LAURUS NOBILIS VITALITY™
From an ancient symbol of victory to a familiar leaf in the kitchen, bay laurel carries a story that stretches across centuries.
Its glossy evergreen leaves belong to the Mediterranean landscape—and to generations of culinary tradition. Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ brings that familiar botanical into another form: a concentrated essential oil with a sophisticated, piney and slightly bitter flavor.
Meet the PlantExplore the Oil
A Familiar Leaf With a Much Bigger Story
You may already know Laurus nobilis.
Look in the spice cupboard.
That dried bay leaf dropped into soup, stew or sauce comes from this Mediterranean evergreen. But long before bay became a familiar kitchen herb, laurel carried another identity. Its leaves and branches became enduring symbols of honor, achievement and victory.
Today the story travels from the Mediterranean landscape to the kitchen—and then into the essential-oil bottle.
Young Living Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ is produced from Laurus nobilis and brings the familiar character of bay into a remarkably concentrated form created for dietary and culinary use.
The Botanical at a Glance
From Laurel Leaf to Laurel Wreath
Before bay laurel became a familiar kitchen herb, it carried powerful symbolism in the ancient Mediterranean world.
Laurel became associated with honor, achievement and victory. In ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were used to crown victors and distinguished individuals.
That history still echoes in our language and imagery today.
The same glossy leaves we recognize as bay belong to a botanical story that reaches far beyond the spice cupboard.
The Bay Leaf You Already Know
Bay leaf has long played a quiet supporting role in cooking. Rather than dominating a dish, it adds its distinctive herbal character to foods that simmer, roast, marinate or pickle.
Young Living carries that familiar culinary relationship into Laurus Nobilis Vitality™.
Young Living specifically suggests it as a seasoning for:
- Soups
- Sauces
- Marinades
- Stews
- Pickles
Young Living also describes it as an addition to:
- Roasted vegetables
- Baked chicken
- Green juice
- Smoothies
The familiar bay leaf gives us a doorway into understanding Laurus Nobilis—but a concentrated essential oil is not used in the same quantity as a dried leaf.
More Than the Bay Leaf
The bay leaf in the kitchen represents only part of the Laurus nobilis story.
Young Living describes Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ as derived by steam distilling the plant’s leaves and twigs.
Steam carries volatile aromatic compounds from the botanical material. As that vapor cools and condenses, the essential oil separates.
The result is a highly concentrated aromatic expression of the plant.
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STEAM DISTILLATION
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ESSENTIAL OIL
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CULINARY DROP
What Happens When Bay Laurel Becomes an Essential Oil?
Essential oil chemistry gives us another way to meet the plant.
Published analyses of Laurus nobilis essential oil repeatedly identify 1,8-cineole among its major volatile constituents.
One study of leaf essential oil from Southern Italy identified 1,8-cineole, sabinene and linalool among its three major constituents.
Research on wild-growing Laurus nobilis from several locations in Turkey also found 1,8-cineole dominant while documenting meaningful quantitative differences among collection locations.
Research comparing leaves, twigs and fruits has likewise shown that plant part influences the proportions of the aromatic compounds present.
Piney. Herbal. Slightly Bitter.
Young Living describes Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ as having a sophisticated, piney and slightly bitter taste.
That character helps explain why it fits naturally into savory foods—especially soups, sauces, marinades, vegetables, meats and pickled foods.
A little matters.
Because essential oil represents a concentrated botanical preparation, Young Living recommends the toothpick method when substituting Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ for fresh or dried bay in a recipe when a lighter flavor is desired.
Same Plant. Very Different Concentration.
BAY LEAF
Whole botanical material.
Commonly added to soups, sauces, stews and other savory dishes.
The leaf may simmer in a recipe to impart flavor.
LAURUS NOBILIS VITALITY™
Concentrated essential oil.
Young Living labels the Vitality™ version for dietary use.
Use according to current Young Living directions and suggested uses.
Familiar plant does not mean familiar concentration.
When substituting Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ for fresh or dried Laurus nobilis in a recipe, Young Living recommends starting by dipping a toothpick into the oil and swirling the toothpick through the ingredients for a lighter flavor. Add more as needed.
One Botanical. Several Ways to Know It.
Few essential oils connect so naturally with something already familiar in the kitchen.
Laurus nobilis is simultaneously:
- A Mediterranean evergreen
- The botanical source of familiar culinary bay
- A plant with an ancient cultural association with honor and victory
- A source of aromatic essential oil
- A Vitality™ oil labeled by Young Living for dietary use
Its story gives us an unusually clear example of why botanical identity matters.
We can meet the same plant through its landscape, its history, its flavor, its chemistry and its essential oil.
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MEDITERRANEAN
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STEAM DISTILLATION
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AROMATIC CHEMISTRY
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CULINARY DROP
Follow the plant from landscape to kitchen to bottle, and the connections begin to appear.
Simple Ways to Explore Laurus Nobilis Vitality™
1. Soups & Stews
Young Living specifically suggests Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ as a seasoning for soups and stews. Its piney, slightly bitter character naturally suits savory dishes.
2. Sauces & Marinades
Use the toothpick method to begin exploring Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ in sauces or marinades when only a subtle bay flavor is desired.
3. Roasted Vegetables & Savory Dishes
Young Living specifically identifies roasted vegetables and baked chicken among foods whose flavor profile may be elevated with Laurus Nobilis Vitality™.
4. Pickling
Young Living specifically recommends Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ for homemade pickles.
5. Green Juice & Smoothies
Young Living suggests adding Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ to a favorite green juice or smoothie.
Five Simple Ways to Get Acquainted
- Start small. Use Young Living’s toothpick method when experimenting with bay flavor in a recipe.
- Revisit a familiar soup. Instead of thinking only about the dried bay leaf, notice how Laurus nobilis contributes to the flavor story of a savory dish.
- Explore a marinade. Use the toothpick method to introduce a very small amount of Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ into a favorite savory marinade.
- Try Young Living’s hot-water suggestion. Add 2 drops to hot water and enjoy before or after meals, following Young Living’s current suggested use.
- Explore a green drink. Young Living suggests adding Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ to a favorite green juice or smoothie.
Three Practical Recipes
Connect the Dots™ kitchen ideas inspired by Young Living’s listed culinary uses.
Bay-Laurel Roasted Vegetables
- Favorite roasting vegetables
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Laurus Nobilis Vitality™
Prepare vegetables with olive oil and seasonings. Dip a toothpick into Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ and swirl it through the seasoned oil or vegetables before roasting. Taste the finished dish before increasing the amount in a future batch.
The toothpick method follows Young Living’s recommendation for beginning with a lighter Laurus Nobilis flavor.
Mediterranean-Style Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Laurus Nobilis Vitality™
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Dip a toothpick into Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ and swirl through the marinade. Use with vegetables or another appropriate savory food.
Laurus Green Sip
- Favorite green juice or green smoothie
- Laurus Nobilis Vitality™
Prepare your usual green juice or smoothie. Begin with the toothpick method to explore the flavor before deciding whether more is appropriate.
Young Living specifically lists green juice and smoothies among the suggested uses for Laurus Nobilis Vitality™.
This Spotlight features Laurus Nobilis Vitality™, labeled by Young Living for dietary use. Young Living states that Vitality™ and classic Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil contain the same essential oil with different labeling. If you would like to explore Laurus nobilis aromatically, look to the classic Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil—a separate product labeled for topical and aromatic use.
How to Use Laurus Nobilis Vitality™
CURRENT YOUNG LIVING DIETARY DIRECTIONS
Dilute 1 drop of Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ with 1 drop of carrier oil. Put in a capsule and take up to 3 times daily or as needed.
CURRENT YOUNG LIVING SUGGESTED USES
- Use as a seasoning for soups, sauces, marinades, stews and pickles.
- Dilute 1 drop with 1 drop of V-6™ Vegetable Oil Complex and take as a dietary supplement.
- Add 2 drops to hot water and enjoy before or after meals.
- Add it to a favorite green juice or smoothie.
CULINARY SUBSTITUTION
Young Living recommends beginning with the toothpick method when substituting Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ for fresh or dried Laurus nobilis in recipes because of the essential oil’s potency.
Same Essential Oil. Different Label Direction.
Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil and Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ contain the same essential oil.
The distinction lies in their labeling:
Labeled for dietary use.
Labeled for topical and aromatic use.
Each label points to its own route of use.
Young Living lists these as complementary products: Oregano Vitality™ • Rosemary Vitality™ • Sage Vitality™ • Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil.
A Few Things You May Be Wondering
Is Laurus nobilis the same plant as the bay leaf used in cooking?
How much Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ should I use when replacing dried or fresh bay?
What does Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ taste like?
What is the difference between Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ and classic Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil?
Why does botanical identity matter?
Why do chemistry reports for Laurus nobilis look different?
Concentrated Plant. Thoughtful Choices.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- If pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or if you have a medical condition, consult a health professional prior to use.
- Follow Young Living’s current dietary directions.
- Remember that Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ is a concentrated essential oil. Do not assume that the amount used for dried bay leaf translates directly to essential oil.
- Use the toothpick method when a lighter culinary flavor is desired.
What About Pets?
Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ is labeled by Young Living for human dietary use.
These human dietary directions do not translate into animal directions.
Species, size, health status, medications and route of exposure all matter when considering essential oils around animals.
Oregano Vitality™
A complementary Vitality™ oil listed by Young Living.
Rosemary Vitality™
A complementary Vitality™ oil listed by Young Living.
Sage Vitality™
A complementary Vitality™ oil listed by Young Living.
Laurus Nobilis Essential Oil
This is the classic version Young Living identifies for topical and aromatic use, while Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ carries dietary labeling.
How does knowing the plant behind a familiar kitchen ingredient change the way you think about the essential oil?
Follow the Connections AgainTry a Kitchen Idea- Young Living Essential Oils — Laurus Nobilis Vitality™ Product Information Page, current U.S. product information.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Plants of the World Online: Laurus nobilis L.
- Caputo L, et al. Laurus nobilis: Composition of Essential Oil and Its Biological Activities. Molecules. 2017;22(6):930.
- Özcan M, Chalchat JC. Effect of different locations on the chemical composition of essential oils of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) leaves growing wild in Turkey. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2005;8(3):408–411.
