What are Essential Oils and why should I use them?
Simply put, an essential oil is the liquid found in a plant. It acts in a plant very similarly to blood in our bodies. It oxygenates, regulates and fights infection. The chemical compounds found in essential oils are very similar to those that are found in our blood, which is what makes essential oils so effective when we use them. Essential oils are small enough that they can clean our cells. Medication can't even do this. Essential oils pull and push toxins out of our bodies, and with the amount of toxins we are exposed to everyday, this is vital to our health and wellbeing. We can support our immune systems in a whole new way, and learn how to support our body systems so that they are functioning the way they should be. When our body systems are functioning optimally, we have no symptoms. :)
It definitely matters! And, NO, they are not all the same! Essential oils that are found in stores are highly diluted, often with harmful synthetics. I don't recommend using store bought oils - EVER. Even essential oils from certain network marketing companies may have synthetics added to them and in terms of distillation, they are not as high quality as they should be. I only use and recommend Young Living Essential Oils. Their Seed to Seal commitment ensures that every oil is carefully watched over from the time it is planted, to the cultivation, distillation and finally the testing and bottling of the oil. They have highly rigorous testing standards, and if an oil doesn't meet them, they are thrown out or used as pest control on their farms. That's right, they own their own farms and distilleries. They are the only company in the industry that can say this. All of their oils are beyond organic, meaning that seeds will never be planted in soil that has been chemically treated, and no pesticide is ever used on their plants. You will be hard pressed to find another company out there that is this committed to quality and purity.
There are three methods of use. The first is aromatic. You can put your oils in a cool-mist diffuser, apply a drop onto a diffuser necklace or bracelet, smell an oil directly from the bottle, or apply one drop to the palms of your hands, rub together and breathe in deeply. The second is topically. You can mix your essential oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil or almond oil, (or apply it neat - meaning with no carrier oil - if your skin is accustomed to it and it is a gentle oil), and apply it directly to your skin. We like to apply lavender to the bottoms of our feet at night, I love to mix a drop of frankincense, copaiba, lemon or Purification with my face lotion and apply it to my face every morning and night, and a drop of Stress Away on my wrists is great for combating occasional feelings of anxiousness. The third method of use is taking essential oils internally. Not all essential oils are suitable for ingestion. They will say on the label if they can be ingested. I'll often add lemon or peppermint my drinking water, add some Thieves and Lemon to an empty vegetable capsule and take it when I feel my health dipping below the wellness line, or make a tea with one drop of Thieves, two drops of lemon, and a spoonful of honey in a mug of warm water. Once you start using essential oils, they quickly become part of your daily routine. And once an essential oil works for you, you'll begin to reach for them for all types of things!
Does it matter where I get my essential oils from? Are they all the same?
How do I use essential oils?
There are three methods of use. The first is aromatic. You can put your oils in a cool-mist diffuser, apply a drop onto a diffuser necklace or bracelet, smell an oil directly from the bottle, or apply one drop to the palms of your hands, rub together and breathe in deeply. The second is topically. You can mix your essential oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil or almond oil, (or apply it neat - meaning with no carrier oil - if your skin is accustomed to it and it is a gentle oil), and apply it directly to your skin. We like to apply lavender to the bottoms of our feet at night, I love to mix a drop of frankincense, copaiba, lemon or Purification with my face lotion and apply it to my face every morning and night, and a drop of Stress Away on my wrists is great for combating occasional feelings of anxiousness. The third method of use is taking essential oils internally. Not all essential oils are suitable for ingestion. They will say on the label if they can be ingested. I'll often add lemon or peppermint my drinking water, add some Thieves and Lemon to an empty vegetable capsule and take it when I feel my health dipping below the wellness line, or make a tea with one drop of Thieves, two drops of lemon, and a spoonful of honey in a mug of warm water. Once you start using essential oils, they quickly become part of your daily routine. And once an essential oil works for you, you'll begin to reach for them for all types of things!
