Monday 101
Intro to Essential Oils
Terms to know
New to Essential Oils? When looking online you might see some of these terms.
Aromatherapy
The therapeutic use of essential oils to increase cognitive function, bodily health and mood.
Botanical Name
Represents the genus and species of the plant. Essential oils are in Latin and list genus first and species second. The name identifies where each essential oil comes from and defines its properties.
Diffusion
Using a diffuser or spray bottle, essential oils are released into the air.
Dilute
Mixing a small portion of pure essential oil with carrier oil.
Distillation
A method used to extract an essential oil from a plant.
Expression
A method commonly used to extract citrusy essential oils.
Neat
A topical application of essential oil that is undiluted.
Patch test
An important method of determining one’s sensitivities to an essential oil. Simply dab a tiny amount of essential oil onto the skin and wait 24 hours to see if the skin reacts.
Restorative
A substance that promotes feelings of healthy, wellbeing and healing.
Solvent
A chemical solution used to extract essential oils.
Therapeutic
The curative and medicinal properties that promote healing and restorative balance.
Topical Application
The act of applying substances directly to the skin.
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Monday, October 12, 2015
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Thursday TIP - Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a sweet, floral aroma that is soothing and refreshing. Lavender’s aroma is great for relaxing and winding down before bedtime; add to bath or diffuse to create a calming and comforting environment. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it.
One of my very favorites oils is Lavender. It's SO versatile.
Some benefits:
1. Calming - Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and anxiety issues. Therefore, it can also be helpful in treating migraines, headaches, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress.
2. Helps with sleep (Can I get an Amen from the toddler moms whose sleep is precious?)
3. Cuts/Bruises - Helps to clean and kill bacteria
4. Allergies - ok all of you Okies. ALLERGIES. I'll post the allergy trio recipe soon and you will never run out of Lavender again. Ever.
There are so many uses for Lavender!
You can diffuse or apply with a carrier oil.
The day I decided to start using essential oils
Last year, we had 2 medical diagnoses in our house. My 12 year old was diagnosed with Epilepsy and our 2 year old was diagnosed with a general cognitive delay. It was a hard year.
As families often do, we put on our fighting gloves and started therapies and advocating.
But it left me wondering what more could I do.
I've always been concerned about the chemicals and medications in our home but hadn't really taken any action steps. I'd done small things here and there - eliminating products with bleach or ammonia. Trying all natural products. But it felt like I could be doing more.
A Facebook friend posted something about "essential oils" and I scrolled by not thinking anything more about it. And she posted again. And again. And then I realized she really loved those essential oils. Enter - google.
I did a little research and started to see that there were many people raving about essential oils. I reached out to my friend and tried Stress Away as my first oil for some anxiety on a long road trip (driving to see Graceland thank ya thank ya very much). I wasn't sure about the scent at first. Tried it anyways. And, it worked.
I thought there must be something to this so back to google.
Could EO's really help with migraines? Could they help to calm my daughter's anxiety and maybe help lessen her chances of seizure activity? Wait - what - they help with snoring? And they help with muscle pain?
Oh yes.
I remember the day I told my husband I wanted to start using essential oils and he said sure whatever you want to do. And he called them snake oils at one point. And now, he asks where the pan away is for his back. Mmmmm Hmmmm
My medicine cabinet is lighter ( we do still use medication when needed of course although I find myself first thinking - is there an oil in my arsenal that might help with that?). My laundry smells better. We have less chemicals in the house.
So, in this blog, I thought I might try to share some of the things I have learned. Maybe we can learn together along the way.
As families often do, we put on our fighting gloves and started therapies and advocating.
But it left me wondering what more could I do.
I've always been concerned about the chemicals and medications in our home but hadn't really taken any action steps. I'd done small things here and there - eliminating products with bleach or ammonia. Trying all natural products. But it felt like I could be doing more.
A Facebook friend posted something about "essential oils" and I scrolled by not thinking anything more about it. And she posted again. And again. And then I realized she really loved those essential oils. Enter - google.
I did a little research and started to see that there were many people raving about essential oils. I reached out to my friend and tried Stress Away as my first oil for some anxiety on a long road trip (driving to see Graceland thank ya thank ya very much). I wasn't sure about the scent at first. Tried it anyways. And, it worked.
I thought there must be something to this so back to google.
Could EO's really help with migraines? Could they help to calm my daughter's anxiety and maybe help lessen her chances of seizure activity? Wait - what - they help with snoring? And they help with muscle pain?
Oh yes.
I remember the day I told my husband I wanted to start using essential oils and he said sure whatever you want to do. And he called them snake oils at one point. And now, he asks where the pan away is for his back. Mmmmm Hmmmm
My medicine cabinet is lighter ( we do still use medication when needed of course although I find myself first thinking - is there an oil in my arsenal that might help with that?). My laundry smells better. We have less chemicals in the house.
So, in this blog, I thought I might try to share some of the things I have learned. Maybe we can learn together along the way.
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