[31 Days] Day 2: Three Ways to Use Essential Oils

***So glad you’re here for my 31 Days series! Click here to read others’ 31 Days posts, too!***

When I tell someone I use essential oils, the first question I often get is, “So what exactly do you do with them?” Easy! There are three ways that I use them!

#1: Aromatically

Inhaling oils straight out of the bottle or in the air by way of a diffuser* brings many benefits. Alternatively, you can put one drop of oil in your palms and hold over your nose.

(*A diffuser is a machine [similar to a humidifier] that uses ultrasonic technology to release water droplets into the air without the use of heat. Heat may destroy the therapeutic properties of EOs.)

My favorite oils to diffuse/inhale:
•THIEVES: A university in Utah did a study of Thieves Oil and found that it killed 99.96% of germs in the air within 12 minutes of being diffused. NATURALLY! That amazes me. I diffuse Thieves when there’s a funky smell in the room (which, with a toddler, when is there NOT a funky smell in the room?) and any time we’re feeling like some crud may be coming on. If Thieves can kill that many germs in the air, I know it can do something for my body, and especially lungs, by breathing it in! *Bonus: Add some citrus like Lemon or Orange and it smells like Autumn… 🙂

•LAVENDER and CEDARWOOD: I diffuse these two when we are sleeping. I can personally testify to how much better I sleep when these are diffusing in the room. Lavender is a calming oil and Cedarwood triggers your brain to release melatonin (a naturally-ocurring sleep aid chemical) which, for me, knocks me out! I love it!

•PEACE & CALMING: This is a blend that is specifically for relaxation. As I shared on my Facebook page a few weeks ago, I get these painful and debilitating hiccups. You think I’m exaggerating but I’m not. These hiccups are the worst! They cause so much tension in my chest, which causes intense pain, and I really can’t concentrate when I have them. Recently, I felt the dreadful hiccups coming so I thought, “There must be an oil for this.” I grabbed my case full of oils and my eyes went to Peace & Calming. I put on drop in my palm, rubbed my hands together, cupped them over my nose, and BOOM! No more hiccups! You guys, this is huge for me! It was instantaneous!

#2: Topically

Rubbing oils on your skin is another great way to get them into your system. Just think for a second about how your skin is the biggest organ. That makes it so susceptible to everything that it touches! Rubbing oils on your skin, either NEAT (without any sort of dilution or “watering down”) or DILUTED, (added to some other substance like olive oil before use), is an extremely powerful way to deliver these oils to your system!

My favorite oils to use topically:
•PANAWAY: I love to use this oil when I have soreness anywhere on my body. It’s amazing for achy joints from standing all day. It’s also amazing for tension headaches!

•LAVENDER: Seriously, what can’t this oil do?! It will instantly take the itch out of a bug bite. Last week, while at the beach on vacation (hate me), I got attacked by vicious mosquitos. I have nickel-sized welts all over my legs. I found myself clawing at those bites until I remembered Lavender! I rubbed a bit of lavender on the bug bite and the itch went away! Incredible!

•PEPPERMINT: You guys, this kicks nausea to the curb! I like to mix this with a carrier oil (such as sunflower seed oil) at a 1:1 ratio (1 drop EO, 1 drop CO) and apply directly to the stomach. This will settle any upset tummy! It’s also great rubbed on the temples for headaches!

#3: Internally

Taking oils internally through a homemade capsule (which we’ll cover late this month) or in  your drinking water is another great way to get these oils in your system.

My favorite oils to take internally:
•LEMON/LIME/GRAPEFRUIT/CITRUS FRESH: I LOVE to add these oils (individually or in different combos) to my drinking water. I really don’t mind water, but it’s not my favorite thing to drink. I like those little flavor packets that you can buy and add, but they are so full of chemicals! Blech! Citrus oils are a great way to naturally flavor water or tea and they also add health benefits. Citrus oils are detoxing, meaning as you intake them, they are pushing out the bad stuff. That may mean that you may break out in acne a little more than normal, or you may have more frequent *ahem* bowel movements, or you may just pee a lot. These are not negative side effects and they don’t last forever. They just prove the potency of citrus oils! *Bonus: Only drink “oily” water from glass containers. Citrus oils will eat straight through plastic because it detoxes petrochemicals specifically!

•ALL PURPOSE CAPSULE: I take a daily capsule that has a blend of a BUNCH of different oils. I will be writing a detailed post about this soon!

•THIEVES: Again with the Thieves. It’s one of my favorite oils! I rub a bit on my gums for occasional tooth pain and I gargle some water with a drop of Thieves for a sore throat!

I’ll be covering these oils in detail throughout the month. Did you have any idea that there were so much more to oils than just a clean floor (which is what I always thought!)?

DISCLAIMER: The things I share with you are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or be a substitute for any medicine. It is true that I have found less need for OTC medicines, but you have to make choices that are right for your family. Another choice I’ve made is to exclusively use Young Living Essential Oils. I believe they are 100% pure without any synthetic additives. That’s huge to me! I have read a lot of material on different essential oil companies and Young Living is what I have chosen. If you choose to use essential oils, I encourage you to do some research and choose the brand that you believe in.

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