I’m certain you’ve heard the buzz on essential oils by now. We see them in drug stores, cosmetic stores, online, and in our grocery store aisles. While growing popularity in using plants to support our bodies is awesome, we need to be certain that the essential oils we are using are pure and helpful to our bodies…not harmful. Labels are easy to confuse, and you think what you are getting is 15ml of pure lavender, but instead, it may be a fractionate portion, a filler, or a complete synthetic. Having researched products for more than 30 years and working to bring a clean product to market myself, I am very aware of how you can lie on labels.
After in-depth research, the only company I personally use and recommend is Young Living. Their farms and how they care for their teams of farmers are what sold me. The commitment to our Seed to Seal promise ensures that from the time seeds are selected, to the planting and harvesting process, all the way to distillation and testing along the way, the utmost care is given and harmful chemicals are never used. While growing in popularity, many individuals may not know what an essential oil actually is. I like to describe essential oils as the lifeblood of plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs. The properties that keep plant life healthy can be extracted and bottled to do the same for us. They are highly concentrated and powerful.
Essential oils can be used in 4 different ways:
- Diffusing – this is an excellent way to breathe in the beneficial properties of essential oils. One incredible side effect is that it also benefits anyone in the vicinity who is also breathing. Another common side effect of diffusing is that your home or office smells amazing and people will often inquire about why.
- Topical application – essential oils are beneficial when applied to the skin. I recommend using a carrier oil, like olive oil or coconut oil, with essential oils to help the body process and utilize the essential oil more effectively. Remember, whatever we put onto our bodies, goes into our bodies, so this is a great way to use them!
- Inhalation – our sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic portion of our brain…the emotional control center. When we smell an essential oil, it can have a profound impact on our brains and bodies. You can smell them straight from the bottle, add a drop to the palm of your hands, cup them over your nose, and take a deep breath. You can also hold one nostril and breathe the oil in deeply with the other nostril, then switch.
- Ingestion – Young Living has an entire line of essential oils called “Vitality” that are safe for ingestion. I recommend going very small and slow and not ingesting essential oils if you are on any medication.
We have so many incredible essential oils to choose from, but today I have narrowed it down to 5 for you to start with:
- Thieves – This is a blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary. It is an excellent full-body support and does an outstanding job cleansing. It’s so powerful that we have an entire line using this essential oil blend as the foundation that includes household cleaner, toothpaste, soap, and dish and laundry soaps.
- Lavender – This is the “Swiss army knife” of essential oils. When in doubt, use lavender! It can promote relaxation and sleep, is soothing to the skin, and is excellent to use during season changes.
- Copaiba – This essential oil is made from a resin and contains properties that support the body’s response to inflammation. This makes it outstanding for skin, moments of discomfort, and the health of the gut.
- Peppermint – Carsick? Head throbbing? Tired? Sore? Hot flashing? This is your new best friend.
- Frankincense – I wish for everyone to use this gem daily. It is extremely beneficial to every cell in our bodies and offers immense benefit to our brains, skin, and overall well-being.