Melanie Simon Hollywood Esthetician Interview

Melanie: I have always been interested in skin care. From the time I was a young girl, I always took care of my skin because of my mother’s urging. As far as my personal approach to skin care, I think what really changed things for me and led me to the treatments I provide today was the book The Body Electric, which is about a series of electric tests with low electrical currents in the nano and pico ampere range. A light bulb, for instance, runs off of one ampere. Nano and pico are one-billionth and one-trillionth of one ampere, so the human body is run on very tiny electrical currents. The treatment is not detectable by the human body, as far as touch goes. You can’t feel it and it doesn’t agitate the tissue. It is more about how your body responds to this tiny current than what the current does to the body.

EE: How did you get involved with essential oils?

Melanie: I became interested in essential oils when learning about their vibrational characteristics. I started to realize the benefits of essential oils and how real, high-quality oils could facilitate repair in the human body. For many years I believed the only benefit to an essential oil was the scent. Now, after educating myself, I know how to find real essential oils and use them appropriately. If an atomic bomb were to hit the country and I could take one thing with me from my medicine cabinet into a cave, it would be my kit of Young Living essential oils — seriously.

EE: Are you using exclusively Young Living essential oils in your clients’ treatments?

Melanie: I am using Young Living essential oils exclusively, and I use them frequently in treatments. When using these oils with my low-current electrical devices, I have no patience for oils that are not absolutely perfect.

EE: Why do you choose to use Young Living essential oils?

Melanie: There is just no comparison. These oils are the only oils I have found that are not fractionated with other oils like coconut or vegetable oils. These oils are 100 percent essential oil. There are no fillers. They are grown responsibly and with love. I can attest to this after visiting the farm in Mona, Utah, and seeing the quality with my own eyes — something I recommend to everyone interested in essential oils. Gary actually took me on a tour of the distilleries and talked to me about the different temperatures that he uses for different plants. Young Living pays close attention to detail, which is why its pharmaceutical-grade essential oils have been used by universities worldwide for clinical testing, the highest stamp of approval.

EE: How important was it for you to actually experience the Seed to Seal® process?

Melanie: Seeing the farm and distillery in Mona, Utah, just confirmed what I already knew. I already had the utmost confidence in Young Living essential oils because I had seen their results in my own life. However, touring the distillery with Gary was an amazing experience that further expanded my knowledge of a very specific process. I had met with different distilleries in my search for high-quality essential oils; however, all of them distilled at the same temperature for all oils.

After my tour with Gary, I learned that Young Living distills each of its plants at a unique temperature that keeps the delicate compounds in their optimal state. For me, this means the world. I have seen the difference one degree, one pH water level change, humidity, and heat can make on a finished product.

EE: Please give us an example of how you use Young Living essential oils in your treatments.

Melanie: I’ll use my custom ST8 device, the premier device for lymphatic drainage, and I’ll mix Young Living lavender, Thieves®, eucalyptus, or grapefruit oil (depending on the issue) with a vegetable oil. I’ll put it directly on the skin and then use the device to drive it into the body. Young Living essential oils are so potent and powerful that I have to be very careful when using electricity with them and really make sure that I’m diluting them properly and applying them evenly.

EE: Do you recommend Young Living essential oils to your clients?

Melanie: Yes. So many people out there are becoming aware of Young Living. These bottles contain tremendous tools to aid you in maintaining good health. A gift like this is invaluable. Young Living means something for everyone. I have some clients that can't live without the Thieves® mouthwash; others, Gentle Baby™; many, lemon oil. The experience is unique for everyone but is always beneficial.

EE: You met Gary at an antiaging conference in Dubai. Did you have an “aha” moment when you met him?

Melanie: Gary arrived on the first day, and I immediately knew who he was. He had beautiful skin and a vibrant energy. It was very obvious that he had taken care of himself and was in great shape. Mary, who I saw at a later conference, is another testament of Young Living. Her skin is just amazing. She has used the same things for the last 15 years: myrrh and frankincense. It’s one thing to look at a clinical test on paper about the effectiveness of an ingredient, but it’s another to see walking proof of the effectiveness of a certain routine. Gary and Mary walk the walk, and it has paid off for both of them.

I remember a research scientist from Russia, Mr. Dobrowski, at the conference, who was there promoting a microscopic device that analyzes blood. Long story short, we saw hundreds, maybe thousands, of medical professionals, and not one tested the technology like Gary did. He really utilized the technologies at hand to make an educated decision, which was something no one else did (not to mention that his blood was in exceptionally good shape).

It was obvious that he was curious, a researcher, and was the type of person who would do his due diligence and who was striving for the best in all areas of his life.

That’s really what it was for me; it was just one of those moments where everybody was watching him, listening to what he said, and watching the results of his experiment. I thought, “I want to know this man.”

EE: What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear “Young Living?”

Melanie: Quality.

EE: Define Young Living in a word or phrase.

Melanie: All-encompassing. It’s applicable in every walk of life for everything—emotional, mental, physical, viral, bacterial; there just isn’t an application that escapes Young Living. I have noticed a wonderful change coming about from the medical community. I hear doctors now saying that Thieves is great to try for X, Y, and Z, or they recommend cleaning with lemon essential oil instead of a household cleaner if someone has a child that is asthmatic. I am hearing more of these types of suggestions, especially in California.

It is great to hear Western medical professionals acknowledging these essential oils. There is so much that can be done with essential oils. I truly feel that having these oils in my life brings a sense of peace, especially as a mother, knowing that I have these amazing tools to protect and preserve a healthy environment for my family and me.

EE: How have your companies become so successful so quickly, and are you surprised by the success?

Melanie: I’m not surprised, but I am surprised! I am not surprised by the success because of the amount of work and effort that our team has put into it; it has been seven years in the making. At the same time, I am thrilled, shocked, delighted, and will forever be grateful for the success. The pendulum is swinging back, and our culture is starting to realize that whole foods, essential oils, highly concentrated products, and technologies that work with the body are really the way to go.

We have been consumed by the trend of antiaging, where we are fighting the body by burning the skin, radiating the skin, and forcing the body to kill off everything (the good and the bad) with the hope that some of the good cells can survive in this war that we are waging against the body. The time has come where we must work with the miracles of the human body. That’s really what Young Living and my treatments are all about.!

EE: This means more to you than just antiaging, doesn’t it?

Melanie: It’s amazing! I’ve gotten to the place now where I work with so many health-care and medical professionals, including dermatologists, plastic surgeons, family practitioners, so many different types of authorities. It’s a tremendous thing to be able to help someone in need when you have the ability to do so. Nothing is better than that.

EE: What has led you to your current successes and innovations?

Melanie: First, listening to my clients. Everything I have done has been in answer to a need. Second, having wonderful partners who share my vision and passion. Third, truly loving what I do.

EE: What advice would you give to Young Living distributors?

Melanie: First, they have to apply personal, practical stories about how their product has worked for them and how it has worked for their clients. They have to use the product! This is the best way to earn the respect of others. Young Living essential oils work, period. If you are listening to what other people who are using these oils are doing and you pass that along in an honest way, people will respond.

My story: I always keep a good stock of Thieves around. I remember one winter noticing my stock was missing and asking my husband, “How is my Thieves supply gone in two weeks? What are you doing with it?” He reeked of Thieves so I knew he was the culprit. My husband, Kyle Clancy, is a professional snowboarder, who spends a lot of time in the backcountry. Because he and his mates are in life-threatening, strenuous situations in harsh weather conditions, they sometimes get sick at the most inopportune times (the one sunny day that month when they were supposed to film).

Cut to my Thieves, Kyle had been dolling it out, and now he and all his friends are hooked on it, because they swear it keeps them strong and healthy during the long, cold winter. Well, boo hoo, keep your mitts off my Thieves!

Second, bask in the life of your clients. Try to figure out what they are looking for and what they need. I try to listen to what people need and want right now. It is so important to be out there working with people, in any kind of capacity, be it housekeeping, the medical community, holistic medicine, culinary arts, skin care, or whatever it is you are passionate about. Without these interactions, it is difficult to master your art.

Third, seek good advice. For example, Gary Young is someone I would take advice from. Don’t take the act of taking advice lightly, because you lose your intuitive ability if you do, but if you find yourself in an area where you lack expertise, take advice from someone who you know has done due diligence in that specific area and is a true expert.

EE: Is “Esthetician to the Stars” an accurate title?