Let's Talk about Sleep Baby...

Welllllllll...we hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Jenna and I didn't mean to take 2 weeks off, but life happens. {grin} But we're back! And ready to talk about oils.

One of the biggest issues we hear about from people who are interested in trying oils is because of sleep issues. And a lot of times sleep issues with kids. And I absolutely love that Young Living has so many oils that can help with sleep!!!! 

With my kids, my son has a hard time falling asleep and he wakes up early, and my daughter just can't get enough of me so she wants me to visit her in the middle of the night. Good times! 

So what have we tried and what have been our sleep successes?

• Peace & Calming: We've blogged a lot of times about how wonderful peace & calming can be. It works wonders with both my kids! Especially my daughter. Last night she slept for 13 hours without a peep.
• Cedarwood: This is another one that helps both my kids.
• Lavender: Lavender helps my son SO much, but it hypes my daughter up. I avoid lavender with her like the plague!
• Roman Chamomile: I didn't even know that roman chamomile was a relaxation oil, and one night, I realized I would out of peace & calming AND cedarwood. I decided to look in my essential oil desk reference and discovered roman chamomile was listed for relaxation, and I had some! I decided to try it {what else did I have to lose?}, and it was another success!
• Tranquil: This is a combination of lavender, cedarwood, and roman chamomile. It is seriously MAGIC for my son. Again, I avoid this one for Drew for the lavender, but I absolutely LOVE it for Trent. I also put it on him before school to help keep him calm during the day.
• RutaVaLa: Another lavender blend that I've tried on Trent. I don't like it as much as Tranquil since Tranquil is great on Trent during the day, and I think this one smells like lavender mixed with dirt, but it's definitely better than not having oils!

I've also discovered that if I rotate the oils, I have really great success. Every crop of essential oils is a little different {because no 2 plants or crops are the same}, but I find that if I use 1 oil for weeks in a row, Drew will start to have some random wake-ups. But if I do peace & calming for a week and then cedarwood for a week, etc....the great sleep continues!

Do you have sleep issues? Or do your kids? Young Living essential oils can help! What do you have to lose by trying? {Except maybe some sleep?!?!} Sign up here, and start your oils adventure today!

#theresanoilforthat

I've got some funny stuff to share today, but first I wanted to let all you loyal readers know about 2 upcoming opportunities to learn about essential oils.

First, Jenna and I are co-teaching a local class {Essential Oils 101} in ATX on Sunday at 7:00 PM. Comment below and we can hook you up with the address. Second, Jenna and I are co-teaching a webcast {also Essential Oils 101} on Tuesday, October 7 at 8:00 PM. You can register HERE. Both classes are free and each has their own perks, but I think if you can make the live class, it's so fun to be able to touch, smell, use the oils!

Now...onto the funnies!

I don't know about you, but I love a good meme. Jenna and I love to make fun of ourselves and our pretty much obsessive love for oils. But the best part is apparently we aren't the only ones who are pretty nuts for Young Living essential oils! With that said, here's a day off from oil stories and testimonies and just a chance to laugh at our shared love {okay obsession} with all things essential oils!

Remember, if you've been reading for a while and want to start your oil adventure, click HERE to get started today!

Need a Little Clarity?

Do you ever have that day at work where you just can't focus? Or you ate a big lunch and it's 2:00 PM, and you're about to fall asleep at your laptop? Please tell me this isn't just me! I was super excited to try Clarity because I can't seem to make it past 2:00 or 3:00 almost every day with having a huge dip in energy and focus.

And let me tell you, Clarity has been SO amazing! I just put a drop or two on my big toes right after lunch, and I do not have an afternoon slump! I have noticed a huge boost in my concentration - no brain fog, no sleepiness...it's so refreshing to feel GOOD all afternoon at work. This is definitely an oil I don't want to be without.

Need to get started today to be able to have a clear mind? Click HERE and begin your oiling adventure today!

My Top 5 Oils...Right Now

My ER order ships on Thursday, and I am in desperate need of some of my favorite oils! Thinking about which oils I'm running low on makes me think of which oils are my favorites. {I think we ALL know what Jenna's favorite oil is! Jenna - am I right?} This list is a moving target, but I thought it'd be fun to share which ones are getting the most use in my household. Now as a disclaimer, I'm cheating a little bit and might name more than 5 - it's more like my top 5 categories. I just love my oils! {grin}

1. SLEEP! Oils that help my kids relax and sleep are at the TOP of my list. EVERY day, some combination of lavender, cedarwood, and peace & calming end up on my kids. But...BUT...I just discovered Tranquil. This blend combines lavender, cedarwood, and roman chamomile. I have the single of roman chamomile but hadn't used it...I think I might try it on its own and see what happens too, but I am obsessed with Tranquil right now. It smells wonderful and is so relaxing to both my kids!

2. Thyme - I think this oil smells terrible, but it keeps my husband from snoring 90% of the time we use it. I put 1-2 drops on his big toe, and hear it work its magic. We used to sleep apart quite often because of his snoring, and now I am almost never poking him and neither of us get annoyed. I swear this oil has made my marriage MUCH happier!

3. Focus - We use Brain Power and Vetiver on our son every day to help with his concentration. I have heard SO many success stories from these oils, and I am excited to see what they do in the future as he gets older. I am also in love with Clarity for me - when I feel that early afternoon slump come on, I can put some Clarity on and feel myself get more alert and wake up!!!

4. Stress Away - I probably should have put this first because it is MY favorite. Anytime I feel myself get worked up or stressed I rub my Stress Away on and can just feel the tension, anxiety, the butterflies just dissolve. It is MAGIC I tell ya!

5. Immune Support - As the mom of small kids, I want everyone healthy in my house. Thieves gets used almost every day in my house. To boost our immune systems and kill germs...this oil does it all!

So what do you think of my list??  And if you're ready to sign up and get these oils for yourself, click HERE!!!  Happy oiling!

A Marriage Ruiner: Snoring

I think one of the biggest things Jenna and I consistently hear that people need help with is SNORING! Clancy {Jenna's husband}, Brent {my husband}, and several other hubbies of friends all snore. And drive us CRAZY! The cycle in our house is the following: Brent snores, I punch him, he gets mad at me for waking him up...repeat. Honestly, there are many nights where we sleep in separate rooms.

For most people - Peace and Calming, Lavender, or Valor work PERFECTLY! One of my friends uses Peace and Calming on her husband and Lavender on herself and they have had amazing sleep.

For us? Peace and Calming worked a few times and then stopped. Remember - when it comes to oils - we all have a different body chemistry so a little experimentation is required. And after a little experimentation, we found out that Thyme works for Brent's snoring!

I was so excited when I found this 'recipe' a bunch of times when I was researching snoring. I thought there might be some readers out there with stubborn snorers in their houses too. Hopefully one of the ones above will help.

Happy oiling!

Need bug spray? No problem!

Essential Oils can be used for everything.  As the "lifeblood" of the plant, part of the job of these oils was to protect the plants from bugs.  Why can't we use oils for the same purpose? 

Dr. Mercola has said "Most insect repellants out there are loaded with toxic chemicals, including the pesticide DEET, which is so poisonous that even the Environmental Protection Agency says you should wash it off your skin when you return indoors, avoid breathing it in and not spray it directly on your face. Think about it--if this chemical can kill mosquitoes, it can likely do some harm to other life forms too."  Now if the EPA is saying that, you know it has to be terrible!  DEET is terrible, and I get the same feeling I get when I see someone spraying DEET bugspray that I do when I see spray sunscreen.  I have to fight the urge to grab it out of their hand and run far far away.

So, lets talk about bug sprays using essential oils.  Are these going to work as good as those DEET loaded alternatives?  I am going to venture to say "no", but I am willing to sacrifice a little "protection" to ensure that I am not poisioning my body and especially my kids with every spray!

There are tons of variations of "recipes" for essential oil based bug repellent.  I think the key to all of them are Purification, so I am giving you this one because it has a lot of other oils as well.  If you don't have one of these others (most of them are in your starter kit), I would just leave it out and try without it.  But make sure you have the Purification! 

Protect your family from bugs and from all of the chemicals in those commerical bug sprays.  Use some essential oils and once again, your health will thank you! 

Thieves, thieves and everything thieves

We did a blog post on the Thieves Oil.  Thieves Oil is a blend of five essential oils that are scientifically documented to be highly anti-infectious, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic. Thieves essential oil is a safe and natural way to help care for your family's health. Since the oil is great, why wouldn't you want to try all the Thieves products? 

There are many household products based on the Thieves oil.  They have toothpaste, mouthwash, concentrated all purpose cleaning, hand sanitizer, spray and hand soap.  Do I use any of these?  YES!  I use them all, and I am totally in love.

There have been studies that the Thieves blend works better on bacteria and mold than bleach.  And it is non-toxic.  If your kid happens to put the spray bottle in their mouth and start drinking (not that this has EVER happened to me?) there is no call to poison control.  The suggestion is to drink some water because it might "taste bad".  I don't think Coy thought it tasted too bad.  :)  I use this cleaner for everything, countertops, bathrooms.  I have even put a capful in the laundry to wash the clothes, or to take the mold smell out when I forgot to put them in the dryer- ooops!  

Have you read the ingredients on your toothpaste tube?  It is toothpaste and says that you shouldn't ingest it! Why would you put that in your mouth? The Thieves toothpaste took a little getting used to for me, its not the minty taste of Crest and it doesn't 'foam', but now I can't use anything else. And my teeth feel cleaner ALL DAY.

The spray.  This spray saved me!  My throat was killing me, kept me up all night and then I decided to try the spray.  I sprayed it directly in my mouth and it numbed my mouth immediately and helped so much.  Anytime it started to come back, I sprayed again and poof.  This stuff works y'all!  

And my other favorite- the hand sanitizer!  Regular sanitizers are terrible for you and new research is coming out showing that they don't even work to kill cold and flu germs!  Why put that toxic stuff on your hands (one of the places that your body absorbs the quickest), when there is a non-toxic product available?  

Look at this deal?  You can save about $60 with this deal. http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/opportunity/products/essential-rewards-kits/thieves-essential-rewards

This can get you started, and if you enroll in essential rewards, you are getting 10-20% back in products each month and with reduced shipping costs.  Why wouldn't you switch all your household products over to these?  You aren't spending any MORE money, you are switching your money!  To a better product.  With rewards.  And making your family healthier in the process.

Testimonies 1

Jenna and I have been amazed at some of the comments we've gotten from people who have started using Young Living oils! We wanted to share some of them. We're going to keep collecting them to share periodically just because it excites us so much to hear all the great results from people! I love knowing we are all taking ownership of our health and using natural products on our bodies.

Lauren M: I sprinkled Purification into the dog crate yesterday because it was stinking up the laundry room and bam smell was gone and it's still smelling amazing in there a full day later (that never happens!)!

Veronica D: RC is amazing. I've had a cough, and it's so much better when I put it on my chest.

Kelly S: I received my diffuser last week and I love it!!!

Laura K: {after using Peace and Calming for the first time at night} OMG. E slept until 7:30 this morning. Her normal wake time is 5:30 - 6:30 at the latest.

Veronica D: Clarity is better than a chai. Never thought I'd say that. {Me neither from another chai-addict}

Kellie:  My husband was asleep snoring, I applied lavender to the bridge of his nose and the snoring stopped!

Lauren:  We cancelled my daughters tear duct surgery because lavender on the bridge of her nose clears it right up.

Lindsey:  I had bad allergies and applied lavender under my tongue.  It tasted terrible but it helped so much!

Don't forget - if you're interested in trying out essential oils, we have a step-by-step guide at the top called 'How to order essential oils'.

Happy oiling!!

How about some conversation about supplements??!?

Ok, let's take a short break from oils (not that I WANT to, but maybe you do?) and talk supplements.  When I started my "crunchy" journey about 5 years ago, I did a lot of research into supplements.  Which ones should I take?  Are all supplements created equal?  Should we even take supplements?  Do we need a multi-vitamin?

The amount of information on this was totally overwhelming.  And the crazy thing was if you talk to one doctor they will tell you the exact opposite of another doctor.  Where do I start?  Luckily there is this lovely thing called the internet, and after hours and hours and hours and HOURS of research and conversations with a lot of different "medical type" people, I formed my own opinions.  And, like everything else oils related, this is my own opinion.  And this is what I do for my family.  So, take what you want from it :)

So, in the winter months my whole family gets this routine everyday:

1. Thieves on feet in morning and night- help with that immunity!
2. Ningxia Red (especially the adults, sometimes the kids)- this is an awesome YL product, which I am sure I will blog about later.
3. At night the kids get what I call "yum yum".  The kids LOVE their yum yum and when it is announced that it is yum yum time, I have cheering kids running towards me.  Are they brainwashed?  Maybe?  :)
Yum Yum consists of applesauce that has a high quality probiotic mixed in as well as about 4000-5000 IUs of Vitamin D.
4. They also get Vitamin C "gummies", a fish oil pill most days and elderberry when they have been around sickos.

The above is everything for the kids.  For Clancy and me, we both take a quality probiotic and about 8000 IUs of vitamin d3.

Y'all, if you haven't done your research on Omega-3, Vitamin D3 and probiotics, I suggest you start.  These three things in addition to my oils, I believe, are key!

So, in the summer we only do probiotics, thieves and fish oil.  I hardly ever put sunscreen on my children or us (another post for later), and so they get plenty of Vitamin D in the summer without supplements.

So, this has worked for us... and maybe it would work for you?  I am sure people would have different opinions than I have, but after my hundreds of hours of research and conversation, this is what I feel most comfortable with.

Is your regiment any different?  Why?

Valor

..

Oh Valor..... I will admit that at first, I didn't know what to do with you.  Seemed so weird and random to me?  It is nicknamed the "chiropractor in a bottle".  Why do I need a chiropractor in a bottle when I go to the real chiropractor every week?  Well, I gave Valor a chance and some time, and I will admit, this one is growing on me!

Valor is a blend that has a bunch of interesting ingredients.  Spruce helps release emotional blocks; rosewood has a balancing effect on emotions; blue tansy helps aid liver function and calm the lymphatic system; and frankincense helps elevate the mind and overcome feelings of sadness and despair. Try this popular blend for tension relief, help with sleep, or to relieve snoring.  

I have had neck pain a couple times, the type of pain that I know I just need to go back to the chiropractor.  I couldn't go at the time and applied Valor before bed.  I woke up and it was all gone.  Through this I also noticed that like Peace and Calming, Valor helps me relax.  So, many times when my husband is out of town, I apply Valor and Peace and Calming for a better night sleep.  

A friend of mine mentioned that Peace and Calming didn't stop her husband from snoring but Valor did! This is the beauty of these oils, if one doesn't work, there is most likely another option to try.

Valor is also a great one to try on kids that have anxiety or need help calming down. Allena will do a whole post about what her family is doing for Trent {and especially the oils they are using}, and Valor is a part of their regimen!

Have you tried your Valor?  Next time you feel a little off, or are uptight, try your Valor!

Purification

Purification is quickly becoming one of my favorite oils! When I first started using Young Living essential oils, I was mostly interested in the ones to help my kids sleep and help keep them healthy. But as I've learned more about all the different oils, I am amazed by so many of them!

Purification is one that has a multitude of uses. First off, it smells really awesome. I think it's one that smells delicious diffusing {and Jenna has tried it mixed with peppermint and says that is really awesome too}. My mom diffuses Purification a lot, and I love walking into her kitchen!

Speaking of kitchens, it is a great one for neutralizing odors. Cleaning out the fridge? Diffuse purification to knock out any bad, lingering odors. Stinky shoes? Put a cotton ball in your shoe to wipe out that funk.

Purification has many uses for skin too. It is great as an insect repellent {hello Texas mosquitos!} because it has Citronella in it and it also soothes insect bites {hello Texas fireants!}. It is also soothing for blisters and canker sores in your mouth. I haven't tried it for pimples {yet}, but it's supposed to be great for that too.

A few other random things about Purification:

• You can put it in your wash to freshen clothes.
• It can help with stress {and who doesn't have a ton of that?}
• It is highly anti-bacterial - similar to Thieves
• It has lemongrass oil in it which is known for improving mental clarity {hello Mom brain!}

All in all, Purification packs a big punch for a lot of different uses. I promise if you start using it, you will love it as much as I do!

AHHHHH Peppermint!

Peppermint has a special place in my heart.  When I was in the hospital having my third sweet child, I got really bad nausea during my labor.  My L&D nurse took some peppermint essential oil out of her pocket, put it on a washcloth and laid it on my chest.  It made me feel so much better she kept laughing at me because the only time I would ring the nurse call button was when I couldn’t find my peppermint washcloth.  So, peppermint is known to help nausea, worked for me, as well as other stomach issues.

I have also used peppermint to help when I had a headache, applying it to my temples and the back of my neck.   And I put peppermint oil on my chest when I am congested or put it in my hands and breathe deeply.  J

A little while ago, my sister found out that there were mice in her car.  Yep, you hear that right, mice in her car.  How nasty is that?  When I was looking up something else, I found that peppermint oil deters mice, ants and cockroaches.  If she would have only known that before she found the chewed up pacifiers.

After thieves, peppermint oil is my second choice in the diffuser.  For some reason, it smells AMAZING diffused.  If you haven’t tried it, please do!

Some other documented uses for peppermint oil are:

1.      Add to water for flavor or fresh breath

2.      Put on the back of your neck to cool down hot flashes

3.      Apply to your wrists for motion sickness

4.      Can help with joint pain if applied directly to the area of pain (think Icy Hot??!)

5.      I have used as a natural way to regulate body temperature!

One thing peppermint also is known to do is decrease milk supply.  So, all you breastfeeding moms, stay away from peppermint oil on your chest area or ingesting it.  I still diffuse it and use it for headaches and haven’t noticed any supply issue.  But also something to remember when you decide you want to dry up???

 Peppermint oil smells amazing.  Again, maybe a little strong for some straight out of the bottle, but put some in that diffuser!  It is a win/win when something is so versatile AND smells so delicious.

Peace and Calming!

Peace and Calming- my second favorite oil.  Well, since this is my blog, I am doing my two favorite oils first, because I can!  :)

Peace and Calming, ahhhh, it’s wonderful.  First and foremost, it has totally curbed my husband’s snoring.  Does he still snore? Yes, sometimes.  But, a lot of nights it’s  totally gone.  If he does snore, it is so much more quiet.  So, my sister tried it.  Her husband was dead asleep, snoring.  She woke him up, put the oil on his feet and he fell back asleep in the same position, NO snoring.  That is my number 1 success story for this oil, because nobody likes a snoring husband!  {Allena jumping in here – Brent and I spent the majority of 2013 sleeping in separate rooms.  Every time he slept in our room, he snored, and I woke him up, and he got mad that I woke him up.  Enter Peace and Calming, and we spent 90% of 2014 in our room together!}

Peace and Calming is great also in the diffuser, I diffuse at night sometimes to calm everyone down.  Allena diffuses in her son’s room and says that he asks to have it on to help him go to sleep. 

I put it on my feet before bed, and on my kids’ feet if they are especially wound up.  I think it helps me sleep better, and I see improvement in the kids too.  I do want to add here though that this oil and every oil works differently on different people (because of course we are all different!)  So, if this doesn’t have the same effect on you or your kids, try something else.  You could try lavender, some people react better to lavender to calm them down.  What about stress away?  Or valor?  A lot of oils is about trial and error and what works for one, might not work for another.  Lavender is supposed to have a calming effect; it doesn’t work that way on my kids.  They get more hyper.  I don’t know what it is, but this is just a small example to experiment, it won’t hurt!

Some people have also claimed that peace and calming works for their asthma, or that they wear it as a perfume.

Basically this oil aids in relaxation.  If you smell it straight from the bottle, it is STRONG (as they all are since they are so pure).  Diffused it smells wonderful, and like a lot of the others you will get used to the smell and learn to love it.  It has also been known to reduce teeth grinding, and help with feeling anxious or blue.  Why not give it a try?

Have you tried peace and calming?  Any other success stories?

Stay tuned, I think peppermint is next…..ahhhhhhh

Thieves!

Thieves- my FAVORITE oil!

So, Thieves is my favorite oil.  Being the germ freak that I am, this one really satisfies me.  I said it before though, and I will say it again.  This scent is strong.  It took me some getting used to.  The first time I put it in the diffuser, I used 10 drops.  I had to turn it off after 10 minutes because I couldn’t stand it.  I tried again with 4 drops, moved to 6 the next time, then 8 and now back to 10.  Now, I could run it all day and not get sick of it.  So, stick with it folks.  Train your body to get used to it, because the benefits are huge!

Young Living and their studies state that, “Thieves is scientifically documented to be highly anti-infectious, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic. It is a safe and natural way to care for your family's health. During an independent study conducted at Weber State University in 1997, this therapeutic blend of oils was proven to kill 99.96% of all airborne bacteria.  The Research showed that Thieves effectively interrupts the life cycle of bacteria and also interferes with the ability of viruses to replicate. That means families no longer need fear outbreaks of MRSA, e-Coli, or Salmonella if they sanitize their home with Thieves and choose their food selectively while using Thieves products to wash their hands before preparation; thoroughly clean their fruits and veggies; and diffuse the oils regularly.”

Read that again, diffusing it kills 99.96% of airborne bacteria!  You can’t beat that.  I diffuse thieves at least 4-5 times a week in my house - especially during the winter.

In addition to this benefit, there are many other uses for thieves. 

1.     Rub thieves on the bottom of your feet for an immunity boost- I do this every time someone in the house doesn’t feel well, and it’s great for the kids before day care or going places.

2.     Put 2-3 drops on a cloth in the dryer to freshen laundry (as a side note, I use lemon for this too).

3.     Diffuse to eliminate household mold -there are studies on this too.

4.     Put in the dishwasher to disinfect dishes- I LOVE doing this too because it makes the dishes smell so good.

There is also a Thieves line household cleaner, which I use as my daily cleaner.  You can also use this to:

5.     Add a capful when rewashing the laundry you forgot for a day or two in the washer to eliminate mildew odors- come on moms, haven’t we ALL done this?!?!?!?

6.     Use diluted to remove grease, food or pet stains from carpet.

7.     Use to remove hard-water buildup or soap scum.

And if that’s not enough, there is more-

8.     There are throat lozenges that I have used when a sore throat was coming on, and they taste delicious (like cinnamon) and work great.

9.     There is a hand sanitizer that I keep in my diaper bag and scrub down the kids hands every time we leave a public place (didn’t I tell you I was a germ freak?!?!).

10.  There are wipes that you can take to wipe down shopping carts etc.  Just like Clorox wipes but non-toxic!

11.  There is a toothpaste that I am obsessed with.  It is a little weird at first (as most natural products are), but now my teeth feel so much cleaner when using that.

12.  The FOAMING soap- LOVE it… I can’t even tell you how many compliments I have received on the smell.

Ok, there are a lot of uses for thieves and the Thieves product line.  If you haven’t tried any of the other Thieves products, I encourage you to try them.  They are soo much better for you than those everyday sanitizers, soaps, and cleaners.  And the research proves they work! 

Let's start at the very beginning.....

The only place to start.......

So, Allena and I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog to share our love for oils!  I am hoping that these posts will help share ideas and knowledge about different kinds and uses for oils.  I will say as it applies to this whole blog, I am NOT a doctor.  So, this information is all based on my experiences and experiences of others and should not be used as medical advice.  I am an accountant, and accountant who has done a TON of research into alternative health and wellness, but an accountant nonetheless.  There are a ton of books on essential oils, lots of websites and testimonies on oils online.  Do your own research, it's fascinating. 

What are essential oils?

Thought this would be a good place to start, you know, at the beginning.  Basically, in technical terms, an essential oil is a liquid made from some sort of plant. :)  Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation, often by using steam.  Even if you aren't aware, they are used in perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding scents to household cleaning products.  Essential oils have been used medicinally in history and date back to the bible.

How do we use essential oils?

You can use Young Living essential oils in 3 ways:  diffusing, application, and internally.  For diffusing essential oils, it is recommended you use a cold air diffuser.  Using a cold air diffuser saves the benefits of the oils as well as gives off an aroma.  If you heat the oil, the benefits of the oil disappears (even thought it still smells good).  For application, most oils can be applied to the bottom of the feet.  There are some oils that you can also apply elsewhere if it makes sense (ie, lavender on your chest if you have a cough etc.).  If you don't know where to apply, apply to the feet.  Most oils can be applied neat (meaning straight from the bottle) and others need to be diluted with a carrier oil before they are applied (ie, coconut oil, olive oil etc).  There are few oils for adults that actually need a carrier oil (oregano, cinnamon bark, lemongrass are a couple examples), but if you don't know, you should look it up. And most of the time, you can just google it!  Other oils can be taken internally (and I am only speaking for Young Living oils when I make this claim).  I honestly don't have a ton of experience with this, but googling it can produce a lot of examples.

Why should I try essential oils?

This is a great question (of course it is, I came up with it.  :).. )    I have a couple of thoughts on this one.  First of all, why not?  They are natural, plant based oils and thus do not have side effects (if used in moderation of course, like everything).  That being said, essential oils have been my go-to before I try anything else and my go-to when I need calming or a mental refresh.

In addition, can you remember a time you walked into a spa, walked out by the ocean, went outside on a beautiful day in the mountains and the smell relaxes you, puts you in a better mood and refreshes your spirit?  Aromatherapy is real.  You can diffuse and inhale certain oils that can improve your mood, improve your energy, improve your focus and you can change it as often as you would like. 

Lastly, there is an oil that kills 99% of airborne germs and bacteria and there is an oil that stops my husband from snoring.  If that doesn't sell you, I am surprised, but also sure I can think of more.  :)

Welcome to the use of essential oils.  I hope we can share ideas and improve our moods and health!

And if you have any questions, please let me know!