Young Living Distributors and others who practice some form of aromatherapy need to be concerned that they remain within the law when sharing the oils. No one wants to get in trouble with a licensing board or to be accused of practicing medicine without a license. Fortunately, there are six areas in which it is perfectly legal for anyone to offer assistance and advice and are not “practicing medicine.” They are as follows:
1. First Aid
2. Pain Management
3. Stress Management
4. Cleansing and Detoxification
5. Building for Peak Performance
6. Improving Quality of Life
1. First Aid
In an emergency, applying first aid measures until a licensed health care professional arrives is not practicing medicine. This can include applying essential oils.
2. Pain Management
Advising people as to what oils may have pain alleviating properties, such as Clove, Panaway, Copaiba, and others is not practicing medicine any more than recommending one take an aspirin for a headache.
3. Stress management
Advising people as to what oils may have stress relieving properties, such as Lavender, Joy, Myrrh, Peace & Calming, etc., is not practicing medicine any more than recommending that one take a warm shower, lie down, and relax.
4. Cleansing & Detoxification
Advising people as products that release toxins from the system (such as the Cleansing Trio and other products of Young Living) or that Raindrop Technique may be a detoxification protocol is not practicing medicine any more than encouraging people to drink more water every day.
5. Building for Peak Performance
Advising people that some oils may help adjust one’s attitude for peak performance (such as Highest Potential, Valor, Motivation, or Magnify Your Purpose) or that some foods (like Ningxia Red or Balance Complete help your body to manifest optimal health) is not practicing medicine any more than advising people to eat right and think positively.
6. Improving Quality of Life
Advising people that certain oils and their applications, like Raindrop Technique, may alleviate many ills such as back pain, indigestion, fatigue, insomnia, and other chronic conditions is not practicing medicine any more than recommending that to your friends to get more rest, to engage in daily forms of pleasant relaxation, and to establish a spiritual basis for their life.
There are precautions to be taken when engaging in these six areas. Be sure that you are not “telling people what to do,” but are merely advising them as to the possibilities from which they may choose. Be sure you are not stating a definite claim that an oil or other natural protocol “can definite cure a condition or have definite beneficial effects.” Simply say these natural means “may” have benefit, but there are no guarantees and different people react differently to the same oils and protocols. If we avoid diagnosing, prescribing, prognosticating, or making claims, we remain on the right side of the law.
You can always cite your own personal experiences, which is not practicing medicine, but only telling anecdotes. And, of course, you can always quote data from published sources, attributing what you share to the sources.
So there you have it. Keep sharing and blessing others your knowledge and experiences of the oils and other products Young Living has provided for us. Stay within the guidelines given above and you needn’t worry about crossing any legal lines or getting into trouble with medical authorities or licensing boards. And always pray for God inner guidance and that He work with you closely in all that you do. The ultimate legal authority is Divine, but nevertheless, as citizens of the World, we must also “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Mark 12:17
