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!