Young Living Lawsuit: The $5 Million Settlement Is Closed
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The young living lawsuit most people mean is MacNaughton v. Young Living Essential Oils, a class action over health and “therapeutic-grade” claims for essential oils. The young living settlement was an agreement to pay up to $5 million; the claim deadline was June 24, 2024 and the court granted final approval on July 15, 2024. As of October 2026 there is no open settlement and no claim form. The two cases filed in 2026 are a disability-access case and a labor case, and we found no fund or claim form for either.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuits Claimed
Young Living is a Utah-based multilevel marketing company that sells essential oils through members. Two kinds of class actions have targeted it.
Product claims. The MacNaughton plaintiffs alleged “unlawful and deceptive conduct” in the “marketing, sale and delivery” of the oils — per ConsumerLab, that the company promoted them to reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep without reliable scientific evidence, and labelled them “therapeutic grade.” Young Living denied every allegation and settled without admitting liability.
Business model. Separate suits alleged that Young Living operates as an illegal pyramid scheme in which members, who buy starter kits priced from $35 to $165 per one complaint, mostly lose money. These were claims by distributors, not product buyers, and none produced a public payout.
Case Details
The settlement was approved in MacNaughton, et al. v. Young Living Essential Oils, LC, Case No. 24LA0329, in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois — a state court. Judge Christopher T. Kolker signed the final approval order on July 15, 2024 and dismissed the case with prejudice. The claims had a federal history first: U.S. District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in New York dismissed them on December 16, 2021, and the Second Circuit revived part of the case on May 2, 2023 (No. 22-0344). Of the pyramid-scheme suits, O’Shaughnessy v. Young Living Essential Oils, No. 1:19-cv-00412, was filed in federal court in western Texas in 2019; a separate California federal suit was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice on November 22, 2023 after a private settlement whose terms were not made public.
Status: Settled and Closed
Why it is in the news. Law360's docket list shows two new 2026 filings against the company: Dalton v. Young Living Essential Oils (filed May 12, 2026, Minnesota, a disability-access claim) and Brubaker v. Young Living Essential Oils (filed August 17, 2026, Northern District of California, a labor case). Law360 does not say whether either is a class action, and we found no fund or claim form for either.
Who Was Covered
The settlement class was everyone in the United States who bought Young Living essential oil products for personal consumption from January 1, 2017 through April 25, 2024. Notice went out mainly by email with a unique claim ID.
If you did not file by June 24, 2024, you are still bound by the release unless you were one of the sixteen people who opted out — meaning you generally cannot sue separately over the same marketing claims. If you filed and never heard back, the administrator was Kroll Settlement Administration, (833) 462-3478, PO Box 5324, New York, NY 10150-5324. See our Kroll guide for how to check a claim.
What the Settlement Paid
Young Living Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
2019 — Pyramid-Scheme Suits Filed
O’Shaughnessy (No. 1:19-cv-00412) is filed in federal court in Texas, and a second proposed class action follows in California, both alleging an illegal pyramid scheme.
- 2
December 16, 2021 — Product Case Dismissed
Judge Brenda K. Sannes dismisses the MacNaughton health-claims case, calling “therapeutic grade” non-actionable puffery. The plaintiff appeals.
- 3
May 2, 2023 — Second Circuit Revives Claims
The appeals court reinstates the New York false-advertising and unjust-enrichment claims. On November 22, 2023 the California pyramid suit is dismissed after a private settlement.
- 4
April 25, 2024 — Settlement Preliminarily Approved
The case, now in St. Clair County, Illinois (24LA0329), settles for up to $5 million. Opt-outs close June 8 and claims close June 24, 2024.
- 5
July 15, 2024 — Final Approval
Judge Christopher T. Kolker approves the settlement and dismisses the case with prejudice. Sixteen class members had opted out.
- 6
2026 — New Filings
Dalton (May 12, 2026, Minnesota) and Brubaker (August 17, 2026, N.D. California) are filed. As of October 2026 we found no fund or claim form for either.
Three Things to Watch For
A closed settlement with a lapsed website is an easy target:
Lookalike “EssentialOilsClassAction” sites
The official domain now shows a placeholder. If it, or a similar name, starts asking for card or bank details to “reopen” or “release” your Young Living payment, treat it as a scam — the claim period ended June 24, 2024.
“Unclaimed Young Living funds” messages
Emails or texts promising a late payout for a fee are not from Kroll. Real administrators never charge to release settlement money. Call (833) 462-3478, the number from the court-authorised notice, rather than one in the message.
MLM refund-recovery pitches
Former members are targeted with offers to “join the Young Living pyramid lawsuit” for an upfront fee. No distributor class settlement is open, and member agreements contain an arbitration clause — get independent advice before paying anyone.
Young Living Lawsuit — Questions People Ask
Is there an open Young Living settlement I can claim?
No. The $5 million MacNaughton settlement closed to claims on June 24, 2024 and received final approval on July 15, 2024. As of October 2026 no other Young Living settlement has a claim form. Our open settlements list shows what you can still file.
What was the young living lawsuit about?
The settled case alleged that Young Living marketed essential oils with health claims and a “therapeutic grade” label it could not support. Young Living denied the allegations and settled without admitting wrongdoing.
How much did people get?
Reports describe $2 per bottle with proof of purchase (capped at $20, or $25 by one account) and $1 per bottle without proof (capped at $5), plus a $5 coupon. Payments could be reduced pro rata. We could not confirm the final per-person amount.
I filed a claim but never got paid. What now?
Contact the administrator, Kroll Settlement Administration, at (833) 462-3478 or PO Box 5324, New York, NY 10150-5324, with your claim ID. The settlement site said payments would follow within two to three months of approval if there was no appeal.
Can I still sue Young Living over the oil marketing?
If you bought for personal use between January 1, 2017 and April 25, 2024 and did not opt out by June 8, 2024, the settlement release generally covers those claims. Purchases outside that window are not covered by it. Ask a licensed attorney about your situation.
Was Young Living found to be a pyramid scheme?
No court has made that finding in the cases covered here. The 2019 suits alleged it; the California case was dismissed on November 22, 2023 after a private settlement with undisclosed terms, and Young Living has denied the allegations.
What are the 2026 cases against Young Living?
Law360 lists Dalton v. Young Living (filed May 12, 2026, Minnesota, a disability-access claim) and Brubaker v. Young Living (filed August 17, 2026, Northern District of California, a labor case). Law360 does not say whether either is a class action, and we found no fund or claim form for either.
Is a Young Living settlement email real?
Any email today about a Young Living claim, refund or “unclaimed payment” deserves suspicion, because the only consumer settlement closed in 2024. Never pay a fee or give bank details to receive settlement money.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.