What is an essential oil?

I’m sure a lot of people know what an essential oil is by now, but if not, let me introduce you.....an essential oil is the lifeblood of a flower, tree root, shrub, bush or seed. It can help support healthy habits, create mental clarity, and can help you create a balanced atmosphere. So with that said, essential oils can be used for basically anything.

I never really liked to wear perfumes much, I felt like they were always too strong for me or that they all smelled the same so when I discovered essential oils way back when, I used them solely for fragrance purposes. I had no idea all of the health benefits, natural remedies, diversity, or even fun (yes I said it) that was involved with using essential oils.

A little over a year ago, I met someone who is now a really good friend of mine who introduced me to a new level of oil-ism. Her name is @kiley.co.eo on instagram and you’ve got to check her out! She’s using the Young Living EO’s.

Me, being a repeated offender of buying the cheapest oils that I could find, hadn’t been familiar with Young Living yet. Once she introduced me, she really didn’t have to bribe or persuade me into buying them because I already had an interest in using them. I noticed in the past with the oils I had been using, their scents wouldn’t last long or the smells weren’t as potent as they probably should have been because they probably weren’t the best of quality.

Since using Young Living, I had really developed a love for these oils that I would like to share with you guys. The oils can be used to diffuse, ingest, or apply topically. Here’s a quick synopsis of some of the common ones I like to use and some recipes of how you can use them in real life.

Lavender

Anyone who knows me will vouche that lavender is my favorite scent. I use it pretty much everyday.

It is an oil that promotes calming and is stress reducing. It can help your body relax therefore is helpful during bedtime or winding down after a long day of work, or even at work.

Lavender is great for your skin as well, as it helps reduce acne, clear acne scars or stretch marks and calm down any itchy sensation after a bug bite or from eczema. For your scalp, you can use lavender to help generate hair growth and is anti-fungal, as most oils are.

Bedtime recipe (You can apply this into your hands and take deep breaths to inhale or diffuse in your bedroom.)

3 drops lavender

3 drops copaiba

3 drops cedar wood

Lemon

Lemon EO’s fresh scent is great to use for the mornings to get you going. Lemon promotes energy and can help you focus. It is also so great as a cleanser! Drop a little lemon EO on a sticky surface and wipe away. I enjoy putting a few drops in my hot tea in the morning to give me a fresh taste and a little morning motivation. Lemon also has some health benefits as its an immune stimulate and can help you out when you’re feeling under the weather.

Lemon remedy for allergy or asthma relief, this would be used best with a diffuser.

2 drops lemon

2 drops peppermint

2 drops lavender

Peppermint

Peppermint is definitely one that you want to keep close by. It’s cooling affect can help relieve headaches and can open your airways for when you’re feeling stuffy or having respiratory issues. Peppermint is also a great bug repellent for obvious reasons.

Migraine/headache reliever (can be used in a roller or can use finger tips to massage on affected area):

5 drops peppermint

5 drops panaway oil (Young Living oil blend)

5 drops lavender oil

Carrier oil (coconut oil)

Thieves

So this oil here is a very popular oil blend. This oil is a blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon, and rosemary. This is an oil right next to peppermint that should be kept on hand as well. It can help fight infections and boost your immunity. Because of these factors, this oil has a lot of cleansing properties. There is a whole line in Young Living dedicated to the oils that make up Thieves, that shows you how serious this stuff is. To take things deeper than just opinion, there’s actually been studies on how the oils that make up this blend have been proven to fight against bacteria and promote wound healing.

“A 2017 study found that low concentrations of cinnamon and clove oil had high antimicrobial activity against persistent cultures of Borrelia burg dormer I, the causative agent of Lyme disease.”

“A 2018 study found that vapors of cinnamon oil inhibited the growth of respiratory pathogens like Haemophilus influenzas and Streptococcus pneumoniae in a Petri dish.”

”A 2012 study showed that eucalyptus oil had antimicrobial activity against tow types of bacteria that can cause disease in humans: E.coli and skin infections.”

(Sendai-Schuman, PhD. “About Thieves Oil.” Healthline, 2019.)

Need I say anymore?

All purpose cleaner recipe:

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

15-20 drops thieves oil in 16 oz spray bottle

Mix it up and spray in desired area.

Frankincense

This is a very ancient oil that has been used for nearly everything over the years. Probably for the fact that it is antiseptic, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal. This scent is very earthy but is very uplifting. It’s great for enhancing spiritual and meditative practices. Not to mention, it can promote radiant skin.

Radiant skin formula

Mix and massage 4 drops of frank oil with a half of teaspoon of coconut oil onto your skin for that glow. Let sit for at least 5 mins, then remove with wet towel.

Ylang Ylang

So, this one is probably my second favorite. This is another oil that promotes calmness and relaxation. Apparently, I need all of that in my life. This oil also boosts your mood, lowers your blood pressure, and decreases your heart rate. Therefore, it’s great at the end of a long day of work or after running around doing errands and things. I like to put a few drops of it in my bath water (along with lavender) to feel the fullest effect of relaxation.

Ylang Ylang also has a history of use as a herbal treatment for conditions like stomach distress, rheumatism, gout, malaria, and pneumonia. This stuff is legit.

Floral Oasis Diffuser Recipe

5 drops Lavender

2 drops Ylang Ylang

2 drops Frankincense

In addition to the fact that Young Living has an endless amount of oils and great products that have a plethora of health benefits, it is also a great community that brings people together. As an adult, it can be so hard making new friends and building new relationships. With Young Living, it has also been a great way for me to learn something new, be confident enough to share it with other people, and gain relationships with others through this one community that we all found interest in. I hope you guys find this useful and if you have any questions about oils or are interested in purchasing these oils I would love to hear from you!

All Things Oils