Essential Oils 101

Interested in using Essential Oils in your home?

Essential oils are becoming more and more popular, so most of you have probably heard of them, but many of you may not know what they are, or how and why they work.

What exactly are essential oils (EOs)?

Essential oils are the aromatic compounds and volatile liquids within shrubs, trees, flowers, roots, bushes, and seeds, usually extracted through steam distillation. EOs have antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antidepressant, antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, and anti-fungal properties, and are energizing and cleansing.

Why should you use essential oils?

EOs are natural substances, not toxic like synthetic medications, and therefore recognized by your body. This allows them to work with your body to heal and bring about balance. Because of this, your body will never build up a tolerance to EOs, as it does with pharmaceuticals. This means they will work even better for you over time, rather than less.

How do you use Essential Oils?

EOs can be used in three ways; applied topically, inhaled, or ingested. The method used will depend on what you are wanting to heal/address, and your personal preference.

1. Topical – For topical application, oils should be diluted with a carrier oil in the ratio recommended on the bottle. I typically prefer to dilute with coconut oil because it absorbs into the skin pretty quickly, but any high-quality oil can be used; almond, grape seed, jojoba, olive, etc. You just don’t want to use vegetable or canola oil from the grocery store! Oils can be applied on location, or to vita flex points on the hands and feet.

2. Inhalation – There are several ways to use oils through inhalation. Oils can be breathed straight from the bottle, dropped into the hands and hands cupped over the nose, or diffused. An essential oil diffuser is the easiest way to diffuse, but if you don’t own one you can drop EOs onto a cotton ball and place it in the vents in your home, car, or office.

A diffuser, such as the ZAQ Mirage LiteMist Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser pictured below, is a great way for everyone to benefit from the therapeutic values of the oils, as all those healing molecules are sent out into the air. As an added bonus, diffused EOs actually purify the air, making your house smell great without harsh and toxic chemicals or perfumes!

ZAQ diffuser
The ZAQ diffuser offers advanced LiteMist aromatherapy technology with auto shut off after about 4-5 hours, with no condensation. It also features a color-changing LED soft mood lighting, with favorite color selection and a no-light mode as well.

3. Ingestion – Oils can be put into vegetable capsules and swallowed, or added to a beverage such as rice or almond milk. In some cases, such as a headache or allergies, it can be as simple as pressing a drop to the roof of your mouth, under your tongue, or the insides of your cheeks. If adding oils to a beverage, be sure to always use glass!! Essential oils eat away at toxins – great for your health, but not for your plastic ware!

Why Young Living?

The quality and purity of oil are very important because they affect its therapeutic value. Quality and purity are determined by many things; seed quality, soil condition, fertilizer (organic vs chemical), geographical region, climate, altitude, harvesting time/method, parts of plants used, distillation process, and if any additives are present. It takes years of research to get it all just right, and Young Living has done just that.

They have been in business for over 20 years, with a founder who has a Ph.D. in naturopathy and has studied in numerous areas with experts across the globe. Young Living owns several farms around the world, as well as their own distilleries, and offers the largest selection of oils available; over 80 EO singles and over 50 EO blends. Their Seed to Seal Process means they carefully monitor the production of their oils from beginning to end, ensuring their purity and quality. With this process, you can rest assured that your oils will always be pure and of the highest therapeutic value.

How do I get started using Essential Oils?

Getting started with essential oils is super easy! Young Living’s premium starter kit is a great way to begin your oily journey. This kit includes 4 essential oil singles (lavender, lemon, peppermint, and frankincense) and 7 essential oil blends (Thieves, Purification, PanAway, Valor, Joy, Peace & Calming, and Stress Away), as well as a diffuser and samples. The oils in this kit will essentially replace your medicine cabinet, giving you the tools to naturally address many of those everyday issues; cold/flu, pain, anger, stress, allergies, depression, and so much more!

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