Essential Oils- What’s the big deal?
Does this look like a daunting read? It’s ok! Listen to the podcast instead!
I know it seems like just a couple of years ago essential oils kind of exploded out of the woodwork and into a bit of a fad, but EOs are way too special to be just a fad.
I say it all the time, and it applies here too. Energy is everything, meaning everything has its own vibrational frequency. Essential oils have very powerful healing and therapeutic frequencies and I’m going to share some info about them right here.
First of all, what are they? Essential oils are made up of specific plant parts. And each oil will stick to that particular part. Bark, flowers, seeds, peels. It takes several hundred pounds of plant material to extract a single pound of pure EO. So if you are wondering why they are a little on the pricey side, that may shed some light on the matter.
Let’s talk about quality for a minute. Not all essential oils are created equal, and not every scented oil is an EO. There is perfume oil, and there is essential oil. Perfume oil is made for blending and for its scent; the process is much different for the extraction of the scent and the main goal for perfume oil is to get as much scent as possible. NOT to become an oil for therapeutic use. This is why perfume oils are much less expensive than true essential oils.
Essential oils are extracted by a complex distillation process or expression process, which takes a lot of time and care. The careful process of quality manufacturers who produce therapeutic grade EO is key for these special oils you are going to be putting on your skin or inhaling.
Therapeutic grade oils have certain chemical constituents- and it is important that they are present! It has to do with the way the plants are harvested & extracted, among other things like soil conditions, region, and that kind of stuff! The chemical makeup of these oils is small in size- molecular, so many can quickly penetrate the skin, and even further- cell membranes.
Fun fact: EO constituents can effect every cell of the body within 20 minutes!
Back to the chemicals- there are many different constituents in Essential oils that all have unique and distinct healing properties such as antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory, even sedative properties. One type- sesquiterpenes found in some EOs cross the blood-brain barrier. These sesquiterpenes can directly interact with brain cells. And by the way, most modern drugs cannot even do that.
There is lots of information out there about the antioxidants found in essential oils as well, helping our bodies defend against free radicals, which in turn helps our bodies fight against disease.
Other amazing properties found in certain essential oils: antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral.
Even more, some oils support the health and vitality of specific organs and systems. Think detoxification, enzyme-production promotion, and so on.
Plant Power.
I have thought a lot about the power of a plant. You think we humans have it rough- what about the struggle a plant goes through in its lifetime.
Ever had bad luck starting seeds? I have recently had a rough go with germinating seeds. Just that part alone is a huge struggle for a plant- it’s very inception!
Before it can reach it’s glory- it’s fullest potential, the FLOWERS, and then some on to the FRUIT it must go through a hell of a lot of peril along the way.
They have to be powerful to be able to defend themselves and thrive. I literally had a moment when I just sat with my jaw open after pondering the protective and immune-strengthening properties plants have.
Some oils are made from flowers- the ultimate goal of a plant.
Some are from bark- think about how bark protects a tree. Now I realize why cinnamon is so hot! It’s a protector!
Some oils are derived from the resin of trees- what is the purpose of tree resin? To repair and seal wounds and keep invaders out! No wonder frankincense is such a powerful healing oil (and one which has those sesquiterpenes I was talking about).
What about the oils from the peels? I think you see where I’m going with this…. The peel protects the precious fruit that the tree has spent its entire waking season producing. Of course it’s bitter- it is keeping care of a sweet surprise!
I just marvel in the wonderment of all the protective qualities plants possess. Why do I marvel in this discovery? Because our access to these precious EOs allow us to tap into those qualities as well.
-Regeneration
-Protection
-Immune-Strength
That is pretty cool to me.
I’m not going to get into the history of Essential oil use here, but doing some internet research, you’ll find that aromatic plants were well in-use in Egypt, China, Greece, Rome… way way back. Did they distill way back then as we do now? No, but they knew the power of the plants, and especially aromatic qualities. Fast-forward to the Plague in Europe… turns out that perfumers and the people who worked with aromatics were practically immune to the plague. (P.S. Frankincense was most heavily-used.)
I use essential oils every single day of my life. Not just once a day, and not just one oil or blend either. I use as I need to. They resonate with me, and I am just so grateful that they exist!
Brands & Grades
I use dōTerra brand oils, and another popular therapeutic grade brand is Young Living.
These two brands are loved and also not-so-loved by the general public because of the way they are set up. In order to get discount pricing, you have to buy-in so to speak, with a membership. There is also a hierarchy set up with sellers and teams and people under other people…. BUT you do NOT HAVE to do any of that. You can purchase through someone you know and trust who has a membership. At least in my case with dōTerra, with my type of membership, I can order for my friends and clients, using their shipping and payment info and have an order shipped directly to them with my discount pricing.
If you don’t know anyone with a membership to these resources and you want to order dōTerra, contact me and I’ll make sure you get what you need!
Furthermore, if you just want to place an order and pay retail, then you can. You do not need to set up a membership account to simply pay the retail price. You can shop and checkout as you please as a guest on doterra.com. Same goes for Young Living.
As for pricing, let’s use the example of Lavender. Retail is 30.67 and wholesale is 23.00 for dōTerra. It’s a little more expensive through Young Living. An expensive oil like Frankincense is 90.67 retail and 68.00 wholesale.
There are benefits to getting a membership to get the pricing. Membership for dōterra starts at $35 and you get a free bottle of peppermint (which is 29 retail 22 wholesale). It renews yearly for $25 and you get a free peppermint every year in return for your renewal.
There are lots more kit-options for membership, but that is the basic. This is not a commercial for dōTerra, but you need to know the best products and they are the best. I use them, and I love them. If you do want to hop on the wholesale membership pricing, reach out through my contact page and I can help you with that.
As for Young Living (also super high quality) I cannot direct you to anyone for their program.
Bottom line, be sure if you are going to be using EOs for your body and well being in a therapeutic way, be sure they are therapeutic grade. No matter the brand, it must be certified therapeutic grade.
Some notes of caution:
Not all oils should be put directly on the skin. Some need to be diluted with what’s called a carrier oil. Coconut oil is a great one (or a liquid version known as fractionated coconut oil). Jojoba is also a popular oil for this purpose. I recall a fateful day I put straight cinnamon bark oil on my neck. It burned! Peppermint is another one that is fine in some places, like the soles of the feet, but NOT so COOL in other, more sensitive areas. In fact, until you know exactly how your skin reacts, it is a good idea to test on your feet. Top will be more sensitive than the sole, but you can do small test areas to see how you take to certain oils.
As for using oils for aromatherapy, I have never had a bad reaction with the palms of my hands and taking them up to my nose to inhale. Just don’t touch your face if there are some hot & spicy oils on your hands!
Another great aromatherapy trick is in a steaming hot shower for nasal passages using a facecloth to inhale from- just DON’T touch your face!
I want to give you a run-down of my favorite oils and some practical uses. Also, I’ll share some of my favorite blends I like to throw into my diffuser.
I got my collection of oils together over time, it was gradual. I am so glad I did, and I’m sure if you give Eos a chance, you will be glad you brought them into your lives as well.
Just to be clear, the effects of oils are not like pills, or prescriptions. They are gentle. Subtle. They have a beautiful calming or invigorating effect. They have some really amazing healing properties, and do work.
TOP TEN OILS:
Popular Trio:
Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint.
This combo, when used together and rubbed into the bottoms of the feet is sworn by many to ward off and help survive seasonal allergies.
That same blend (2-3 drops of each) in a diffuser is a great air-deodorizer.
Lavender by itself can be applied neat or with a carrier oil to bring a sense of calm. It is also used on dogs to calm during storms.
Keep some peppermint with you if you are on a road trip and feel a bit drowsy- rub it into the palms of your hands & inhale (avoid touching your face for at least 10 minutes) or put in a car diffuser. It’s invigorating & will pep you up. No pun intended.
Lost your sense of smell due to COVID? I did, when I had it. Thankfully I got my olfactory senses back in about 4 weeks.
Even if your case of olfactory loss is not COVID-related, Peppermint is really helpful. Literally practice- sniff the heck out of the peppermint EO multiple times a day. Use a tissue of coffee filter – but remember not to touch your face with it it will burn!
Let’s bring Rosemary into the mix.
Stuffed up? Fold a wash cloth in half, put a few drops of peppermint, lavendar & rosemary in the center. Wet it with hot water and inhale from the cloth (held away from your face a bit) in a steaming hot shower as long as you can. Do not touch this cloth to your face. The rosemary and peppermint will burn and will not feel in any way therapeutic.
Rosemary is considered a vasodilator. It may help with circulation. For this application, I’d put 4-5 drops in the palm of your hand and add some carrier oil and rub away! Repeat as needed to cover your limbs & torso! Legs, arms, chest. You may not be sensitive where you’re able to use rosemary neat without diluting it, but it’ll still have the same therapeutic effect regardless.
Having inflammation issues? Do the same as above but concentrate on where you’re having issues. I have actually had some good results using rosemary on my hip when I was having joint pain.
Next up: Lemongrass. I just love this cheerful oil.
If you have sickies in the house, diffuse this and do it all day! It is good for airborne bacteria.
Other uses: Charlie horses, leg cramps and carpel tunnel. Just rub into the cramped area. This can be applied neat, but with all oils, be sure to test a small area to be sure it is how your body responds.
It blends well with many other oils.
Try it in a diffuser with Lavender and rosemary.
Moving on to my pal Frankincense. I just adore this oil. As I pointed out before, this has sesquiterpenes- so anything to do with the mind/brain reach for this oil. Rub into temples, the back of the neck, around the backs of the ears. It is a gentle oil, but can certainly be used with a carrier oil especially to help it last longer. It is used therapeutically for those who suffer from Alzheimers, brain injuries, concussions, brain fog, mental fatigue, depression along with a whole host of other things.
Frankincense is also believed to keep the DNA healthy and vital. If you’re into this idea, I would rub it into the soles of your feet daily either after a shower or as you go to sleep.
It can be put on wounds to help aid in healing, just look up the many ways frankincense can be used. It is one of the few mentioned in the bible- it has been trusted for a really long time!
Next is Douglas Fir. If you have breathing issues or have anyone in the house with breathing issues, this is a helpful EO. Rubbed into the chest/ on lungs- it is known to ease bronchitis and asthma, coughs and congestion.
I like to blend this in the diffuser with other oils for adding a grounding element.
I can’t leave out Eucalyptus! This is another invigorating oil. If you do not have rosemary, you can swap this for the shower method I mentioned earlier for congestion or add it into the mix.
This one is also great for breathing difficulties.
I also love eucalyptus because it has a lovely disinfecting quality to it. When I add it to diffuser blends, it adds a freshening-up aspect to the the mix. Try a diffuser blend of a few drops each of eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary and lemon.
Next is Tea Tree or Melaleuca (as it is sometimes called by its botanical name). This oil has many uses, but shines particularly when it comes to fungus and bacteria. Even in the nether regions if you know what I mean. This goes for both men and women.
If applied to that area for a fungal issue, you can apply it by itself- but if you have frankincense on-hand, add that too. It’s a good idea to use a carrier oil.
Use Tea Tree on all kinds of skin eruptions. Most of us have heard of using it for acne in some capacity but it is effective against fungal skin irritations and athletes foot.
There are so many applications for Tea tree. A simple google search will give you tons more info.
Last on my top 10 is spearmint, only because it is the most unexpected surprise in a diffuser blend.
I am going to say hands down, when I’m really bummed or out of sorts and don’t know even why- spearmint lifts me up. Rub a few drops in the palms of your hand and inhale for the aromatherapy aspect, or you can put in a tissue and do the same.
This blends SO beautifully in a diffuser with lemongrass. It is one of my favorite go-to diffuser blends. 4-5 drops of each.
More application methods
I know I mentioned applying oils to the fleet, temples, back of the ears and on the body in various areas, but essential oils can be worked into the body in a few more ways.
One of the most fascinating to me is applying to the torso, directly over an organ to deliver the effects to that particular organ. For example, peppermint or spearmint both aid in digestion. You could quite literally rub a few drops of oil in the area where your stomach is when you’re feeling the need and you will be amazed with the results within mere minutes!
I have been doing this for years with various organs and oils and the results amaze me all the time.
There is a lot of information out there about reflexology. We have points on our hands, feet and ears (and in our irises too for that matter) that line up with the organs and systems of our body. Basically, for essential oils, the reflexology points of the ears and feet are most used. I don’t have a ton of experience where I can talk off the cuff about reflexology, but information is very easy to find on the subject.
This probably goes without saying, but you can most definitely use these in the bath. Just last week, I loaded a bath with 3 cups of epsom salts and about 20 drops of oils for a super powerful cleansing and calming bath. I used Lavender, Frankincense and a blend called balance (i needed the grounding) but you could sub Douglas fir for a similar bath.
All the oils in my top 10 list can be blended and played with for bath oils. Just don’t put too much peppermint or eucalyptus in your bath.
I have some bonus oils that I can’t leave out of the conversation.
Oregano
This is also a powerful anti fungal, and anti-every-nasty-thing.
You have a toenail that has been overtaken by fungus? This will be your best friend for the next 8 months. You must apply daily. Apply on and under the nail, and leave it on all day, like in your sock. You can rotate and use tea tree every other day or so, but never miss a day. As the nail grows, the fungus will die away and it will need removed as it does, but it works! The oregano will burn as it does the work, so it’s not for the faint of heart.
Speaking of feet, this can also be applied to athletes foot. Remember, it’s powerful, so it will burn. Use a carrier oil to handle the burn. Blend with tea tree also.
Clary Sage
This one is for the ladies. Pretty much all ladies in every stage of life.
This is highly effective when dealing with menstrual cramps. Like stops-them-in-their-tracks effective, apply directly to the area of your body where your ovaries are- really rub it in. I swear it lightens flow on heavy days as well.
Those women who are battling menopause: Clary Sage is known to be effective when dealing with hot flashes. It doesn’t stop then, but is known to make them more manageable.
Popular blends:
These are ones sold as blends of many unique and special oils that have purpose synergistically.
There is a famous blend in the essential oil world known as thieves oil. It has a pretty nasty origin story- yep- I’m going to bring up the plague. Evidently in France, there were some pretty crafty thieves who were going around stealing from sick and dying plague sufferers.
They were somehow immune to the disease though. When they finally got caught- they were promised to be spared their punishment of being burned alive if they shared their secret of being immune. Just so happens that this crew of thieves were out-of-work perfume and spice merchants. They used a special blend of oils that they applied to themselves before they robbed the sick and dying. They shared the ingredient mixture with the judge who hung them anyway.
However, this is what docs used when they had to encounter those with the plague from then on.
What’s in it?
Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and rosemary.
dōTerra’s version is called On Guard
Young Living calls it Thieves
Cellular Vitality Complex
When it comes to keeping our cells healthy, I’m all for it! Our cells pretty much dictate what happens everywhere. And the scary thing to me is that they shape-shift and mutate and do all sorts of things that I don’t have the education for to truly wrap my head around. But keeping our tissues and organs happy and functioning is something we can all agree is a good thing. I do know that a blend like this can be really supportive for people who are dealing with recovery and treatment and tissue repair and regeneration. It is a supportive blend when the body is being bombarded with chemicals that are treating cancer and other illnesses. I have also seen first-hand that this works on eczema and random unexplained skin issues. A carrier oil is recommended.
dōTerra’s cellular support blend is called DDR Prime.
I don’t know of one by Young Living
Digestion.
Have you ever had a meal that just sits heavy, or feel too full and wish things would get moving? Or just feel blech in the stomach or gut? Here is where having a digestion blend on hand is your saving grace! As I mentioned earlier with rubbing onto the skin over the organ- this is just what I do in these cases. For the stomach, make sure to get the whole thing, starting up high at the ribs on your left and rub deeply and don’t be stingy with the oil. If you’re having other GI issues rub where the issues are. Get it into the skin as close to the affected organ as you can.
DōTerra’s blend blend is called Digestion
Young Living’s blend is called DiGize
Finally a grounding blend. We all need a little grounding- a feeling of peace and relaxation that usually comes from the support of mother nature in some way that is meaningful to us.
For those of you who may not get outdoors as often as you once did- please consider a grounding blend. Usually it has some kind of wood and fir elements. I tell you, it is lovely in the diffuser and also as I described in a bath with lavender and whatever other oils you want to add. This type of blend invites a sense of calm and peace and kind of allows you to hit the reset button.
dōTerra’s blend is called Balance
Young Living’s is called Grounding
I hope you have found all this information useful! As you can tell I’m pretty passionate about essential oils.
I have created my own custom blends for each chakra and all of the meridians that I use in my healing sessions with clients and I also keep DDR Prime on-hand for them as well.
Essential oils are a really wonderful part of my life and I hope this shed some light on why they are so popular around the world and have been for so long.
If you are interested in setting up a wholesale account through dōTerra, I can certainly help you out with that; but as I said before this is not a commercial for them, but what you really want is to make certain that you purchase certified therapeutic grade essential oils for your personal use.
You can reach me at humansoundchedk@gmail.com
Or on Instagram @humansoundcheck and also Variety Show for the Soul’s podcast page @vsforthesoul.
