What Works For You

With using essential oils I have come to realize you have to find out what works for you.  There are some oils I love (Balance), some that are so so (Serenity) and some that make me sick to smell (Geranium).  So it is about what works for you.  Just like in the rest of life, what works for me (Moutains) might not work for you.  My mother in law was asking what the best oil/oils are for depression.  I started naming what I use, Balance, Elevation, Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, etc and then also explained how you have to find what works for you.  She loves the oil Citrus Bliss, I don't.  It smells super sweet and yucky to me.  It is one of my sisters favorite oils.  I love the Elevation oil, and both of them are only so so on that oil.  So, when it comes to using oils you have to be willing to try things out and find the ones that work for you. 

Long Time

So, it has been a long time since I looked at this blog.  Not because I dumped the essential oils, but because I am a busy mother of 4 boys, with a husband who works 1 full time job, 1 part time job, and is also a Scout Master, and in the Young Men Presidency for our Church.  So our family is busy, I am also lazy.  I would much rather read a book then.....blog.

 

But, I still use the oils all the time.  I have a lot of them now, and I enjoy using them.  Here are some of my favs:

      Balance: My favorite of all of them!  I love the mountains and anything pine smelling and Balance is my mountain at home.  It always helps me to calm down, and feel better when I am stressed or feeling down.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this oil.

 

      Breathe:  This is the oil for my son Daniel.  He struggles with Asthma, but we have been able to get to a point that it only gets bad when he is sick.  So, when he has a cold and starts coughing Breathe is the best.  I put a drop or two on his hands and he "Breathes" it in.  If he is really bad then we rub it on his chest and feet. 

 

       On Guard:  If you are sick or the family is then us this heavily.  It really does help you get better quicker, and sometimes can even help you stay healthy.  I have also found that it is the best for cold sores or canker sores.  It numbs the pain and heals it. 

 

       Whisper:  A great natural perfume.  We have a lot of people at our church that are allergic to perfumes, so I will use this at it is all natural and helps with the allergy problems.

 

         Cinnamon:   I had heard it was great for heart health, but I love it for food.  We had a couple drops to our cocoa, and then we are in cocoa heaven.  I love the taste of it and will often just put some on my tongue. 

 

         Cilantro and Lime:  My twin cooking oils.  Anything Mexican these oils are great to use.

 

There are a few of my favorites and how I use them.  There are much more and much more you can do with the oils I have listed.  I love my Doterra Essential Oils.

 

Lavender

Levi has been struggling to sleep the last two weeks.  He was teething and I thought we had finished that, but I guess I was wrong.  Both my husband and I along with Levi are so sleep deprived it is getting hard.  I had been using Lavender on him, rubbing it on his feet, neck, wrists, etc and it helped some, but it wasn't enough.  Yesterday was a melt down day.  He cried and cried.  He would ask for milk then throw the sippy cup at me, beg to be held and then scream to get down, ask for a movie and scream when I put one one, etc, etc, etc.  I gave him Tylenol, but that didn't seem to help.  Thankfully he cried himself to sleep right before play group, which happened to be at my house. 
Then after lunch it all began again.  I had a well child check for Daniel late in the day and as the time came close I decided to take Levi too. I had rubbed On Guard on him, Melaleuca on his ears, and Breathe on his chest.  I was desperate for help, and sad the oils didn't seem to be doing much.  At my breaking point I headed to Grandmas.  Grandmas are the best!  At first Levi wouldn't even let Grandma help.  She thought he might be teething even though they didn't look swollen and the two molars that were causing problems last week where up.  She asked me what oil was for teething, I checked and told her to rub lavender on his checks.

Grandma just heard lavender and assumed the best thing was direct application.  I would have never thought of thought as I would think Lavender tastes yucky.  Levi agreed with me, and said Yuck!  But, within 30 seconds he was smiling and looked so relieved.  He sat with Grandma for a couple minutes and then for the first time that day he smiled and took off to play.  Who would have thought that all I needed was the right oil, in the right place.

I had all ready added him on to the doctor appointment with Daniel so we went along to check the ears, which of course where clear.  To bad I hadn't thought to try Lavender on his gums before the hours of melt down.  Two more times that night he pointed at his mouth and waited for me to rub Lavender in, drank down some milk or water right after(after all he did say YUCK) and smiled with relief. 

But, they cost......and I don't know what to do.......

Maybe you have heard of these oils and they seem nice, but first off they seem to cost a lot and secondly how in the world do I know how to use them?  Well, the below photo helps to break down the cost myth.  These oils can help with so much and keep you out of the doctors office saving you tons of money.  I still see the doctor, but not nearly as much as we did a year ago and it is saving me money. 

When someone says, "But doTERRA Essential Oils are sooo expensive," I say, "Hmmmm...earache...Melaleuca two drops...3xs a day...for 2 days = 96 cents. What's your co-pay?"

Posted by Gracious Rain Essentials

 

As for the thought of how in the world do I know what to do???  There are many ways to learn.  First thing for me was to get a book about essential oils  It was $26.00 and full of info. on the oils.  Next I started looking on line.  One of my favorite sites is http://www.everythingessential.me/index.html.  It is full of good advice on treating all kinds of illnesses.  So, check out the oils, use them, improve your health and your families health, and save some money in the long run. 

Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon, and On Guard

So, the kids woke up with fevers yesterday.  Three of the 4 were sick and grumpy.  So I applied Lemon and Peppermint to bring the fever down.  I began using On Guard on us to keep those not sick healthy, and to heal those sick more quickly. I also used Lavender to help them relax and take naps.  Today everyone is much better.  Glad this bug was a quick one and I had extra help from the oils to help my kids feel better. 

Basil, Dill, Spearmint, and Tangerine

I just received these little bottles yesterday.  I can't wait to use them.  I tried the Spearmint last night.  I love its flavor.  It is a lot like peppermint, but milder.  I have always preferred Spearmint over Peppermint flavor.  I love mint, the mixing of the two oils.  I told my husband I had ordered them and he asked me what they do?  I said they are great to cook with, and he said, "No, how do we use them as medicine.  So, this is what I learned:

Basil: Digestive good for treating indigestion, constipation, stomach cramps and flatulence. It provides immediate relief from the gas in your stomach and intestines. Cold: Basil essential oil is effective in providing relief from cold, influenza and associated fever. Due to its antispasmodic nature, it is used in case of whooping cough.Infections: it is good for treating a variety of infections such as cuts, wounds, skin infections, bladder infections, etc., due to its antibacterial properties. It is also good for viral infections.Stress disorder:it has a refreshing effect and hence it is used for treating nervous tension, mental fatigue, melancholy, migraines and depression. Due to this calming nature of basil essential oil, it is widely used in aromatherapy. Pain relief: It is analgesic and provides relief from pain. Hence it is used in arthritis, wounds, injuries, burns, bruises, scars, sports injuries, sprains, headaches, etc.

Dill: Antispasmodic: spasms can be pacified with the help of Dill Essential oil. It has a relaxing effect on nerves, muscles, intestines and the respiratory system and pacifies spasmodic attacks, giving quick relief.  Disinfectant: Dill Oil is also known for its disinfectant properties. Added in food stuffs, it protects them from getting spoiled from infection by microbes. Consumed, it cures microbial infection in colon, urinary tract, kidneys, genitals etc. Applied externally, it protects skin and wounds from infections and helps them heal quickly. It can be used in dilution for applying on scalp to protect hair from various infections, lice etc.  Galactogogue: Galactogogue is a substance or an agent that increases formation of milk in the breasts. It also enhances the quality of milk. This property is very helpful for the lactating mothers and the babies. Dill oil is a Galactogogue. Apart from increasing milk, it also helps babies in another way. Babies, who are on mother’s milk, often suffer from flatulence, indigestion and gas. The carminative and digestive properties of Dill oil are also absorbed in the milk and thus indirectly help the baby get rid of such problems.  Sedative: Dill oil has nice sedating and calming effects on nerves and brain, making a person feel relaxed and satisfied. It is useful to get rid of anxiety, tension, anger, depression and even hypertension. It even helps have a good sleep at the end of the day.  Vulnerary: Dill Essential Oil acts as a vulnerary by promoting quick healing of wounds, external or internal, and protecting them from infections.

Tangerine:  Antiseptic: Staphylococcus Aureus.  This is the species of bacteria which is responsible for this dreaded situation of infection called septic. The Essential Oil of Tangerine contains certain components which kill these bacteria and stops its spreading, thereby helping cure septic. It can be externally applied on open wounds as well as taken orally for having a uniform effect on the whole body.  Antispasmodic: Spasm may be a small word but its effects may be widespread and highly damaging. Spasm is not restricted to muscular cramps only. It can happen in respiratory system, digestive system and nervous system also and can cause breathing troubles, asthma, congestion, severe coughs, spasmodic diarrhoea and cholera, nervous afflictions and convulsions. The Essential Oil of Tangerine induces relaxations in the organic systems named above and gives relief from spasm.Depurative: An agent that purifies blood is called a depurative. The Tangerine Essential Oil is one such depurative. It helps in the excretion or removal of the toxic and unwanted substances such as uric acid, pollutants, extra salt and water from the body through sweat, urine and excreta etc. as well as increases the oxygen retaining capacity of the erythrocytes (red blood cells), thereby refreshing or purifying the blood.  Sedative: The Essential Oil of Tangerine soothes. It soothes all types of inflammations and hyperactivity in all the systems functioning in our body, namely, the respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system, nervous system and the excretory system. It sedates inflammation due to fever, intrusion of poisonous substances in the blood stream from external sources, convulsions, anxiety, stress, hypersensitivity of allergy etc. It also sedates depression, anger and impulsive responses.Stomachic: Being a stomachic, the Essential Oil of Tangerine keeps your stomach in good condition by maintaining proper flow of digestive juices into it, by maintaining the right balance between the acid and bile (so that excess acids are neutralized) and by curing the wounds, if any, in the stomach. It soothes the stomach and gives relief from inflammation. One thing must be understood, if somebody wants to have a trouble free health and a good physique, then he must keep his stomach fine tuned and this is exactly what this oil does. It helps your stomach keep functioning properly.

Spearmint:  Disinfectant: The anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti viral properties of Essential Oil of Spearmint make it a disinfectant. It can help get rid of internal infections and external infections. It is particularly effective in protecting internal wounds and ulcers, like those in stomach, food pipe, intestines etc. from infections. In ancient Greece, it was used to treat infectious diseases like Scabies, Dermatitis, Athlete’s Foot, Syphilis, Gonorrhea and other infectious and transmittable diseases.
Carminative: The relaxing properties of Essential Oil of Spearmint induce relaxation in the intestines and muscles of the abdominal region, thereby helping the gases formed in stomach and intestines to pass out using its natural downward passage. This gives a relief from a lot of problems such as uneasiness and restlessness, insomnia, headaches, stomachaches, indigestion, loss of appetite, chest pain, vomiting, cramps and related symptoms.  Cephalic: This oil has a relaxing and cooling effect on brain, taking stress away from it. It helps to concentrate. Being a Cephalic, it helps cure headaches and other stress related neuro-problems. This oil is supposed to be good for the health of brain too.
Emenagogue: Problems with menstruations, such as irregular periods, obstructed menses and early menopause etc. can be sorted out with the help of this essential oil. It promotes secretion of hormones like estrogen which facilitate menstruation and ensure good uterine and sexual health. This also keeps away menopause and also gives relief from certain symptoms associated with menstruations like nausea, fatigue, pain in the lower abdominal region etc.  Insecticide: It is an effective insecticide and keeps away mosquitoes, white ants, ants, flies, moths etc. It can be safely applied on skin to get protection against mosquito bites. The spearmint oil is sometimes used in mosquito repellant creams, mats, fumigants etc.

Clove

 

I have always loved the smell of Cloves.  One reason I love Christmas time is because Cloves are more heavily used to make yummy cookies, cider, and wassail.  I always add a little extra  Clove to my cookies as I love the smell and flavor.  So, I was happy to learn that one of things that can help an under active Thyroid is Clove.  I rub it over my thyroid, on my ears and on my wrists.  It smells great, and improves my thyroid function.

 

*Note, I still take thyroid medication.  This is not meant to replace your medicine.  Talk to your doctor before stopping any medication.