Last year my family became a big user of essential oils, and I’ve been amazed at how many different things they can help with!! It’s kinda funny I fell in love with them, as I was a skeptic for a long time!! You see them everywhere and most people can’t help but wonder if they are a fad, or truly do work. I know your first thought’s reading this are probably…. “oh goodness, another person jumping on the essential oil bandwagon!” Before judging though, I’d love for you to read how I fell in love with essential oils!
How I Fell In Love With Essential Oils
Reason 1:
My oldest son has asthma, and it went un-diagnosed for quite awhile. Nothing worse as a Mom as fighting with doctors and trying to tell them what they were suggesting, wasn’t working! We spent many nights with my son coughing so much he got sick, missing over 30 days of school, and spending hundreds of dollars on medicines and tests (finally we got a referral to an allergist…surprise surprise, Mom was right and he did have asthma and a few allergies!). I turned to essential oils for help while we tried to find a diagnoses and not only did they give him peace at night, he was also able to recuperate faster!
Reason 2:
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I’m one of those people who really doesn’t like to take pills. Sure I have some I have to take everyday, and I do, but other things like Tylenol for joint pain, or allergy medicine….I just don’t like to do it! Well me doctors actually recommended trying to avoid medicine as much as possible. That was scary! At the time I was having really bad headaches almost daily! I also was getting severe sinus infections which put my on antibiotics every 4-6 weeks (yes, I know they kill the good bacteria in your gut…which Is why I turned to oils!). A friend of mine suggested peppermint oils for my headaches, along with an allergy blend, and an oil to boost my immune system. Not only did my headaches go from daily down to once or twice a month (if that!)….I haven’t had a sinus infection in 8 MONTHS! I had 6 in a four month period, plus the flu, plus strep throat!! That’s HUGE!! An autoimmune disease means a weakened immune system, but thanks to oils and a few other things, I’ve done much better in not catching things!
Reason 3:
Oils can boost your immune system and help with many condition! My kids were in 1st grade and Pre-K and brought home so many germs!! For awhile it seemed someone was always sick! I found an oil that boosts their immune system and started mixing it with coconut oil, and rubbing on their backs and feet each night. Second half of school….neither of them got sick!!! And if they did start to feel down, I would put a few oils in a diffuser in their rooms, and the next day they were back to normal!! (Disclosure: I did also start giving them probiotics, and a REALLY GOOD kids vitamin!)
Reason 4:
ADHD…..this is something so many kids are diagnosed with these days, especially boys! My oldest son was first thought to have this in Kindergarten, but at the time we didn’t know much, so didn’t do much! By 1st grade, it got much worse. He fell behind in learning, his grades suffered, and each day of school was miserable because he struggled. I wanted to avoid medicine if I could after reading too many scary stories and my own husband having issues with it! I began to research and learned a lot! Such as it’s most common in boys and their brain develops slower, plus most boys are just higher energy than girls. I did a few different things to help him (good vitamins, especially omega vitamins, no junk food, lots of activities, etc) but one of the biggest was oils! I used an oil to help him pay attention, and one to help him calm down. Not only did his grades go from failing to A’s, he also began to enjoy school! He went from being behind, to excelling in all his work! The joy on his face showing me all his good grades makes all the research and changes we did worth it!!
So that’s it! That’s how I fell in love with essential oils!! Everyone has different stories and different results, but if you haven’t tried oils, I really recommend it!
For those new to the oil world, I’d love to share a little more about them! Now, I am not an expert by any means (luckily I have a good friend who is and I pick her brain often!), but here is just some generic information on oils, how to use them, and picking brands to try!
Essential oils come from plants and are the highly concentrated version of the natural oils in plants. The oils are removed from the plant through a process called distillation using steam or water. They also use different parts of the plants such as seeds, bark, leaves, flowers, etc. The end result is a highly concentrated oil from the plant which carries the fragrance of the plant along with some of its healing properties. So when using oils, you literally are using plants to help heal you!
Essential oils were mankind’s first medicine! In fact, research shows they have been used for thousands of years by physician’s and priests. They were even found in alabaster jars in the tomb of King Tut!! In the temple of Isis on the island of Philae, a sacred room was used for emotional clearing using oils and oils baths! There are over 180 references to essential oils in the Bible! A few you may recognize are rosemary, myrrh, and frankincense….two of these were presented to the Baby Jesus by the wise men!
What can essential oils help with??
- Headaches
- Allergies
- Nausea
- ADHD
- Digestion
- Balance Hormones
- Skin Conditions
- Joint Pain
- Thyroid Issues
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Cold and Flu Symptoms
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
The list goes on and on and on!
Where can you get oils?
This one is very important!!! I have read many horror stories of people being hurt by buying bad quality oils, or not using them in the right way! One tip is never buy cheap oils from the grocery store, amazon, or a drug store. If it looks too good to be true, just say no!!! Buy them from a company that is well experienced in making high quality oils. I personally have bought oils from FIVE different companies and loved them all. They were all high quality oils, from organic farms, some were much more expensive than others which was one reason I kept trying different companies. I did try and find a chart showing different oil testing that is done, but it was hard to do as the oil business is very competitive and most charts were made by a company to make themselves look good haha. I would also suggest asking friends which oil company they use as there are quite a few! And then compare prices! I have found the quality on the 5 companies I tried was all the same….it came down to the price differences. Things to look for are testing such as GC/MS, organic, proper label with information, and price (should be reasonable and not too cheap!).
Also, do NOT ingest oils! While writing this article, I came across a few articles on the FDA saying never to ingest, unless working with a certified expert.
FDA-Use Oils Responsibly and With Proper Instruction
Here are my favorite books on essential oils, how to use them, and blends to make!
Essential Oils Natural Remedies
Essential Oil Recipes: One Drop At A Time
Smart Mom’s Guide To Essential Oils
Here are a few of my favorite essential oil items:
Home Diffuser ( I Like this one as it will go all night vs the small ones that only last an hour or two!)
You can use oils for so many health issues, but also fun things too! I’ve done bath bombs and sugar scrubs with them, bug repellent luminaries, toilet fizzes, car fresheners, and more!! They truly are amazing and can help with many different health benefits. No they are not some crazy fad seeing as they have been around for thousands of years. Don’t take my word for it, give them a try!
Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review and who use affiliate links. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
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