I try to live my life as healthy as possible. Yes, I indulge and skip workouts just like the next person, but I value the effect healthy behaviors and healthy eating have on my family and me. That’s why I was thrilled when my friends introduced me to essential oils. I’m now a big fan – we use them every day in my house to encourage a strong immune system.
There are so many impurities we’re exposed to on a daily basis. It’s nice to know that simple oils and extracts can aid my health or mood and not require me to put anything artificial in my body. A few drops here, a dab of oil on your ailing body part, and poof, relief! Essential oils are sometimes misunderstood, but the benefits are plentiful, and there are multiple ways to experience the effects of these plant compounds.
Today, I’m sharing the basics with you…
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils aren’t essential in the “need to have” type of way. Instead, the “essential” represents the aroma of the seed, flower, or plant being properly captured and maintained through the distilling process. Some oils have oral uses, but many are commonly used topically or through a diffuser (think aromatherapy). I typically apply mine with a dropper or use a roll-on.
The Benefits
The benefits range from alleviating back pain (which I saw many of you mention on Instagram), calming nerves and helping with digestion. They don’t stop there! Relaxation, joint pain, antiseptic…you name it, there might be a seed oil or leafy scent to help you throughout the day. It’s important though to follow directions on bottles and do your research before using any essential oil – pregnancy and select health concerns can alter the way you use them.
My Favorite Scents
Peppermint (a favorite of mine), lavender and eucalyptus are amongst the most common scents. You can burn an aromatherapy candle to help relax and get rid of a pesky migraine that is ruining your day. There are spruce scents, carrot seed oils, and Frankincense as well as others made from a blend of different oils. For example, Young Living’s PanAway is a blend of peppermint, wintergreen, clove, and helichrysum, and when diluted with oil and rubbed over a strained muscle, it can relieve tension and aches.
I believe they’ve helped me, and I’ve heard many others praise the power of essential oils.
Have you tried essential oils? What has worked for you, and do you have recommendations? I am always happy to hear how these are benefiting others and what others I should try!
97 Responses
Love your post! Oils have changed my life, my hair, my skin and the health of my family! I started using them to help me sleep after serious insomnia and loved them so much that I now use them to make all my own skin care products. Happy to help anyone with questions! serendropitykara@gmail.com
Just please don’t buy these life-changing oils off Amazon!
Love essential oils…. I have a blog about them if you want to check it out http://essentialoilstransformation.blogspot.com/
Don’t buy off Amazon. Go to a YL website: https://www.youngliving.org/gina1028 You can buy retail or sign up for wholesale prices! Try the lemongrass if you have high cholesterol. A diffuser is great for home and work.
I just recently used Lavender essential oil on my four year old son. He said his ear was hurting inside, so I rubbed the oil all around the outside edge of his ear. His pain went away within a few minutes! I’d much rather use this than give him medicine!
Prior to using Young Living oils to transition off chemo and lupus meds in 2013, I suffered with low energy, hair loss, swollen feet and eyes, poor digestion, failing eyesight, pain in joints, kidney inflammation, skin problems and on and on…Today one year later, I don’t even recognize my life. I am sooo grateful to Gary and Mary Young. My secret: using certain oils internally in the cheek of my mouth very aggressively, prayer, meditation, and good nutrition. I no longer suffer with the typical lupus patient symptoms. They are truly God’s medicine!! -Joy Read more on my blog: naturallupustherapy.com