Today I’m really excited to bring you a beginner’s guide to essential oils. I know next to nothing about essential oils, but I’ve been intrigued about them for years. I know they can help with everything from bug bites to headaches to upset tummies. You can clean with them, cook with them or just use them for making your house smell great. I asked my friend Gale (the “oilest” person I know) to put together this little beginner’s guide for all of you that want to know more, but don’t know where to begin. She’s including a few oil “recipes” for some things us outdoorsy moms (all moms, really) deal with a lot, including an immunity booster, which is perfect for this time of year. As always, if you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Happy oiling!
Beginner’s guide to essential oils
I’m pretty sure you have at least heard the words “Essential Oils” being murmured within the last few years. It is more likely that you have at least one friend or family member who drones on and on about the greatness of those magical little bottles (guilty). But what exactly is an essential oil? In the most basic of terms an essential oil is a highly concentrated plant extract. That extract consists of all the goodness that keeps plants healthy. And lucky for us, those extracts can do much of the same for our bodies. And that, my friends, is super exciting, because it allows us to have some natural alternatives to many everyday needs. There are three main ways to use essential oils; topically, aromatically, and internally.
How to use essential oils:
Internally:
I’m actually not going to discuss internally here because it’s extremely important to use only high grade therapeutic grade oils for this. And since I can’t come into each one of your homes & make sure that’s what you are using, I’ll just leave you with that warning. I also personally believe that essential oils work great without having to use this method. So we will be moving right along, but I did want you to know that with the right essential oils, it is an option.
Topically:
When we apply oils onto our skin, they are absorbed into our bloodstream through our pores and follicles. I advise that this always be done with carrier oil. Especially when applying to children. Essential oils are very concentrated and therefore very strong. Carrier oil will help to protect the skin & slow the absorption rate of the essential oils. Some popular carrier oils are; coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, and jojoba oil.
Aromatically:
Inhaling essential oils heightens the senses and can trigger numerous healing responses in the body. Inhaling the fragrance from essential oils triggers our limbic system. This system controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance. Therefore essential oils can have some profound physiological and psychological effects. You can simply place a drop or two in the palm of your hand, cup them around your nose and inhale deeply.
Diffusing with a diffuser also falls into the aromatically category. A diffuser disperses the oil in a micro-fine vapor into the air. This allows anyone within the room to benefit from the essential oils.
Essential oil uses:
The second best part of essential oils (the first being that they are chemical free) is how versatile they are. They can be used for everything from stress, bloating, wrinkles, sleep, bruising, colds, to house cleaning and bug repelling. There really is an oil for that!
Essential oil recipes:
We are an essential oil loving family and I try to use them as much as possible in place of store bought products. As a mother and semi health conscious being I love that I can cut some chemicals from our everyday lives. The brand that we use is Young Living. They have proven to work well for us time and time again. I trust the company with the purity and authenticity of their oils. I’ve tested all of these recipes on my family and we approve them all!
Bug repellent:
- 10 drops YL Peppermint
- 12 drops YL Thieves
- 10 drops YL Purification
- ½ cup distilled water
- ½ cup witch hazel
- 10 drops of YL Citronella (this is optional, but I always add for good measure)
Mix together in a spray bottle. Shake before each use. This recipe can be used on dogs as well.
We spend much of our summer touring around to different campgrounds in our trailer and this is our go to bug repellent. It just plain works and smells nice too. I also love that this is another alternative to using Deet.
Owie roller:
- 5 ml roller bottle
- 12 drops YL Frankincense
- 12 drops YL Lavender
- Fill the rest of the bottle with carrier oil of choice
Can be applied to bumps, lumps, scrapes, & bruises. This one is easy to carry and has saved us from many tears on hikes and outdoor explorations. It also increases the healing time of all boo-boos. This clumsy momma gets a lot of use out of this one too.
Immunity booster:
- 5 ml roller bottle
- 15 drops Thieves
- 10 drops Purification
- 10 drops Frankincense
- Fill the rest with carrier oil of choice
This is how we combat all things icky & sickie during the winter months. We simply roll on to the bottoms of our feet first thing in the morning and last thing before we go to bed at night. AS you can see, we love the roll-ons for the convenience factor. Life is busy, but make them ahead of time and use when needed. I mean, truly, it’s so easy that my 4 and 5 year old can apply it themselves. But it makes all the difference in the world when it comes to how often and for how long we are down with some germ. If we DO end up catching a bug, I add 10 drops of Oregano Oil to the above combo to kick that booster into overtime!
Tummy tamer:
- 5 ml roller bottle
- 15 drops Digize
- 10 drops Peppermint
- Fill the rest with carrier oil of choice
This one is to have in case of the ever dreaded stomach flu! It is a life saver for those nauseous moments. But the flu and nausea aren’t the only things this one can tame. It’s also extremely helpful for both diarrhea and constipation. I’m not exactly sure how it’s works out for those two opposite issues; I just know that it does. Like I said, family tested and approved.
The Essential things to remember about Essential oils (see what I did there?) are that they very concentrated, brand and grade of the oil does make a difference, and they are extremely versatile. This makes them a fantastic chemical free option for many daily needs. If you would like some more information you can check out Youngliving.com. My member number is 1597647.
Gale Jenkins is a SAHM to three wonderful, yet exhausting kiddos. Is married to her best friend, who happens to be a ninja disguised as a corporate world MVP. She is an Essential Oil enthusiast. Ok, fine – Essential Oil freak is probably a more accurate description. She is also a wanna be writer, who has all the ideas & wit to be one, but lacks the discipline needed. She spends as much time as possible taking adventures in the family trailer, and when she’s not on the road, she can be found at home, dousing both herself & her children in Essential Oils.
Great information. I like to use Bulk Apothecary’s oils and have found they are great for aromatherapy, massage, and mixing into laundry.