10 Reasons You Should Be Using Essential Oils

We've been making small changes to have a more natural, healthy household. I started by increasing the number of indoor plants we have, planning out healthy meals, and working out on a regular basis.  We switched doctors to find someone that wasn't quick to prescribe antibiotics at every sniffle, started using more home remedies, and kept researching ways to be healthier.

One thing that came up often in natural healing groups online was essential oils.  I've used them for aromatherapy for years, but never really thought about their other uses until this last year or so. Since I've been studying them, I'm amazed at their uses & put together a list of my favorite ways of using essential oils for you.

10 Ways to Use Essential Oils

1. Relieve stress & anxiety without a prescription.
2. Fall asleep easier and stay that way for a restful night's sleep.
3. Allergy relief without OTC or prescription drugs. Especially when paired with regular neti-pot use!
4. Support your immune system naturally.
5. Essential oils can be used to protect against bacteria, fungus, parasites, and viruses so you'll need less antibiotics (or maybe even none)!
6. Relieve pain and inflammation.
7. Relieve upset stomachs.
8. Create your own cleaning products & skip the chemicals.
9. Make your own skin care products for healthier skin.
10. The aromatherapy possibilities are endless – diffuse uplifting oils to wake up, relaxing oils to unwind, and more!

Now that you know why you should be using essential oils, here's how to get started.  You can either purchase them from a local retailer, order them from Amazon, or go with one of the two big companies.  I personally have an account with both DoTerra & Young Living.  

They each offer a few blends I can't get with the other one & I'm impatient.  If something I want goes out of stock with one, I grab it from the other. I'm not brand loyal & I do not follow their usage information – too much contradicts the safety information I've learned from trained aromatherapists.

Must Have Essential Oils

1. Stress Relief: I have major anxiety issues and use this one (along with my Rescue Remedy spray) whenever I have to travel outside my comfort zone. I also diffuse stress relief around the house because it is very soothing & with four boys…soothing is something I need!
2. Frankincense: Frankincense is used to relieve stress, help you focus, and is great in homemade skincare products.
3. Lime: I rarely treat a fever in the kids, but when I feel it's necessary, I apply diluted lime essential oil to the bottoms of their feet.  It pulls it down slower than OTC meds, which is a big concern when one of our boys is prone to febrile seizures when his spikes or drops too fast.
4. Lavender: Lavender is one of our favorite oils.  We put it in the diffuser when the kids are being a bit hyper, I use it when I'm stressed, and we also use it for cuts & skin irritations.
5. Peppermint: Peppermint improves concentration and is great for digestion. We dilute it with a carrier oil and apply it to trigger points whenever someone has an upset stomach.
6. Orange: I diffuse orange essential oil in the morning to help wake me up, sometimes with grapefruit or lemon.
7. Thieves: Thieves (also called Four Thieves, 5 Thieves, or OnGuard depending on the brand) is a must-have!  Many friends in a natural living group said they use it whenever they start getting sick and as a natural cleaner. I've started adding a couple of drops when I make my homemade dishwasher tabs & love it!

What is your favorite way of using essential oils?

More Ways to Use Essential Oils:

• Essential Oil Blends to Use at the First Sign of a Cold
• 20 Frankincense Essential Oil Uses
• 6 Essential Oils to Use for Muscle Pain
• 6 Invigorating Essential Oils
• 50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes