Introduction to Essential Oils

Today I am glad to share a guest post about Essential Oils.  Lauren and I have a lot in common, we work for the same company, are fellow University of Florida Gator Alumni and both have 2 little girls that are 17 months apart.  We are also both just two mom's looking for what is best for our families.

 

 

Three years ago when I became pregnant with my first daughter, I went through this strange transformation/ awakening and began doing hours of research on everything that would be entering or touching my body or my kiddos bodies...from organic foods to chemical cleaners to shots. The more I read, the more I realized 1) how oblivious I was before about everything and 2) how many natural solutions there are out there. I started eating organic, changed my cleaning supplies, started visiting the chiropractor, and became extremely critical of anything going in my kids bodies.

Fast forward until about 6 months ago when my sister told me about Essential Oils. Essential Oils come from plants and are generally extracted by distillation. They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding scents to household cleaning products. Essential oils have been used medicinally in history and date back to the bible. There are claims that there is an essential oil for every illness and ailment, it's just a matter of finding which one.

 

The girls before they get the "tickle juice"; applied to feet!

Let me tell you, I was a huge skeptic and thought she had gone a bit crazy. However, my sister convinced me to buy this starter kit that came with a cold air diffuser and 10 bottles of essential oils, along with some other samples. I decided that even if they worked for nothing, the money wasn't going to waste since one of the uses of them is to put drops in the diffuser and it lasts hours and makes the house smell amazing and relieves stress. With the size of the oils, I could diffuse amazing scents for years, and they are non-toxic, as opposed to air fresheners or candles, so I bought the kit.

Wow y'all, my eyes have been opened. Over and over I find things that they actually really do work on. This doesn't mean I don't like or use conventional medicine or drugs...what I do now is try an oil first. If it works, amazing, if it doesn't, then I move on to traditional solutions (Advil, etc). I love to get my oils from Young Living Essential Oils (oils from any pharmacy are diluted and don't work the same) and I started out with the premium starter pack. It's so hard to even summarize all of the things I have found that have worked, but I'll try to give a short overview of my favorites.

 

 

1) Lavender- This is one of my favorite oils. Not only do I diffuse it for the amazing smell but I use it in the kids baths for calming (ever notice baby items lavender scented for this purpose?). It has also worked amazing on my two year olds continually clogged tear duct. We actually canceled a surgery to insert a tube because the lavender has been so effective at clearing it up! We have also used it for allergies/coughing and seen great results!

2) Peace & Calming (a mix of tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy)- This has so many uses, including putting on kids feet to help calm them (this is where you apply most of the oils because it's the fastest way to your blood stream). My favorite use, which I have now tested about 10 times, is snoring! No joke, my husband will fall asleep snoring and I wake him up only enough to put the oil on his feet and he falls back asleep in the same position and BOOM! No snoring! I know, it's hard to believe but it's true.

3) Thieves (a mix of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary). This is a common favorite. It is proven to kill 99% of airborne bacteria and viruses when diffused, and when put on feet helps immunity, helps combat sickness, etc. I now go through a ton of this, diffusing and on all of our feet and this winter we have seen a significant reduction in sickness! The cleaning supplies and anti-bacterial gel with thieves are non-toxic and all natural as well. LOVE this stuff!

4) Frankincense- Yes, the same oil that was given to Jesus at birth! I have used this one to improve appearance of stretch marks, boost immune system, and have a friend that used it to clear up a wart.

Think about a time you walked into a spa, walked out by the ocean, or went outside on a beautiful day in the mountains and the smell relaxes you, puts you in a better mood and refreshes your spirit? Aromatherapy is real. You can diffuse and inhale certain oils that can improve your mood, improve your energy, improve your focus and you can change it as often as you want.

This is really cool stuff mommas! And the more I learn, the more I use them.

If you would like information about ordering Essential Oils please e-mail me at laurenkminyard@gmail.com. I also have a Facebook group where friends discuss what works or ask for suggestions for certain ailments (e-mail me for an invite).