Young Living Review: Legitimacy, Compensation, and Risks Explained
Young Living reviews often spark debate among those interested in essential oils and network marketing. This piece draws from reliable sources to assess the company’s structure, owners’ backgrounds, and business model. It aims to help readers decide if joining as a brand partner fits their goals. We cover key areas like leadership profiles, the full compensation plan, and potential pitfalls. Scams Radar.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Ownership and Leadership Profiles
Young Living started in 1993 as a private company based in Lehi, Utah. Mary Young serves as co-founder and CEO. She brings years of experience in direct selling. Her role focuses on guiding the firm through global market expansion. The leadership team includes Ben Riley as president. The business sells wellness products like lavender oil and Thieves oil through distributors.
1.1 Founder Backgrounds
D. Gary Young founded the company but passed away in 2018. His past includes a guilty plea for practicing medicine without a license in the 1980s. He ran clinics that faced shutdowns. One incident involved a home birth where his daughter died. Courts noted proper care might have saved her. Gary lost a lawsuit against doTERRA over trade secrets. These events raise questions about credibility. Mary Young, his wife, stepped up as CEO. She built networks in the industry before the firm launched.
The structure is an MLM, or multi-level marketing setup. It relies on brand partners to sell and recruit. This model draws scrutiny as a potential pyramid scheme in some lawsuits.
Part 2: Complete Compensation Plan Breakdown
The compensation plan uses a unilevel system. It rewards sales and team building. To start, buy a starter kit worth it for some at $35 to $260. Stay active with 50 PV orders yearly. For commissions, hit 100 PV monthly, about $100.
Key parts include:
- Retail Margin: Sell at higher prices for profit.
- Fast Start Bonus: Get up to 50% on new members’ first-month buys. Then 25% for months two and three. Cap at 1,000 PV.
- Unilevel Commissions: Earn 8% on level one, 5% on level two, 4% on levels three to five.
- Generation Commissions: For Silver rank and above, 2.5% to 3% on group volume.
- Bonus Pools: Share in 6.25% for generation leadership. Plus 0.5% for diamond levels.
- 70% Rule: Sell or use 70% of stock before reordering. This curbs excess buying.
Ranks climb fast. Associate needs 100 PV. Royal Crown Diamond demands 1,500,000 OGV with six legs at 35,000 OGV each. Compression moves volume up if lower levels miss goals.
Young Living’s compensation plan breakdown shows ties to recruiting. No recruiting means low income. The plan stresses sales to end users, but data suggests otherwise.
2.1 Earnings Reality
Rank | % of Members | Average Annual Income (€) | Notes |
Associate | 88.7 | 7.15 | The vast majority here |
Star | 7.9 | 229.18 | Entry-level earners |
Senior Star | 2.1 | 1,079.41 | Still low after costs |
Executive | 0.9 | 2,635.04 | 99.6% below this |
2.2 Mathematical Unsustainability
Level | People Required |
1 | 5 |
2 | 25 |
3 | 125 |
4 | 625 |
By level 10, over 9 million needed. Markets saturate. Finite demand limits this. For $3,000 monthly at 5% effective rate, need $60,000 in volume. That means 600 buyers at $100 each. Churn makes it harder.
Compare to real options. Bank APY gives 4-5% safe. Real estate yields 8-10%. Crypto staking offers 3-7%, with risks. Young Living’s no-recruiting income leads to losses. It’s not like the S&P 500’s 10% average.
Part 3: Public Perception and Legal History
Views split. Trustpilot shows mixed reviews. Some praise the aromatherapy benefits. Others call the prices too high. Reddit antiMLM stories highlight losses. BBB notes complaints on billing. Is Young Living a DSA member, BBB accredited? It has an A+ but lacks accreditation.
Lawsuits allege pyramid claims. FDA warnings hit in 2014 and 2022 for health claims. DOJ guilty plea in 2017 for plant trafficking cost $760,000. A 2024 settlement paid $5 million over claims for sleep anxiety. Seed to Seal Young Living quality review faces doubts. No organic certification. Critics say it’s marketing hype.
Security lapsed in the 2024 breach. Over 1 million emails exposed. Support struggles with cancellations. Payments use cards and PayPal.
Red Flags and Comparisons
Watch for:
- Recruitment focus over sales.
- Founder controversies.
- Unsupported claims on Thieves oil benefits.
- Low earnings despite effort.
- Young Living lawsuits pyramid claims.
Join the Young Living brand partner in 2026? Weigh risks. Is Young Living’s pyramid scam legit? Courts dismissed some cases, but concerns linger. Former Young Living distributors often cite losses.
Versus banks or real estate, it’s riskier. No guaranteed ROI.
Future Outlook
Regulatory shifts loom. FTC rules may demand clearer disclosures. Young Living review 2026: MLM shutdown rumors swirl, unconfirmed. Traffic stalls amid competition. Pivot to retail could help, butthe MLM core stays.
Conclusion
This Young Living review highlights a firm with real products but a flawed model. Leadership has baggage. Plan favors few. Most face losses. For essential oils, try non-MLM brands. Do research. Check disclosures. Consult pros. Avoid if seeking a steady income.
Young Living Review Trust Score
A website’s trust score is an important indicator of its reliability. Young Living currently reflects a worryingly low rating, raising serious concerns about its legitimacy. Users are strongly urged to exercise caution.
Key red flags include low web traffic, negative user feedback, potential phishing risks, undisclosed ownership, unclear hosting details, and weak SSL encryption.
With such a poor trust score, the likelihood of fraud, data breaches, or other security issues is much higher. It is crucial to carefully assess these warning signs before engaging with the Young Living or similar platforms.
Positive Highlights
- We found a valid SSL certificate
- DNSFilter labels this site as safe
Negative Highlights
- The Tranco rank (how much traffic) is rather low.
- The age of this site is (very) young.
Frequently Asked Questions Young Living Review
This section answers key questions about Young Living, providing clarity, addressing concerns, and highlighting issues related to the platform’s legitimacy.
Young Living is legal, but its MLM structure depends heavily on recruitment.
Most members earn little or lose money after expenses.
Through sales commissions, team volume, and recruitment bonuses.
Many critics say yes compared to non-MLM alternatives.
Young Living involves MLM risk, while an Everstead Review focuses on non-recruitment models.
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