products contain 2-butoxyethanol, which is known to cause sore throat, narcosis, and severe liver and kidney damage.
Laundry detergent + dryer sheets have alpha-terpineol, benzyl alcohol, and camphor which cause central nervous system disorders, loss of muscular coordination, central nervous system depression, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
Baby products & many other things have the “fragrance” label which is a broad category that hides hundreds of toxic chemicals behind that word itself. Companies are not required to reveal the actual chemicals that are within the “fragrance” category, hence keeping the public in the dark about the true toxicity of the products we use on our own children.
Makeup + skin care have talc, bismuth, parabens, lead, mercury, and mineral oil. These can disrupt the endocrine system, are highly carcinogenic, and have even been found in tumors. And we’re putting this one our face daily!
As the gatekeeper of my home, I felt like it was my responsibility to keep us safe from these disgusting products. I really couldn’t ignore my convictions any longer. I needed to do something.
But, Young Living was an investment, so I kept watching. Making transitions (ditching and switching) in other ways throughout our home. Then in January of 2020, Casey introduced me to Emily Recker – a fellow YL oil buddy whose style instantly intrigued me. I followed her oils account too and fell in love with her approach to oils, the YL products, ditching the toxic stuff and her thriving community of oily-friends. During this time, a friend of mine from Highlands College, Taylor, was sharing more of oils and continued to message me about them. I asked questions. For months we did this dance and I continued to watch, learn and prepare my case to present to my husband.
After presenting it to him 3 different times, outlining all of the pros, how we could benefit & the cost breakdown, he gave me the green light to place the order.
When my kit came, I was so excited! I had no intention of doing the business, I just wanted the clean products and the 24% off discount. Simple.
Then I started using the products. My girls jumped up and down in excitement at bedtime because they got to put on their oils. My baby slept better (and longer). My husband found value in them and made countless recipes. I made a few DIY’s including shampoo, hand soap and deodorant. We switched out our dryer sheets with wool balls and our laundry smelled better. We were actually saving money…
After a couple weeks, Taylor shared that my name kept coming to her mind when she thought about the business. “I just feel like you’d do extremely well and thrive with it.” I honestly pushed it off, but the entrepreneur in me said I’d get all the information first. I sat in on a few Zoom calls and met some really sweet ladies in a similar season of life (young kids). I noticed how much they loved their work and the impact they were making was unmatched. Aaron and I talked about this new opportunity in depth. I loved the oils and what it was doing for our fam. Of course I wanted to share the goodness, so why not get paid too?
My heart is simple – I want to be a good steward of what God has given me. Our bodies, kids, finances, home, possessions, influence, etc.
I’ve been in the oil game for two months now and I can honestly say it was a best “yes!”
Helping educate families and offering a tool that has really impacted my own family has been so fun and I am expectant for all the goodness God will bring through this.
The Shaver Crew still has things to switch out, but I’m so excited to be this journey to holistic living. It’s my jam & I’m here for it 😛