I am sure you all have heard of essential oils, I feel like they are everywhere these days! However with so much information floating around, the whole concept can get get pretty confusing, especially if you are new to the world of oils. I chat about them regularly over on Instagram, and how we integrate them into our lifestyle, so I am excited to share in more detail how we use essential oils in our home!
A little background on why I decided to give them a go
I was raised in a home that was health concious as far as the foods we ate, however it wasn’t until I was in college that I started paying attention to the effects of our environment and the products we put on our skin – the body’s largest organ. Through a series of health related issues, and headaches whenever an artificial plug in or scented candle was around, I started dedicating more of my time to researching and really enlightening myself on the presence of the chemicals and toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis.
What I found was both saddening and empowering at the same time – I was sad to learn that the U.S has very few regulations on what is allowed to be manufactured and sold in our beauty and household products. It left me feeling angry, realizing that our government really ISN’T looking out for us, which in turn made me feel empowered to become my own healthcare advocate for myself and my family.
Now that I have children, I have made an even greater effort to educate myself on what I bring into my home – skincare, cleaning products, food, etc. Of course, we can’t eliminate our exposure to 100% of the toxins and chemicals in our environment – some things are just beyond our control – BUT for the things we can control, we can make smarter, healthier, more informed choices.
With reports of certain weed killers being linked to cancer and Formaldehyde causing Leukemia circling around in the news, it became evident to me that until we have stricter, safer regulations by the FDA, it was TOTALLY up to ME to protect my family from unnecessary exposure to toxins and chemicals.
The world of oils
I’ve been using essential oils for over 6 years, but since having kids my passion for clean living has really taken off and we use them now more than ever.
There are endless ways to use oils… literally endless. There are so many different recipes and blends that it can become overwhelming! With this in mind, it’s important to make simple changes that work for your family and get plugged into a community of people that will support you and help further your education. We personally use essential oils for just about everything – cleaning products, air purification, boosting our immune systems, emotional support, etc.
If you are not familiar with essential oils, they are “volatile aroma compounds” from plants. This compound, or “essence” can be found in the flower, stem, leaves, bark or fruit. They act as powerful antioxidants, promote cellular regeneration, support digestive, nervous and immune systems, can purify the air and assist in the transport of nutrients. They have long been used in food preparation, beauty treatment and health-care practices. Many oils are antibacterial and antimicrobial. In fact, several are known for being effective against MRSA and other antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Amazing right?Oils are highly concentrated and those from reputable companies are rigorously tested for purity. So yes, it does matter where you purchase them from. Many who claim to be “pure”, have often been diluted and will not be effective.
How we use oils in our home
Over the years I have used essential oils for kids, dogs, pregnancies, post-partum periods, and healing after delivering our stillborn son. The benefits are amazing, and I am so grateful I had them for various stressful periods of my life. Here are my top 3 categories on how we integrate these into our daily lifestyle:
1. Wellness Support
2. Emotional/Mood Support
3. Cleaning/Household
I’ll break it down for specific uses/recipes below and if you don’t see something here, or have a question, just shoot me a message or reach out to me on Instagram! I have tons of recipes, but putting them all here would just make this already long post, even longer. I’ll include my top two or three for each category 🙂
Household:
- Fruit and Veggie Wash – A simple spray to help ensure your produce is clean before you eat it! In a glass or plastic spray bottle, mix 1/4 cup white vinegar, 8 drops of lemon essential oil, fill the rest with filtered water.
- Disinfectant Spray – This is one of my favorite and most used recipes when an illness strikes. I spray it ALLLLLL over…
Beauty:
- Lash Growth Serum – I just started using this, I was looking for a natural alternative to the R&F lash craze. So far I am happy with it, and I’ll keep you posted on the results! You can get Organic Castor Oil on Amazon – comes with a mascara tube!
- Blemishes– use a q-tip and dab a little Melaleuca on area in question to help get rid of blemishes. I’ve even added a drop of Melaleuca to my concealer before to help get rid of breakouts.
First aid:
- Bug Spray – so we live in FL and the bugs are out of this world…. and I LOATHE bugs. I get my witch hazel and amber bottles on Amazon.
- Infection fighting blend – for bites, ingrown hairs, various skin infections. We’ve used this for various bacterial and fungal skin infections with great success. This one calls on all of the heavy hitters, special oils that are known to be effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria. In a rollerball I mixed 15 drops oregano, 10 drops melaleuca, 10 drops lemongrass, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops cinnamon, 5 drops frankincense, and 5 drops of geranium… topped it off with FCO and applied several times a day or as needed. Since there are some “hot oils” I applied with a q-tip just where it was needed.
- Blisters – dab some lavender on a blister, I have had several blisters heal without the painful pop. The skin literally reattaches itself and your body absorbs the fluid.
Wellness:
- Immune support – this is a staple in our house! With the start of school and flu season just around the corner, I make sure I have this on hand to help boost our immune systems and fight of any germs the kids bring home.
Diffuse: To help ward off germs, diffuse 3 drops of On Guard and 3 drops of Lemon to help purify the air. - Headache – This is an easy rollerball – I think the first one I ever made! Mix 15 drops Peppermint, 10 drops Lavender, 5 drops Frankincense, in a 10 mL roller and top with FCO. Apply to temples and base of neck.
Emotional support:
- Anti-anxiety rollerball – this has helped me immensely over the years – it helped me cope and heal after delivering our stillborn, with residual anxiety, panic attacks and post-partum depression. If you don’t have Vetiver, 20 drops of Serenity and 20 drops of Balance topped with FCO works just as well.
Diffuse: to help calm, diffuse a few drops of Balance, Bergamot and Lavender. Ylang Ylang is also a good anti-anxiety oil that you can add in.
- Uplifting rollerball – a few drops of Lemon, Orange, Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Frankincense in a roller bottle with FCO.
Diffuse: to uplift and energize I love the Elevation blend, or anything citrus to make my house feel clean and bright… even as I step on all the toys and crushed snacks. - Sleep rollerball – because everyone in my house is an insomniac. We have diffusers in practically in every room of our house – but especially in the bedrooms. I have difficulty turning my brain off and Gianna is pretty restless at night. Diffusing at bedtime helps us relax and fall asleep faster.
Diffuse: for a restful nights sleep diffuse 2 drops lavender, 2 drops cedarwood, 2 drops bergamot
Pet support:
My dog, my sweet, crazy dog, suffers with separation anxiety – it makes him go loco. He is the picture perfect dog when you are with him, but will get destructive, slobber gallons, or hurt himself if you crate him. I made him a simple spray to help calm his nerves when we leave and we are now able to leave him out with no issues beyond having to mop up the slobber by the door.
So as you can see, there is a use for pretty much everything – you have a safe, natural alternative to a lot of conventional products that bring in unnecessary toxins into our homes plus natural ways to clean out the medicine cabinet and potentially avoid the doc office! This is awesome and overwhelming at the same time!
Where do you start?
Choosing a good starter kit is the perfect place to start – you will have access to the essential oils that can address a number of emotional, physical and household needs. Plus, you will have access to a private group to help you learn how to properly use the oils and ask questions for people who have been using oils for a very long time.
- To purchase a starter kit, you can order here.
- Sign up as a wholesale member – This does not mean you have to sell the oils. Becoming a member only means you are able to get the starter kit and 25% off retail prices on every order after that. I started off with the Home Essentials kit which has a few of my absolute favorites – On Guard, Lavender, and Frankincense.
**Several starter kits are currently 20% off (until the end of September) including the Home Essentials Kit which is what I first got**
This is a really cost effective way to get started on your essential oils journey!! You are able to optimize your medicine cabinet (we love the Immunity Rollerball and Breathe blend to keep us well) just in time for the start of flu season. When you sign up as a wholesale member, you have the option/opportunity to join our private wellness group on Facebook, which I mentioned before. This is where you can learn everything you need to know about using your oils. The support group that you get connected with is SO important!! Also, if you are interested in selling oils, I would be happy to chat with you about the options to help you earn an income to support your family.
xo J
