Next week we’ll be welcoming Amy Fowler of Lamplight Living as our featured speaker for our October Wellness Chat. Amy has been using doTerra Essential Oils to keep herself and her family healthy and active for years and is on a mission to help you do the same. Most essential oil starter kits come with a combination of the same 10 oils. So I thought it would be helpful, while getting ready to hear what Amy has to teach us, to go over a few of the best ways to use the top essential oils in most starter kits.
To start, there are three main ways to use essential oils: aromatically, topically, and internally.
Aromatically
The most common use. This is most easily done with a diffuser. A diffuser combines the oils with water and emits a vapor, sending the scent gently into the air. For a more acute aromatic use, you can add a few drops to your hands and cup them over your face, taking deep inhales. This is especially helpful with anti-nausea scents. You can also put a few drops of a calming scent on a cotton ball and place that next to or under your pillow for a restful journey off to sleep. You could also make a homemade room spray. By making your own instead of purchasing one, you’re not only saving money, but you’re also avoiding scary scent chemicals that are known to be deleterious to health. To do this you add 20 drops of your favorite oil (or combination of oils) to a glass spray bottle with distilled water and use to remove stale odors from your home.
Topically
Topical application of essential oils has been found to be highly effective in part because the oils have a low molecular weight and are lipid soluble so they easily penetrate the skin. As they absorb into your skin, they stay in the applied area for acute benefits. You can add essential oils to many parts of the body for topical benefits:
Neck
Forehead and temples
Chest and stomach
Bottom of feet
Important to note: if you have sensitive skin, it may be best to use a carrier oil (like coconut oil) to dilute the volatile oils.
Internally
Did you know that many oils can be used safely internally? This is with the HUGE CAVEAT of “not all oils are created equally.” doTERRA oils have garnered such a large following because they can guarantee that each bottle is 100% pure and only contains its listed ingredients. It’s been listed as a general rule of thumb when taking oils internally, if a doTERRA oil has “supplement facts” on its label, it can be used internally. This can be done with empty veggie capsules, that allow you to take an oil like a pill form of a supplement, drops in your water/baking, or by placing drops under your tongue.
A few ideas on how to use these oils:
Lavender mattress spray
Diffuse lemon for a clean smell that has been found to fight back seasonal depression
Put a drop or two of peppermint in your hands, cup around your nose, and inhale through your nose slowly and deeply to help open up nasal passages - very useful come cold and flu season!
Make a tea tree room spray and use it on stinky shoes
Apply diluted oregano to the bottom of your feet for immune support
Add 1-2 drops of frankincense to slow signs of aging
Apply lavender to bug bites for itch relief
Mix lemon with vinegar and water for a safe yet effective all-purpose spray
Apply peppermint to sore or stiff muscles - I like to do this at the base of my head and neck for relief
Apply tea tree to wounds or blemishes to keep clean and heal
Use diluted oregano oil for mouth sores
Apply lavender topically over your heart for stress relief
Diffuse lemon while working to encourage concentration - yes, please! I need all the help I can get!
Apply peppermint to the bottoms of your feet or back of your neck when you’re feeling feverish/having a hot flash
Add tea tree to shampoo for dandruff and dry scalp relief
Apply lavender mixed with aloe to sunburned or burned skin for soothing effects
Apply diluted oregano oil to skin tags or warts
Apply frankincense topically to pulse points for stress relief
For more tips and tricks, join us on Monday, October 10th from 5-7 pm. As always, this event is free but reserving your seat is required. Register here!
