Essential Oils 101: Why You Need to Start Using Them Today

I was skeptical at first when I learned about essential oils.  But since using them for the past 2 years, I have fallen in love with them and I believe that more and more people need to start trying out these oils.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!  But let’s answer the question…Why Oils??

The Power of Essential Oils:

Essential oils are aromatic compounds found in plants.  They are concentrated parts of the plant that hold a very strong fragrant smell depending on which plant it was extracted from.  And they don’t just smell good, the hold the healing properties from the plant as well. The oil is collected from the plant through steam distillation or cold pressing. It is very important to do your research and purchase your essential oils from a trusted company.  The oil industry is not regulated like many health products so finding transparent companies that share where the plants are harvested and how the oils are produced is important.

You can use essential oils in a variety of ways. But personally, I have 2 favorite ways that I like to use them to benefit my life! They are both the main reason why I chose to invest in essentials oils and dive into the world of them!!

First, essential oils are a simple-cost effective way to upgrade your home cleaning products to be safer and toxin-free.  Second, essential oils are a great way to uplift your mood and improve your mental health. Next, I am going to dive into these 2 reasons a bit more and then I am going to share some of my favorite oils and their benefits!

Low Cost Toxic -Free Cleaning:

Most of the cleaning products you can purchase off the shelf are packed full of chemicals. Personally, the strong smells make me feel nauseous or burn my eyes.  When I learned about essentials oil and how you could make your own safer cleaning products, I knew this would be a good option to pursue for the health of my body! Our skin absorbs what we put on it and that includes cleaning chemicals!  Laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish soap, hand soap, all purpose cleaners, etc. You get the idea! When our skin touches these chemicals or we inhale them, they absorb into our body and go directly into our blood stream.  Eventually, the liver will process all of this and we will poop it out, but I find no reason to overload the liver more than it already is. Decreasing your chemical load can be a very important step especially if you are struggling with hormone balance, inflammation, or any disease!  For me, I found that switching my cleaning products was a non-negotiable! On top of it – I could save money! How can you not win with that??

You can find an alternative recipe to almost any type of cleaner using essential oils.  Right now, I make time for the easy ones.  I am going to share my current 2 favorite EO recipes: a laundry detergent recipe and an all-purpose spray.  Don’t feel like you need to change everything right away.  I definitely do not, and I do the best I can because life can get crazy.  Sometimes you have to do what is convenient.  If you decide you want to change anything, just make it these 2 products and you are off to a great start!

First let’s start with the laundry detergent! I got this recipe from Hol-Fit.com.  I am going to link it right here because she deserves the credit. http://www.hol-fit.com/2014/02/diy-natural-liquid-laundry-detergent.html
I like this one because it liquid detergent and it does not include Borax which you find in most DIY detergents.  A few key things you might need to make this recipe: a big plastic jug to hold the detergent, and a thick plastic bucket to hold the hot water (mop bucket).  You could also use a cooking pot.  When I made my first batch, I dumped hot water into the plastic jug and the jug melted…lol.  That was a disaster to say the least.  I found my jugs at a dollar store. If you find a glass container, that is always best but don’t worry if you cannot. Also feel free to use any type of oils! I love lavender the best though! It is a good laundry-type smell.  But you cannot use a “wrong” oil. I guess many oregano. Lol Not sure if you want oregano smelling clothes.

Next up, I love making all-purpose cleaning spray! This one is a favorite of mine because you can whip up sprays with a variety of scents!

All Purpose Spray with Essential Oils

1 ¾ cups water
¼ white vinegar
30 drops of Essential Oils (your choice)
Preferably all mixed in a dark glass bottle.  I got these on Amazon.  This is because oils are light sensitive and storing oil-based products in plastic isn’t the best idea. I like this recipe because there is not as much vinegar.  If the vinegar is too strong, dilute with more water.  This doesn’t have to be an exact science. My goal is to smell more EO, not just vinegar.

And those are my 2 favorite cleaning recipes!  If you don’t want to make products though, but still want toxin-free.  I recommend checking out Doterra’s products.  They have a laundry detergent, soap, and cleaner concentrate! And if you want to upgrade everything, check out Norwex! They gave a great laundry detergent too and so many other great products! Everything you want to clean in your home! 😊 (Note – I am not a consultant of either of these companies, but I can refer you to someone who is if you are interested – email me. 😊)

All-Natural Mood Booster

Who doesn’t want a natural mood booster?? My favorite part of essential oils is how their smell can shift your mood from negative to positive.  Our emotional health is SO important when it comes to our overall health.  You cannot have a healthy body if you don’t have a healthy mind.  It just doesn’t work.  Learning how to reduce stress and keep a positive mindset are essential.  Smells make us happy! Think about how a citrus smell can uplift your mood and make your want to stay in the room longer!  Or how specific scents can bring back memories.  Different fragrances can be used to achieve a brain that is more relaxed (parasympathetic state) or a brain that is more focused (sympathetic).  The key is that oils can help bring us to a state of balance!!  Who doesn’t want a happier brain?

You can use essential oils in a variety of ways.  Diffusing and putting directly on my skin are my two favorites.  Diffusing is so nice because it uplifts the room and helps clear the “staleness” plus you know you are breathing in scents that support your body rather than another “toxin” to eliminate.  You can buy low cost diffusers on amazon.  I got this one right here.  It is simple and all I need right now.
When putting oils directly on your skin, it is best to dilute them in a carrier oil.  I use coconut oil because that is an oil that I always have around the house.  You can also try grapeseed oil or whatever oil that works for your skin!! I love massaging my whole body with oils because it feels so uplifting and nourishing. But if I am in a hurry, I will just rub oils on the bottoms of my feet, my stomach, and behind my ears.

My Favorite Essential Oils:

Next up, I am going to share a few of my favorite oils and what I use them for! I purchase all my oils from Doterra.  They are a great company with high quality manufacturing standards and very transparent. Some of the oils I list below are “blends” specifically made my Doterra, most companies create a blend that may be comparable so look for those if you want to buy from another company.

1. Digest-Zen

This is my favorite oil.  It truly does wonders with digestive health and bloating.  I thought it might be just a hoax, but it really does help. Of course it isn’t magic, but it does help support your body when trying to recover from any digestive issues.  I like the roll-on because it is easy to apply and I am lazzzzy.

2. Grapefruit

   Currently, I have been loving grapefruit essential oil. It is very uplifting and optimistic.  It puts me in a good mood ready for the day. Grapefruits are detoxing and support body love and acceptance. They support the metabolism and help reduce stress. This is my favorite oils to massage all over my legs to help me re-connect with my body and be in it.

3. Serenity

   This oil “conks” me out. LOL I don’t know if that is word. But I am out like a light when I put Serenity, or a lavender based essential oil on my feet.  It really does help support relaxation and sleep. If you feel stressed out and cannot fall sleep, try this oil out.  What have you got to lose?

4. Lemongrass

I LOVE lemongrass.  This one reminds me of some smell from my childhood. I feel like maybe it smells like gummy bears?? lol I am not sure, but I love the scent and massaging my body with it to support my own body’s detox processes.  I also use Primally Pure deodorant scented in Lemongrass and it is the best.  This is winning clean beauty scent! <3 This one also supports digestion specifically liver and is very energizing!

5. Peace

This oil is a blend of lavender, ylang ylang, clary sage, frankincense, spearmint, and marjoram.  This is a good one for day to day anxieties and hormonal balance.  Doing more is the normal in today’s world and that pressure can bring a lot of anxiety.  I love wearing this daily to keep me calm and focused while supporting my hormones. Clary sage is good to support regular cycles.  Spearmint is good for reducing excessive androgens (acne).  Ylang Ylang is good for fighting depression and PMS along with lavender.  Frankincense is the KING of oils and not only supports hormonal balance, but helps you stay connected to yourself.  So try out this oil or make this blend yourself – if you want more peace and bliss. <3

These are my top 5 oils that I use right now. There are tons of honorable mentions like cassia, sandalwood(Hawaiian), frankincense, peppermint, and lemon. And there are bunch more I want to try!

Wow this got to be quite a long post.  I want to end it by saying that if you feel ready to jump into the world of essential oils – go for it!  They really do help support your mental health and that is honestly one of the greatest benefits from using them.  Life can get crazy, but it can be easier when we have the best tools available to us.  If you already use oils, post below and let me know – what is your favorite oil? And how do you use it? I would love to hear and get ideas of what to add next in my collection! 

Xoxox

Chelsea Jolene