Essential Oils: The Journey is Just Beginning

I'll be honest here... I started this post back in October.  Why didn't I finish?  Well, I was still so early in my essential oil journey that I honestly didn't feel confident in some of the information that I wanted to put out there.  Maybe I wasn't quite "sold" on them yet.  When I first heard of the idea of essential oils and the uses, to say I was skeptical was an understatement.  I thought some of the oil lovers were just a bit out there. :)

This all changed when a friend of a friend brought some Young Living Thieves over for Grant when he had chicken pox.  It smelled amazing... Cinnamon, cloves, with a hint of lemon along with some others all blended into this amazing oil.  I really feel like it helped to shorten the course over all and he loved it too! 

After a little more research, I decided at that point to sign up with Young Living to become a distributor.  However, it was only to get the cheaper wholesale price of the oils.  That is still my primary purpose.  At this point, I really have little ambition to try to turn it into a business.  If it happens naturally that is fine but all I want to do is share what I have learned so far.  The fun part?  I am learning that as I share more... people want to know more!  And as I learn more and use them more... I want to share more about them with everyone I know!

I should point out that not all oils are created equal. There IS a difference in essential oils. You can't go to just any store and buy them and expect to get the same results you would with a quality oil like the Young Living brand.   Young Living are pure, unadulterated therapeutic oils distilled from various plants with no fillers or perfumes.  Since learning more about essential oils I have heard of other competitors that are very close in quality if not better.  If interested in oils, find the brand oil that best fits your life but make sure it is a HIGH quality oil.  It DOES make a difference.  One way to test the quality of an essential oil is the white paper test.   Put a drop of essential oil on a piece of white blotting paper.   It will leave a mark.   However, after several hours when it is dry, there should be no oily residue.  Pure oils should not be cut with carrier oils such as jojoba or grape seed oil.   Some brands and blends do have carrier oils, but that should be clearly stated on the bottle.

My knowledge has grown though it is far from extensive.  What prompted me to write all this now?  There is obviously a desire for people to know more and learn about the amazing medicinal oils that God placed here just for us.  In fact one of my favorite bloggers I follow pointed out this Bible passage:

“Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:12  

Isn't that so true?  There are amazing resources and I reference my Essential Oil Desk Reference daily.  It lists each and every oil, oil blend, and young living product along with uses for each of them.  There is also a section in the back where you can look up everything from colds to infertility to depression (thousands of ailments and disorders!).  I've learned there is an oil for everything. 

Young Living offers every oil you can think of and additionally even sells cleaning products (using Thieves as the base), personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste, and other nutritional supplements.  I digress though!  I honestly have yet to try any of their other products. 

Let me tell you about my three favorite oils.  I learn about and try a new oil all the time that I love for a new reason but so far these are the most versatile.

Mini Disclaimer:  I've found that all oil users have their own way of using them... methods they prefer.  Some say always dilute.  Others say they never dilute.  Some ingest, others don't.  Note that you should never ingest an oil that isn't marked for ingestion.  MANY brands are not but that is the beauty of Young Living oils, many of theirs are!  For us personally, the method we use depends on the oil we are using.  And when I say dilute, it means to use a carrier oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, or even an unscented lotion.     

Fun Fact:  Did you know your feet have the largest pores and largest concentration of pores in your entire body.  That means when you put essential oils on your feet, they are rapidly absorbed into your body and begin working almost immediately!

Thieves

The history of Thieves:
Its name may sound odd but is based on exactly what it would seem to be.  The name originates from a group of thieves who were stealing from those affected from the Bubonic plague, but somehow avoiding catching the Plague themselves.  They admitted to using a blend of aromatics for protection, and in exchange for a lighter prison sentence, turned over their recipe.

"Thieves has natural antibacterial and antiviral properties and studies conducted by Weber State University in Utah in 1997 showed the antibacterial effectiveness of Thieves against airborne microorganisms.  One study showed a 90% reduction in the number of gram-positive micrococcus luteus organisms after diffusing Thieves for 12 minutes.  After diffusing Thieves for a total of 20 minutes, there was a 99.3% reduction.  Another study with the gram-negative pseudomonas aeruginosa showed a kill rate of 99.96% after just 12 minutes of diffusion." 

How awesome is that?!?

So how do we use it in our house?

First, Thieves may be a little strong for sensitive skin so you may want to dilute it.   When using on our feet and wrists, we don't dilute.   If using somewhere else, I usually dilute. 

• Diffusing! As the study showed above, I diffuse this at least once a day in our home.
• 1-2 drops on the bottom our our feet before bed and then put socks on 
• For treating coughs or flu, put 1-2 drops Thieves with a carrier oil and apply to chest, neck, and behind the ears and rub in well.
• Before work or school, place 1 drop of Thieves on both wrists and rub together.  The Thieves will work all day to kill bacteria and viruses that you come into contact with! 
• Put 1-2 drops of Thieves on your toothbrush to kill unwanted bacteria & viruses in your mouth, which is where lots of sickness starts!  Do this daily for protection or when you are sick.  Kids can do this too, but be warned that it’s very strong!
• If you have a headache, place 1 drop on the tongue and press it against the roof of your mouth.  This really helps but let me warn you... there is a definite burning/tingling sensation that lasts for a brief period

I have so many anecdotes already from our family and friends that I have shared this oil with that have seen drastic improvements in their lives.  From stopping a cold/flu dead in its tracks on several occasions to another person who has suffered from sinus problems their entire life that said she has "never drained so much crap as she did after using Thieves just once."  She had me order her a bottle after using it just once.   

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is strong aromatically and a little goes a long way so I prefer to use it with a carrier oil or just inhale. 

Common Uses

• Fevers!!!! I can't praise this oil enough for the treatment of fevers.  On numerous occasions in our house this winter it has gotten rid of or lowered a fever... even a 104 degree fever Amelia had   
• Perfect for treating congestion.  Drink 1-2 drops in 8 oz. spring or filtered water for sore throats and congestion.
• Drop 1-2 drops on the neck line to help clear up stuffy noses. (Again, depending on age you may want to use a carrier oil because it is powerful.)
• If you have a headache, put 1-2 drops of peppermint in the palm of your hands and rub them together.  Cup them over your face and inhale as deeply as you can.  It is very strong but helps tremendously with headaches.
• Rub 1-2 drops along with organic coconut oil onto sore muscles.
• Inhale straight from the bottle if you need a pick me up.
• Some people like it in their morning coffee.  I tried it once but honestly it was too strong for me to enjoy it.

A friend of our suffers from migraines and felt one coming on.  I brought her some of our peppermint oil and she said that within 30 minutes of applying it to her neck, temples, and forehead.   

Lavender

Commons Uses

• Use it to sleep better at night.  Before bed, put 2-3 drops of lavender on your wrist. Rub your wrists and inhale deeply.  You will sleep so much better.  This can also be done for small children but I like to put it on their feet or onto their favorite teddy bear or blanket.
• Put 10 drops of lavender into your or your kid's bath to help calm nerves and for detoxing.  It provides for an extremely relaxing experience.
• Use it directly on cuts and scrapes in place of your typical triple antibiotic ointment.  It has amazing antiseptic properties.  You can even add several drops to hand soaps around the house.
• Diffuse it to clean the air in your home and give a lovely scent.
• Put 10 drops into each new bottle of hair conditioner you buy.  It helps with dry scalp, hair growth, and overall health of your hair. 

Other uses: cough/bronchitis and teething


Other favorite oils of mine: Lemon & Grapefruit (smell amazing and delicious in water!)

My most recent order will include Clary Sage which is supposed to help with endometriosis and I am super excited to try it out!

I am not saying the oils have been the end all, cure all but I firmly believe they have helped drastically.  Grant has not missed a single day of daycare this cold and flu season due to being sick.  We have dealt with Amelia's ear infections and colds but I think that is pretty par for the course for an infant.  I actually hate to imagine how rough our winter would be without using the oils on her for ear infections, bronchitis, coughs, teething, and soothing.  I don't know if anyone remembers or read it but during the time period that Amelia suffered from ear infection(s) for 6 weeks, the only time we ever got even just one ear to clear up was when we didn't use any antibiotics and used only natural methods. 

If you want to learn more about signing up or trying some oils out please don't hesitate to contact me.  I'd be happy to order some for you at wholesale or we can talk about how you can sign up as a distributor yourself.  I started with the premium starter kit when I signed up here which comes with an amazing beginning selection of start oils AND a diffuser.  Then after you have signed up, you get oils at wholesale price. 

PS I am not trying for one huge sales pitch here!  I just want to share the information, plant the seed, and let everyone who is interested do the research.