Essential Oils

My last post was about how much I love essential oils. This is post is about which ones I use and how I use them.

There are so many people out there that know so much more than me about essential oils, so I don't claim to even know a fraction, but I am slowly learning and am taking it all in strides. I have a few that I use for specific reasons, some just because I like them.

First of all, I have a whole regimen of how I apply them and when. In the morning I apply golden rod and Lemongrass to my abdomen. Goldenrod is good for circulation, cardiac function and libido (woot woot). Lemongrass is good for digestion. As I have said before, I have some digestive issues, that I am coming to find out are beef related, or I think. I have been treated for food allergies, but there must be something more in it that I haven't been treated for.

In the mid morning I mix up a supplement drink full of nutrients that help with cardiac support and gives me some energy. With that, I mix the Slique Essence oil which has a blend of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, spearmint and ocotea with stevia extract. This one has a citrisy/mint flavor. With that I will also mix some extra grapefruit, tangerine or lemon. Slique Essence is the one that helps with hunger and snacking, helps you feel full. We also love to put a drop of lemon, lime or grapefruit right in water, it gives it just a hint of flavor and makes it easier for us to drink more water.

Sometimes during the day I will put a drop of Ocotea on my collar bone. This is one that is in the Slique Essence that helps you to fell full. If I can smell it, it helps remind me to not munch all day as well as help me feel like I'm not hungry.

If I get a headache throughout the day, which with 5 kids and up to 7 others that I watch throughout the week, headaches are a common occurance, I will put a drop on my temples and rub. It helps to relax me and within minutes my headache has subsided.

At night before bed, I put peppermint, Thieves, Roman chamomile, and Weightless (which is not a Young Living oil it is Butterfly). Mike and I have found reflexology of the foot charts and have tried to use these when we apply certain ones. Peppermint I use to help with digestion and put that on the foot where those organs would be located. Thieves is a blend of clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus and is to help with immunity support. Roman chamomile is great to help relax and Weightless I use to help with metabolism. After using these for a couple weeks, I missed a night because I was too tired and just didn't want to. I have found the nights that I miss, are the nights that I don't sleep as well, so I know they help my body relax.

Two summers ago I started getting a pain in the bottom of my foot, right in the arch and through the heel. I went to a pediatrist and she told me I have plantar fascitis (SP). She said the only thing to do was to take 800mg of Ibuprofen twice a day for the pain and to have some shoe intserts made that fit to my feet as well as wear a foot brace at night, since the morning is the worst time for pain. So she fitted me for those and sent me on my way with my perscription and foot brace. For a year after that, I wore this huge foot brace to bed at night and took Ibuprofen and was told I could never wear flip flops again. If you know me, you know I hate shoes, especially in the summer! I love flip flops!

A year later Mike went to a health fair at his work and met a chiropractor that was getting his practice going. We started seeing him and I told him about my foot issue. He got me a pair of flip flops that have arch support in them so I could still wear flip flops in the summer. When things like this weren't working well for me, he started doing cold laser treatments on my feet and then stripping my arches with cream that had some essential oils in it. It started to relieve the pain and through the winter I wear shoes with support, so I was feeling good.

During this time, my sister in law was getting into essential oils and suggested I put some wintergreen on my feet, that helped as well. Now, over a year later, I still get a little pain, but I am wearing my flip flops again and if I feel pain coming on, or mornings make my feet hurt, I just rub in some wintergreen and it feels so much better! Wintergreen is a good on deep aches and pains and joint pain.

These are not all I have or use, just a small portion. Most things I only use when I need them, for instance, I use a blend called Dragon Time which blends clary sage, lavender, yarrow, fennel, marjoram and jasmine. I used this during "that time of the month" to hellp relive cramps and help with emotions, which worked great! Orange I use in my laundry to help it clean and smell good. Frankincense I use on my face when I have a breakout, or it is great to help reduce bruising (I bruise very easily so this is great for those times), also helps with stress.

Essential oils are great for kids to. I diffuse Thieves throughout my house to help kill the bacteria and germs to keep us all stay healthy. Purification, which is a blend of lemongrass, rosemary, malaleuca, myrtle, and citronella I diffuse to clean the air and help it smell clean. I have also put this in shoes to help get rid of the stinky smell. Since I have kids with ADHD, Ylang Ylang and Bergomot are our friends for helping with the mood swings (sounds like I have a house full of girls, but these are boys!).  Pan away, which is a blend of wintergreen, clove, helichrysum and pepperming, is a good one for helping with pains. I rub this on my daughter when she starts to get those growing pains in her legs. And peace and calming is a mix of tangerine, ylang ylang, blue tansy, orange and patchouli, is just that, helps to calm and relax the mind.

I love using essential oils and they helped me with my help so much, but I would caution you: If you are allergic to plants and trees, be very careful which ones you use. I am allergic to trees and can not use some of the tree based ones, as I found out when my throat started itching. Get treated for those that you are allergic to, this will help your body accept them more willingly and they will help you more in the long run. Listen to your body as to which ones to use, you will know what you need. Good luck on your journey to better health!

*The blends listed above are all products of Young Living Essential Oils, with the exception of the one sited. All essential oil companies have their own line of oil blends. Young Living is one of many companies out there. Find the one that best suits you.