Why do you love Young Living’s Seed to Seal promise? Tell us in the comments below!

Using essential oils is easy, but you should know a few things as you begin incorporating them into your life. To help you out—and test your essential oil IQ—we compiled this quiz about the myths and facts of essential oils.

How did you do? Tell us in the comments!

This International Women’s Day, the Young Living Foundation is thrilled to recognize the five young women who will be the first to graduate with their high school diplomas from the Young Living Academy in Chongon, Ecuador on March 9.

We’re beyond proud of these ladies, and we want to brag about what that they’ve accomplished. Meet these five remarkable graduates!

• Lady Thalia Lopez Delgado

• Ivany Joselyn Mateo Santana

• Melanie Nicole Méndez León

• Olinda Maritza Roldán Benitez

• Dayanna Katherine Santana Touriz

With a total of 12 students graduating from the academy, the class of 2016 boasts a 100 percent graduation rate. That’s impressive in any school, but it’s especially striking given that the local average was less than 20 percent when the academy opened its doors in 2009. More exciting still, each of these seniors is soon to become a university freshman. And we wouldn’t miss celebrating with them for the world! Staff from Young Living and the foundation, as well as 30 Young Living members, has traveled to Ecuador to attend the ceremony and to join in service projects.

The Young Living Academy, the breathtaking Young Living farm just down the road, and the small town of Chongon hold a special place in the history of Young Living. It was in this small rural town where the Young Living Foundation (formerly the D. Gary Young Foundation) was established and the Sponsor a Child program was born.

Anyone who knows founder D. Gary and CEO Mary Young knows that they’re motivated by a single passion more than anything else: a passion to serve and empower individuals far beyond their circumstances. After noticing that Chongon could use some help with education, Gary and Mary built the academy from the ground up. While the academy wasn’t initially built for it, it held 83 students during its first year. Mary recalls, “We could not believe how many more people showed up begging for us to admit them. What was I going to do? Of course we would admit them.”

The Young Living Academy has kept growing and expanding since then, now educating nearly 300 students grades K–12. The academy offers high-quality education for local children and jobs for some of the greatest teachers in the country.

In large part, it’s the work of the incredible teachers and staff at the Young Living Academy that has made this year’s graduation possible. They work tirelessly to serve students, cultivate critical thinking, and foster leadership. Most of all, they recognize the power of one individual, armed with the correct tools, to change the world. Investing in a child’s education can cause ripples in all directions. It can help them gain better employment and achieve better economic security, which in turn creates a stronger economy overall. These students one day will be able to pass along their education and values to their children.

These long-term effects are why we’re so proud of the young women of the 2016 graduating class. Armed with education and a passion for empowering others, these high-achieving graduates will be able to create incredible impact in their communities, while avoiding the poverty that may otherwise have been their future. Their education provides them with the tools necessary to become self-sufficient and contribute to, shape, and lead their communities.

We’re so proud of the class of 2016! Post your congratulations in the comments!

Create this delicious and easy recipe created by Sylvie Shirazi of Gourmande in the Kitchen as a party snack or completely for yourself. (We won’t tell!) With Lemon Vitality™, Rosemary Vitality™, and a dash of salt, this fresh recipe is sure to spice up your everyday snacking.

What other Vitality-infused snacks do you enjoy? Share with us in the comments!

Spring Break is full of photo opportunities! Times when you’ll head outdoors with your family and friends to celebrate the warming weather. Check out our top seven tips on how to capture the moment with the perfect selfie.

1. Prep Your Canvas

Before the cameras start flashing, start the day off right with the right beauty products! Use the ART^® Skin Care System while getting ready to look your most radiant for all your outdoor activities and photos. Remember to add a bright lip color just before you get snapping.

2. Make Things Interesting

The best selfies offer something for the audience. Give your viewers something to look at or something to laugh about. Bring some personality to your photo, but make sure to keep it natural—avoid fake smiles and staged poses. A picture is worth a thousand words, so make them count!

3. Good Lighting is Your Best Friend

Lighting plays a key role in the outcome of a perfect photo, and selfies are no exception. Make sure to capture your selfie in well-lit areas with as much natural light as possible. Try to position yourself so that the light is in front of you to avoid shadows on the face.

4. Do a Quick Background Check

Great selfies often feature a great backdrop that gives your audience the inside scoop on where you are and what you’re doing. Your viewers would much rather see a pretty background or a neutral wall instead of a bathroom toilet or a room full of laundry.

5. Know Your Angles

It’s important to know your angles, because looking into a camera isn’t like looking into the mirror. Practice and play around with different poses to see what angles turn out to be most flattering to you. Try holding your device stretched away from your body, a little above eye level with your head slightly tilted to one side. That way your chin and cheekbone are visible, ensuring a slimming angle and a grade-A selfie.

6. Take Plenty of Photos and Pick a Winner

We all know that professional photographers take hundreds of photos only to narrow them down to a few golden shots, so why shouldn’t you? Just make sure you’ve got enough memory in your smartphone so you really get the one you want. Like other great photographers, remember to only share a few of your best shots--posting selfies sparingly will create the biggest impact.

7. Edit

The right photo-editing app can make a huge difference in how your final picture turns out. Don’t be afraid to apply a filter to your photo to make it more flattering! Instagram has the basics, but there are tons of other apps and tools out there that can help you get rid of the little blemish on your nose or even add a Cindy Crawford-esque mole.

Giveaway

What other tips do you have for taking a selfie? Let us know in the comments for a chance to be randomly selected to win an ART^® Skin Care System valued at $144.41!

Giveaway rules:

• To enter, simply comment on this post.
• Contest ends at 11:59 p.m., MT, on Thursday, March 10.
• One winner will be chosen randomly and announced on the blog on Friday, March 11.
• Click here for official rules.