I get a lot of questions about oils, and I thought it might be fun to just do a quick post about the basics. I am NOT an expert by any stretch... but here's a little bit of what I do know. Hopefully it will help!
1. If you've tried some essential oils and think that they don't work, you have to remember that you get what you pay for. (And believe me, I am about as thrifty as they come. This is not a place to skimp.) It stinks, I know. If you want to use essential oils don't waste your money on cheapo grocery store oils. They are fragrance in a bottle. The therapeutic effects are lost due to poor processing techniques, additives and other chemicals. Think about it this way: would you buy your vitamin C tablets from a guy squeezing oranges into his sock and then filling little plastic capsules or spend a couple more bucks on the actual vitamin C tablets? This being said, any references I make here are regarding high quality oils. I do not recommend using cheap oils.
2. In general, avoid eye contact. Since the oils will absorb into your skin and spread, try not to get oils too close to your eyes (1-2" away is probably okay). The oils generally speaking should not cause any damage to your eyes, but certain oils can be very uncomfortable!! If you do get oils in your eyes (or anywhere you don't want them) DO NOT rinse with water. Flush the area with olive or vegetable oil. FYI: my daughter had some Thieves oil on her fingers one day and rubbed her eyes. Immediately started crying. I laid her on her back and dumped olive oil right in the corner of her eyes and then rubbed it around with a soft cotton ball. She was completely fine within a few seconds. No issues or damage whatsoever.
3. Oils don't really expire. That being said, they are somewhat finicky. It's best to keep them in room temperature or cool areas, AWAY from sunlight and heat! They are in dark bottles for a reason. I mix my fly spray in a clear spray bottle sometimes and if it sits out for too long it loses potency. Dark bottles or out of direct sunlight is best.
4. Some oils DO STAIN and they can be hard to remove from clothing. Keep this in mind whenever you use them!
Some of my favorite uses for oils:
Headaches-- MGrain oil or Peppermint rubbed into neck and temples
Viruses/illness-- Thieves oil; diffuse, put a few drops in your water (to drink), or rub on chest and feet
Coughs/colds-- RC oil; diffuse or rub on chest and feet (I add this to our humidifier when the kids are sick)
Heartburn-- Peppermint oil; put a drop or two on the back of your hand and slowly lick/suck on the area. You could put it right into your mouth... but you might only do that once. It's pretty potent.
Pain due to inflammation (acute injuries or intense inflammatory response)-- PanAway oil applied to area, then swap between ice and heat (15 min each)
Deep pain (arthritis)-- Deep Relief roll on applied to area
Sore tight muscles-- Marjoram applied, with a back rub of course!
Ligament dammage (ankle sprain, etc)-- Lemongrass applied and rubbed in to area
Diaper rash-- Lavender oil mixed into coconut oil and applied liberally to area
Bug bites-- Lavender oil applied directly
Acne-- Tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia) applied directly
Removing GUNK-- Lemon oil removes the most stubborn sticky, gummy, ick/tape, etc from just about any surface without damaging it
Eliminating odors-- Purification oils diffused or just dropped in garbage cans, etc (wherever smell is)
Cleaning anything-- Thieves household cleaner (mixed with water). Toilets, sinks, kitchen counters, windows... I could go on. Smells amazing, kills bacteria, viruses and mold, gets rid of sticky goo, kids and pets can lick it; what more could you want??
Anxiety-- Stress away roll on or Peace & Calming oil. Rubbed onto neck, wrists, and feet.
Burns/sunburn-- Lavender rubbed directly onto skin
Cuts/scrapes and slivers-- Animal scents ointment under a bandaid. I get cut while working with horses often, and they are DIRTY cuts. Even if they go a day or two and get infected I always use this stuff and within minutes the pain is gone, and by the next day the swelling and irritation is gone! I've had little slivers that are hard to remove and I'll put this ointment on under a bandaid and it draws out the infection and usually the sliver just easily pops out the next day. Amazing stuff.
I'm sure I missed a few... feel free to comment if you think of anything!
BUG SPRAY RECIPE
In a large spray bottle, combine:
1/2 cup vegetable oil/olive oil
25-30 drops peppermint
20 drops lemongrass
15 drops marjoram
Mix well and then top off with water. You will have to shake this before and during use, but it is an awesome insect repellent!! And if your kids are like mine and they lick their arms after you put this on, there is absolutely nothing toxic or harmful!
If you think about it, you could essentially get rid of a large percentage of your household cleaners, Tylenol, cough/cold meds, indigestion/heartburn meds, bug spray, and more. If you are concerned about toxins in, on, or around your body, your pets, or your kids... this is worth looking into!
****Please note that NONE of this page constitutes as medical advice in any way.
The manufacturers of essential oils (or myself) do not claim to cure, treat, or prevent any disease by using oils. Use them at your own risk.****
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