For the past few years, I’ve been really curious about getting into essential oils. I’m just a little obsessed with candles, but I loved the idea of something a little more natural. For some reason, it felt a little overwhelming, though. Where do I start? Which brand do I buy? And finally which oils? Last fall I reached out to one of my closest friends after seeing her post a photo on Instagram with some of her favorite oils. She talked me through her use of oils, and the difference it’s made for her family, and suggested I get a starter kit. She’s been a huge mentor during my introduction to oils and it’s made such a difference for me. What started as an interest in making the house smell nice, has turned into an awareness of some of the natural benefits of oils. While I’m sure you know there are ones that help aid in relaxation, there are also ones that are tied to immunity, workout recovery, and better sleep. I thought I’d share a little introduction to essential oils for any of you who may be curious too, and not sure where to start. I’m also going to share the 11 main oils I use in my daily life.
A Little About Essential Oils
What are essential oils? Essential oils are just oils that are taken from the plants. They’re extracted through careful steam distillation, resin tapping, and cold pressing, leaving behind a completely pure oil. After doing a bunch of research on the different brands I decided to buy the oils from Young Living. They’ve been around for over 20 years and have an unmatched Seed to Seal approval process for their farms, which means they control quality and purity every step of the way from plant to product. Other oils you see in stores can have additives, be diluted, or not come from a first distillation. You really want to make sure you’re using a product you trust, especially when you’re looking to them for health benefits.
Essential oils can be used three ways: aromatic diffusion {put in the air through a diffuser}, topically {applied directly to your skin}, or internally {added to water or a vegetable capsule}. You’ll see the ones that can be taken internally are labeled as Vitality {e.g. Lemon Vitality}.
11 ESSENTIAL OILS
LAVENDER– Lavender is a good gateway essential oil. Most people are already familiar with Lavender and its relaxing properties. It’s one of the most versatile essential oils and if you look up the uses and benefits, you’ll find tons! The sweet, floral aroma is one of my favorites! I diffuse this one every single day, usually at night before bed. My sleep post-baby hasn’t been the best, but this oil has definitely helped! I heard you can also use lavender on cuts, minor burns, and even bug bites!
PEPPERMINT VITALITY– Vitality means that an oil can be taken internally. I love the minty smell of peppermint, and I’ll diffuse it in the mornings for some extra energy. It’s a great addition to other oils, like Lavender, Lemon, or Stress Away. I also added a drop to my hot chocolate during Christmas time!
FRANKINCENSE– Frankincense makes me think of the Three Wise Men! This is an earthy oil that’s definitely tied to spirituality. We’ll diffuse it when we’re reading prayers, or if I’m doing yoga at home, but it’s also great in skin care. Just a drop in my moisturizer has helped a lot with dry skin.
LEMON VITALITY– Lemon is such a clean refreshing scent! I’ve been diffusing this in the morning with Lavender and Peppermint since the trio is supposed to help with allergies. It also smells so good! Since this one is also a Vitality oil, I can take it internally, so I’ll add a few drops to my water or tea.
THIEVES VITALITY– Thieves is what made me fall in love with essential oils. When Matthew was sick in December I was diffusing this as much as I could. I love the smell of cloves, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus. It’s spicy and wintery! I also made a Thieves tea with hot water and lemon and was drinking that when Matthew was sick. Luckily, I didn’t catch his cold and honestly, I think it was because of Thieves!
PANAWAY– PanAway has been a must for me after my T-25 workouts! I’d add a little PanAway to coconut oil and rub on my sore muscles. It’s a blend containing the following essential oils: Wintergreen, Clove, Helichrysum, and Peppermint. It’s also nice to add a few drops in the bath!
R.C.– R.C. contains three unique types of eucalyptus, along with other botanicals like pine, black spruce, peppermint, marjoram, and cypress. It helped so much when Matthew was congested from his cold. We’d diffuse R.C. but also add a few drops to a bowl of steaming water. We’d put a towel over our heads, and breathe in the water. So healing and relaxing!
PURIFICATION– I love using Purification to neutralize odors (like after a fish dinner!). It has a crisp, refreshing smell and I’ll even put some drops in the bottom of Augustine’s diaper pail. After a big blowout, this one is a must to diffuse. It includes oils from lemongrass, rosemary, and citronella.
DIGIZE VITALITY– Whenever I have a stomach ache, I reach for DiGize. It’s one that can be taken internally. The blend is tarragon, juniper, anise, ginger, fennel, patchouli, peppermint, and lemongrass essential oils. I’ll add a few drops to water and drink it in the morning or at night to help support my digestive system. You can also put a drop in your belly button!
COPAIBA VITALITY– Instead of being distilled it’s actually tapped directly from the Copaiba tree. It helps promote wellness and is also a helper oil when diffused with other essential oils.
STRESS AWAY– I saved the best for last! Stress Away is my absolute favorite oil! It’s one of the best blends and includes the following essential oils: Lime, Copaiba, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea, and Lavender. It smells so yummy and I always look forward to adding some drops to our diffuser!
If any of you are interested in learning more, email me! I’m still learning too but it’s been such a fun process. I’d also love to be your mentor like my friend Angel has been for me.
If you are thinking you want to start using essential oils, I think the starter kit is your best option. The starter kit comes with these 11 oils I mentioned above, plus a diffuser, along with several samples. You can get it here! The kit is $160 but that’s a really good deal when you think you get all these oils along with the diffuser. It’s really the best way to get introduced to oils and test it out. It’s made the process a lot easier for me. There’s also an option for Essential Rewards (Step 2) that allows you to get points back for purchases, but you don’t have to do this now (or ever). It’s just an option if you think you’ll get into oils and buy more. I didn’t sign up for this at first, but later did once I realized I’d be ordering oils more regularly. To get the essential oils starter kit, go here and select Member. This gives you 24% off which is definitely the best deal. There are no requirements or obligations but it gives you wholesale pricing for a year if you want it. When you click “next,” it will have you confirm that I’m your mentor (Sponsor & Enroller ID 10791335), and then you pick your kit (the standard one with dewdrop diffuser is already selected).
I’ve loved using essential oils and I’m excited to share more of my oil journey with you all! Do any of you already use them? Which are some of your favorites? I’ve loved diffusing different combos, like Cedarwood and Grapefruit.
xox
