Up until a few months ago, I had no clue what essential oils were, or what they boasted in doing. I went to a very hippy-friendly college -Yeah, SUNY New Paltz! - so if you had asked me to name one essential oil, I'd probably say "patchouli".. And that would be the short list of what I knew about them. My hope today is to give you a better understanding of what they are, and why they're so awesome.
Just last night I drove an hour to Mooresville, North Carolina, to meet up with some like-minded women who are also involved with these little gems!
Let me tell you what I know about essential oils.
The definition of an "essential oil" is this: a natural oil typically obtained by distillation, and having the characteristic fragrance of the plant or other source from which it is extracted.
To put it simplistically, they are the oils from plants [lavender, geranium, rose, etc.] that are compressed into useable form. Essential oils, if of good quality, contain the "heart" of the plant which has the most healing, regenerative properties - Attainable only by a delicate distillation process that preserves the plant's health benefits.
And did you know that plants are some of the most effective tools we have in this life for the struggle towards health and beauty? If you don't believe me - Look at anything in your beauty regimen.
I bet your body wash boasts in having some sort of "lavender oil", or maybe your face cream [like mine] lists "grapefruit oil" as one of its main components. Your shampoo [unless you're on the BS/ACV train] probably has something in it like "rose hips", or "tea tree", or "chamomile". This is the beauty industry understanding that plants' oils are of fantastic use to our bodies - For both beautifying and being healthy.
The problem with their oils, however, is that they're synthetically made, and cause a lot of problems for its users. In addition to synthetically-made EO's causing hormone imbalances [Hellooo, cysts!], they can also cause sensitive skin [dermatisis, keratosis pilaris, acne], and awful headaches. Ever have to walk quickly past Yankee Candle in the mall, for fear of nausea or a giant headache? That's because they put synthetic EO's in their candles [knowing how attractive they are to consumers], and it messes with our bodies' sensitive systems. If the essential oils aren't carefully made from 100% natural plant sources, they can cause a LOT more problems than they're worth.
The company that I use and trust is called Young Living. They stand apart from many other essential oil companies, because they are intimately involved in the entire process, from seed to bottle. They are the only EO company that stands 100% behind ingesting the oils - And strongly discourage the ingestion of most [if not all other] oils on the market. Ingesting poor-quality EO's can be just as dangerous as taking conventional medicines improperly. Each oil has its own benefits and guidelines, and should be largely respected.
If essential oils weren't effective and powerful, it wouldn't matter how or when they were taken.
The thing with essential oils is that they are supposed to replace their conventional counterparts. They aren't to be used in addition to these things. Example - Peppermint oil [which I use and LOVE] is amazing at relieving indigestion, nausea, heart burn, and sour stomach. It's supposed to replace one's Pepto Bismol/Mylanta, etc. I have taken both over the course of my lifetime, and I can tell you that I've purchased Peppermint EO and will never look back. I have since tossed the latter in the trash. Peppermint oil is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory and has almost entirely resolved my Carpal Tunnel numbness issues that have literally led me to tears. Last night was the first night in years that I haven't woken up to a numb hand.
I can't tell you the relief it's brought me.
Essential oils are very, very potent, and go a long way. Many of them require dilution with another oil [example, coconut oil], so they last even longer. Some of the more delicate ones like Lavender don't require any dilution, and can go right on the skin without fear of irritation.
When Bennett was a year old, he grabbed my hot flatiron and his fingers blistered very badly within minutes. I ran to my bottle of Lavender and doused his delicate skin with the essential oil. He quickly stopped wailing, and I saw the calmness properties of the Lavender [in addition to the healing properties] work their magic. Within two days his skin with no longer irritated, and the blisters were gone. It was a very quick turn-around. I was largely impressed, and decided right then and there to invest in more. Lavender was my first exposure to essential oils, and it's great for so many things. It's the most versatile of all essential oils, and is known as the "universal oil".
Here's just a short list of what it can do:
Emotionally calming for adults, children, babies
Soothes bug bites
Heals burns
Minimizes eczema and dermatitis
Stop a nosebleed
Reduces motion sickness
Minimizes scar tissue
Resolves dandruff
Cleans wounds
The awesome thing about the Lavender was that I never even had to use antibiotic ointment. It was used alone, and didn't need any supportive counterparts. I also didn't need to worry about a one-year old sticking his fingers in his mouth and swallowing medication that isn't good for him. Lavender is entirely edible. In fact, I've baked with it! I've also heard that a drop or two of it in a dish can enhance the dish's natural flavors.
I've only been using essential oils for about 4 months at this point, but I'm really starting to believe in them. I purchased a starter kit from Young Living, and was given an awesome selection of oils, and a beautiful diffuser that I use to diffuse oils into the air everyday. The difference between the diffuser and my [at one time] beloved candles, is that the diffuser actually kills airborne bacteria and removes germs from the air. It doesn't just mask the issues with a flowery [and synthetic] scent. Breathing in the oils is beneficial to everyone, including my toddler.
Teachers and hospitals [!] are starting to diffuse certain oils in their classrooms and nurses' stations because they're proving to prevent people from being sick, in addition to boosting morale and calming excitable children. I think we underestimate what God has given us in this creation of His. Plants and flowers are beautiful to look at, but I believe that God had a LOT more in mind when He gave them to us.
There's a "chronological snobbery" in place these days that basically says, "If it's 'of old', it can't be effective. If it's primitive, it's a waste of time. New is better!" Well, this simply can't be true.
We're a privileged nation with everything at our fingertips. We have a medicine for everything [and then a medicine to resolve Medicine A's side-effects], and we're sick as dogs. It's time to go back to the basics, and see what the rest of the world is doing. Many, many other countries still adhere to the effective properties of plants, herbs, etc., and in many ways they're healthier than we are.
The essential oils that use the most are these:
Thieves - HIGHLY preventative against cold & flu season - Proven to kill the dangerous staph bacteria, MRSA. I've personally resolved my son's 2nd bout of Croup with this in just one day. He gets it on his feet every night before bed.
Frankincense - An amazing oil that gives me a true appreciation as to why it was given to Jesus at His birth. I use it for healing, because that's what it does best. It's my go-to for cuts, burns, and warts. Since my ultrasound, I've been rubbing Frankincense on my abdomen twice daily, because it's anti-tumoral and has had effectiveness in resolving certain cancers. I'm hoping it will get to my tumorous cyst and do its work. It also helps with vertigo, stress, and strengthens the immune system - in addition to many other things.
"RC" [Respiratory Care] - A blend of Young Living oils in one bottle that is fantastic for breathing, coughing, etc. It replaces Vick's Vapor Rub. This helped Bennett and I survive his first bout of Croup.
Peppermint - Resolves my indigestion, heart burn, nausea. Has also resolved my chronic Carpal Tunnel numbness from past injuries and current strain of weightlifting.
Lavender - Great for most things. I've used this to heal burns, resolve chapped lips, clean wounds, calm Bennett during bath time, flavor for baking, to scent my homemade deodorant, etc.
Lemon - To flavor my water daily, remove toxins digestively, powerful household cleaner, remove sticky messes - Replaces Goo Be Gone.
I have roughly a dozen other oils, and am continuing to learn their benefits. I use oils every single day and am really enjoying them. They've given me a greater appreciation for what God has given to us for health and good stewardship.
As far as cost goes - Each oil has its own price. A bottle of Lemon is only $11, whereas a bottle of Frankincense costs $75. But when you think of what the oils can do, and what they will replace in your kitchen/bathroom, et cetera - It starts to make sense! You can literally clean your entire house with Thieves and Lemon EO's, and throw out every single bottle of bleach, Kaboom, Clorox wipes, Lysol, and Comet. You can also use Lavender, Frankincense, and Peppermint in your bathroom and beauty routine, and throw out all your antibiotic creams, Pepto Bismol, conventional deodorants and toothpastes, and mouthwash. One large EO bottle contains about 250 drops of oil, and I use two to five drops depending on the use.
They go a long way!
There's so much more to cover when it comes to essential oils, and I'm certainly not the expert. But I can tell you that I came into this as a skeptic, as my first bottle of EO's was given to me by a friend. It sat around for months until that fateful day of Bennett's awful burn. It was all downhill after that.
Let me know if I can help you with essential oils in any way. If you're interested in getting some, I can certainly help you out. If you want to know the other oils that I have, just ask.
I hope I've given you some food for thought.
Just last night I drove an hour to Mooresville, North Carolina, to meet up with some like-minded women who are also involved with these little gems!
Let me tell you what I know about essential oils.
The definition of an "essential oil" is this: a natural oil typically obtained by distillation, and having the characteristic fragrance of the plant or other source from which it is extracted.
To put it simplistically, they are the oils from plants [lavender, geranium, rose, etc.] that are compressed into useable form. Essential oils, if of good quality, contain the "heart" of the plant which has the most healing, regenerative properties - Attainable only by a delicate distillation process that preserves the plant's health benefits.
And did you know that plants are some of the most effective tools we have in this life for the struggle towards health and beauty? If you don't believe me - Look at anything in your beauty regimen.
I bet your body wash boasts in having some sort of "lavender oil", or maybe your face cream [like mine] lists "grapefruit oil" as one of its main components. Your shampoo [unless you're on the BS/ACV train] probably has something in it like "rose hips", or "tea tree", or "chamomile". This is the beauty industry understanding that plants' oils are of fantastic use to our bodies - For both beautifying and being healthy.
The problem with their oils, however, is that they're synthetically made, and cause a lot of problems for its users. In addition to synthetically-made EO's causing hormone imbalances [Hellooo, cysts!], they can also cause sensitive skin [dermatisis, keratosis pilaris, acne], and awful headaches. Ever have to walk quickly past Yankee Candle in the mall, for fear of nausea or a giant headache? That's because they put synthetic EO's in their candles [knowing how attractive they are to consumers], and it messes with our bodies' sensitive systems. If the essential oils aren't carefully made from 100% natural plant sources, they can cause a LOT more problems than they're worth.
The company that I use and trust is called Young Living. They stand apart from many other essential oil companies, because they are intimately involved in the entire process, from seed to bottle. They are the only EO company that stands 100% behind ingesting the oils - And strongly discourage the ingestion of most [if not all other] oils on the market. Ingesting poor-quality EO's can be just as dangerous as taking conventional medicines improperly. Each oil has its own benefits and guidelines, and should be largely respected.
If essential oils weren't effective and powerful, it wouldn't matter how or when they were taken.
The thing with essential oils is that they are supposed to replace their conventional counterparts. They aren't to be used in addition to these things. Example - Peppermint oil [which I use and LOVE] is amazing at relieving indigestion, nausea, heart burn, and sour stomach. It's supposed to replace one's Pepto Bismol/Mylanta, etc. I have taken both over the course of my lifetime, and I can tell you that I've purchased Peppermint EO and will never look back. I have since tossed the latter in the trash. Peppermint oil is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory and has almost entirely resolved my Carpal Tunnel numbness issues that have literally led me to tears. Last night was the first night in years that I haven't woken up to a numb hand.
I can't tell you the relief it's brought me.
Essential oils are very, very potent, and go a long way. Many of them require dilution with another oil [example, coconut oil], so they last even longer. Some of the more delicate ones like Lavender don't require any dilution, and can go right on the skin without fear of irritation.
When Bennett was a year old, he grabbed my hot flatiron and his fingers blistered very badly within minutes. I ran to my bottle of Lavender and doused his delicate skin with the essential oil. He quickly stopped wailing, and I saw the calmness properties of the Lavender [in addition to the healing properties] work their magic. Within two days his skin with no longer irritated, and the blisters were gone. It was a very quick turn-around. I was largely impressed, and decided right then and there to invest in more. Lavender was my first exposure to essential oils, and it's great for so many things. It's the most versatile of all essential oils, and is known as the "universal oil".
Here's just a short list of what it can do:
Emotionally calming for adults, children, babies
Soothes bug bites
Heals burns
Minimizes eczema and dermatitis
Stop a nosebleed
Reduces motion sickness
Minimizes scar tissue
Resolves dandruff
Cleans wounds
The awesome thing about the Lavender was that I never even had to use antibiotic ointment. It was used alone, and didn't need any supportive counterparts. I also didn't need to worry about a one-year old sticking his fingers in his mouth and swallowing medication that isn't good for him. Lavender is entirely edible. In fact, I've baked with it! I've also heard that a drop or two of it in a dish can enhance the dish's natural flavors.
I've only been using essential oils for about 4 months at this point, but I'm really starting to believe in them. I purchased a starter kit from Young Living, and was given an awesome selection of oils, and a beautiful diffuser that I use to diffuse oils into the air everyday. The difference between the diffuser and my [at one time] beloved candles, is that the diffuser actually kills airborne bacteria and removes germs from the air. It doesn't just mask the issues with a flowery [and synthetic] scent. Breathing in the oils is beneficial to everyone, including my toddler.
Teachers and hospitals [!] are starting to diffuse certain oils in their classrooms and nurses' stations because they're proving to prevent people from being sick, in addition to boosting morale and calming excitable children. I think we underestimate what God has given us in this creation of His. Plants and flowers are beautiful to look at, but I believe that God had a LOT more in mind when He gave them to us.
There's a "chronological snobbery" in place these days that basically says, "If it's 'of old', it can't be effective. If it's primitive, it's a waste of time. New is better!" Well, this simply can't be true.
We're a privileged nation with everything at our fingertips. We have a medicine for everything [and then a medicine to resolve Medicine A's side-effects], and we're sick as dogs. It's time to go back to the basics, and see what the rest of the world is doing. Many, many other countries still adhere to the effective properties of plants, herbs, etc., and in many ways they're healthier than we are.
The essential oils that use the most are these:
Thieves - HIGHLY preventative against cold & flu season - Proven to kill the dangerous staph bacteria, MRSA. I've personally resolved my son's 2nd bout of Croup with this in just one day. He gets it on his feet every night before bed.
Frankincense - An amazing oil that gives me a true appreciation as to why it was given to Jesus at His birth. I use it for healing, because that's what it does best. It's my go-to for cuts, burns, and warts. Since my ultrasound, I've been rubbing Frankincense on my abdomen twice daily, because it's anti-tumoral and has had effectiveness in resolving certain cancers. I'm hoping it will get to my tumorous cyst and do its work. It also helps with vertigo, stress, and strengthens the immune system - in addition to many other things.
"RC" [Respiratory Care] - A blend of Young Living oils in one bottle that is fantastic for breathing, coughing, etc. It replaces Vick's Vapor Rub. This helped Bennett and I survive his first bout of Croup.
Peppermint - Resolves my indigestion, heart burn, nausea. Has also resolved my chronic Carpal Tunnel numbness from past injuries and current strain of weightlifting.
Lavender - Great for most things. I've used this to heal burns, resolve chapped lips, clean wounds, calm Bennett during bath time, flavor for baking, to scent my homemade deodorant, etc.
Lemon - To flavor my water daily, remove toxins digestively, powerful household cleaner, remove sticky messes - Replaces Goo Be Gone.
I have roughly a dozen other oils, and am continuing to learn their benefits. I use oils every single day and am really enjoying them. They've given me a greater appreciation for what God has given to us for health and good stewardship.
As far as cost goes - Each oil has its own price. A bottle of Lemon is only $11, whereas a bottle of Frankincense costs $75. But when you think of what the oils can do, and what they will replace in your kitchen/bathroom, et cetera - It starts to make sense! You can literally clean your entire house with Thieves and Lemon EO's, and throw out every single bottle of bleach, Kaboom, Clorox wipes, Lysol, and Comet. You can also use Lavender, Frankincense, and Peppermint in your bathroom and beauty routine, and throw out all your antibiotic creams, Pepto Bismol, conventional deodorants and toothpastes, and mouthwash. One large EO bottle contains about 250 drops of oil, and I use two to five drops depending on the use.
They go a long way!
There's so much more to cover when it comes to essential oils, and I'm certainly not the expert. But I can tell you that I came into this as a skeptic, as my first bottle of EO's was given to me by a friend. It sat around for months until that fateful day of Bennett's awful burn. It was all downhill after that.
Let me know if I can help you with essential oils in any way. If you're interested in getting some, I can certainly help you out. If you want to know the other oils that I have, just ask.
I hope I've given you some food for thought.
My 6 most-used EO's.
To health, happiness, and good stewardship!