The Wonderful World Of Essential Oils

Essential oils have become a daily part of life for me.  I use them in so many ways and incorporate them into everything I can because they are so wonderful!  I’ve always been attracted to essential oils, but I did not always know the many uses for them.  When I started buying oils years and years ago I would make massage oils or room sprays with them mostly, I’d stick to the basics like lavender and rosemary and refer to aromatherapy books for ideas on use.  But it was a few years ago that one of my friends introduced me to Young Living Essential Oils and that opened my eyes to a whole world of oils that were out there just waiting for me to discover.  Here I will share with you the basics on essential oils to get you started on incorporating them into your life.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated liquids extracted from botanicals by either steam distillation, cold pressing, or resin tapping.  They are the purest essence of the plant from which they come from, they can be derived from the flowers, leaves, or bark.  They are highly fragrant and have healing properties and a wide range of health benefits.  They have been used for thousands of years traditionally to help with a variety of ailments and remedies. The Egyptians used them for religious purposes and medicines, and Hippocrates even used them to treat his patients.

 

Why use essential oils?

Not only do essential oils smell A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, they also can help your overall health and wellbeing.  The power of scent is incredible, our olfactory nerve centers are linked to our nervous system and can influence our mood and behavior.  It takes just seconds to reap the benefits of oils.  Smells can transport us to another place or time.

When I smell Gardenia I always think of my mother because that was her favorite flower and she would wear Gardenia perfume when I was little so it takes me back to my childhood and gives me a sense of security.  Just think of how you’ve smelt something and it was like a time machine that took you back to a specific place and time and how you can almost recall every detail of that moment, the memory of smell never forgets.

Essential oils are extremely versatile and can be used for a multitude of purposes.  They are therapeutic and can help heal the body holistically.  You can replace so many of your household and beauty products with homemade natural ingredients and it can save you tons of money as well. The best part about oils is that they connect us to nature.  We have become so disconnected from nature since the industrial revolution, finding ways to reconnect and get grounded is so beneficial for our body, mind, and spirit.

Where do you get essential oils from?

You can buy essential oils at virtually every health store across America, metaphysical shops, online, or through a preferred distributor.  When purchasing essential oils you will want to make sure that what you are buying is 100% organic essential oil, as many companies will add other chemicals or dilute with other oils.  When I refer to essential oils I am referring to 100% pure grade essential oils which have not been altered or changed.

My preference for purchasing oils is through Young Living because of their quality standards and I love their selection of oil blends unique to them.  There are some great brands available at your local health food store as well, just be sure to read the label, making sure it reads 100% organic essential oil, and has the Latin name of the plant it was extracted from, the way it was extracted and also the country of origin.  This will ensure you are getting the best quality essential oils and not diluted fragrance oils.

The price of oils can vary as do the brands, and yes some oils can be expensive however they are a great investment for your health and a little goes a long way!  It can take an incredible amount of a plant to produce just one small bottle of oil so you get what you pay for. If stored properly however they can last a really long time and can be used for so many uses it is definitely worth it!

How do you use essential oils?

You can apply essential oils topically, meaning applied on the skin but you must be cautious because most oils are very strong and need to be diluted with a carrier oil (a carrier oil is anything like coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, olive oil, etc) prior to applying to skin.  Some oils are fine to apply to skin undiluted like lavender or tea tree but it’s always best to check and see which ones need dilution.

You can apply oils anywhere on the skin but the most common areas are the pulse points, spine, behind the ears, neck, brain stem, stomach, and the bottom of feet are a great place because the pores in our feet are large and the oil is able to absorb very well there.

I make a lot of roller blends using a few drops of essential oil blended with a carrier oil, most health stores also carry the roller ball glass bottles or eye dropper glass bottles.  Just be sure to use amber or dark blue glass to prevent the oils from spoiling from too much UV sunlight and store in a dark cool place.

Another method is direct inhalation.  Diffusers have become very popular where you just fill with water and a few drops of oil and viola your entire space becomes filled with aroma!  They make some really cool diffusers with lights and soothing sounds as well.  You can also inhale directly from the bottle when you need a little pick me up, usually three deep breaths in does the trick for me.  You can also make steam inhalations by boiling water on the stove, placing it in a bowl and putting a few drops of oil in and standing over the steam with a towel so you can breath in the aroma for a spa like experience.

Ways To Use Essential Oils

Now that we have covered the basics of essential oils I wanted to share with you the different areas I use oils for on a day to day basis.  There are hundreds of ways you can use oils but here’s a quick list of how I use them in my household:

• cleaning products
• first aid
• compresses
• beauty products
• laundry
• children
• pet care
• baths and massages
• insect and bug repellants
• relaxation and calming
• focusing and grounding
• mood enhancer and stress relief
• meditation

Precautions

Essential oils are very powerful so again it is important to know how to properly use and store them. It is wise to do a skin test on yourself when using oils to make sure you do not have a reaction or irritation to them. There are some extra precautions you must take if pregnant and some oils should be completely avoided when expecting.  With children you also need to be careful how they are used and be sure to dilute accordingly for young ones as their little bodies should not be exposed to the same amount of oil as an adult would.

Getting Started

Hopefully this has provided you with enough information to get you started on your own journey with essential oils.  If you are ready to jump in and want to join my Young Living Team and have oils delivered straight to your door within a week you can sign up here and use my number 3782229- Ariadne Hale as your sponsor.  They have a great premium starter kit that comes with 11 popular essential oils, a high quality diffuser, and other great goodies to get you going (it’s a $300 value for a fraction of the cost).  It is completely free to sign up as a wholesale distributor and it allows you to purchase oils at a 24% discount.  I’d love to have you on my team and help support you!  You can also go to Got Oil Supplies for all your essential oil needs! They also have essential oil purses you can check out here!

Here’s some of the top books I recommend to get you started: