What Are Essential Oils?
EO (essential oils) are naturally occurring compounds found in flowers, bark, stems, roots, seeds and other parts of plants, flowers and trees. They are highly concentrated and esteemed for their many medicinal properties. The potency and efficiency of essential oils can be 50-70 times more strong than using herbs.
Essential Oils have been used for thousands of years for medicinal and health purposes. They have been known to have stimulating, calming, antibacterial, antidepressant, antiviral and detoxifying properties. Essential Oils are highly effective because they penetrate to the cellular level of your body. EO vary from other well known fatty large molecule oils (such as vegetable or peanut oils) because EO are composed of very small molecules that can easily penetrate your cells and some compounds that can even penetrate your blood-brain barrier.
Did you also know essential oils can replace most household items in your home including most of the items in your medicine cabinet?
- Some of the Health Benefits:
- Balance Hormones
- Boost Immunity & Fight Infections
- Support Digestion
- Boost EnergyImprove Brain Function
- Reduce Anxiety & Stress
- Alleviate Aches and Pains
- Boost Skin and Hair Health
- Reduce Toxicity
- Relieve Headaches and Migraines
- Promote Restful Sleep
The 2 most common ways to use essential oils are topically and inhalation.
Topically:
Essential oils are concentrated and very potent. Therefore they should always be diluted; 1–3 drops of essential oil to one teaspoon of a base oil such as jojoba, almond, grape seed or coconut. Some oils such as oregano and cinnamon are considered hot oils and should be diluted even further to prevent skin irritation.
EO are not typically used as perfumes. Although many smell quite lovely, they are prized more for their medicinal properties. Some oils don't have the most pleasant smell at all actually. In these cases we apply the oil to the bottoms of our feet. When applying to our feet not only do we not have to smell them but the bottom of the feet is one of the most porous parts of the body making it a perfect location for application.
Inhalation: Inhale directly from the bottle, add several drops to the palm of your hands and inhale, add 1-2 drops of your favorite oil or blend to your diffuser. When diffusing oils you do not need to use a carrier oil.
TIP: Rub a little bit of lavender on your pillow at night for a restful sleep.
Fun Facts:
🌹 It take 65 pounds of rose petals to get one single 15-milliliter bottle of rose essential oil.
🍋 It takes 75 lemons to get one single 15-milliliter bottle of lemon essential oil
My personal story:
I was first introduced to essential oils many many years ago as a teenager. Growing up my mother always had plant based natural remedy answers for all sorts of ailments. I really only knew the basics back then, lavender would help with sleep and skin issues, tea tree could help with acne, and peppermint was uplifting and could help with headaches.
Fast forward many years and I had several friends in the essential oil direct sales business and there was a lot of buzz about EO. In supporting a friend's small business I had purchased a collection of 10 oils and blends and began using them. In the collection there were a few of the familiar oils, tea tree, peppermint, lavender, lemon and a couple I had not used in the past. One was to fight germs and boost immunity, another for digestive support and others.
At this time in my life I had just had my son and was living a fairly healthy lifestyle. I exercised regularly (sort of), I was sleeping well and I ate pretty decent, avoiding fast foods. Actually, I hadn't eaten fast food for about 3 years. Until one day...
That day I was running errands all day. I was not prepared with my normal healthy-ish arsenal of car snacks. In a moment of hunger induced weakness I found myself in a drive-thru ordering a grease soaked value meal. We've all been there right?
Within minutes of finishing the mystery meal I regretted it. I mean, I REALLY regretted it! Extreme tired set in, I felt slow, foggy and my stomach was making sounds I'm not sure I'd ever heard before. The bloating was almost instant, I looked like I was 8 months pregnant. I looked and felt like there was a basketball in my belly. My stomach was so bloated it was rock hard, round and unbelievably uncomfortable.
In that moment I decided to call it quits. No more errands for the day, we were heading home.
To
Sit
On
The
Couch
Where I could unbutton and sit comfortably in privacy with my big round hard belly. As I sat on the couch feeling guilty for my poor choices I saw out of the corner of my eye the bottle of lemon oil I often diffuse to perk up the house. Then I remembered the bottle of oil I purchased for digestion. I hadn't yet used it so I cracked it open, sniffed it and Yuk! To this day I still don't like the smell of it. But I put 3-4 drops on my belly and rubbed it in. Back to the couch I went.
After about 10-15 minutes I noticed a significant decrease in bloating, as well as the overall uncomfortable feeling. I could not believe it, I felt so much better. That day I became an oil user! There was no denying the visual of my belly decreasing, the rock hard bloating dissipating and the feeling of discomfort disappearing. That was about 8 years ago. I now have over 200 essential oils in my arsenal and I use them for everything you can imagine. You've got an issue you need help with? I've got an oil for that!
I have used them to help remove a splinter, stop the sting from a bee, alleviate a burn, reduce menstrual cramps, help with mastitis, hair growth, acne, hormonal balance, headaches, stop a nosebleed, growing pains, promote healthy sleep, congestion, eczema, improve sensuality, increase alertness, reduce stress, muscle pain, and so much more.
If you've been using essential oils I'd love to hear in the comments how you are using yours. What are some of your favorite uses? What is your most commonly used oil?
If you are new to essential oils I recommend starting small. A basic set of oils to be able to easily incorporate into your everyday routine is best to get you started. Every Day Essential Oils Collection is a set of 5 already blended and diluted oils that are ready and safe to apply to your skin.
It's a great collection to get you started and includes:
- Sleep Well
- Muscle Relief
- Immune Booster
- Cycle Support
- Mood Booster
I can't wait to hear how your oils help you be your best in your every day life.
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