So here it goes. I'm officially on the essential oil band wagon. I was invited to an essential oil class earlier this summer and I was curious and skeptical at the same time if that's possible.....I say it is so there! Now before I get far into my oil spill (ba dum tisk!) let me first say that I still believe God gives us wisdom to take medicines and see doctors. I am not giving any "medical advice", just telling my story. So after a few months of Birth Control I started experiencing awful migraine and had headaches almost constantly. There was nothing that would bring relief. So I was up for any type of alternative treatment. A few weeks after stopping the pill (my husband and I felt convicted about the pill. I'll write a post on that later) I went to this essential oil class at my dearest friend's house. I of course knew I would still have headaches till the extra hormones got out if my system. I was tired of popping tylenons every day and the headaches were too nagging to not take anything. So one of the first oils introduced was peppermint. Woweeee! Do I adore peppermint oil!! Even on the day of the class I had a headache and so I rubbed some peppermint oil and my temples and at the base of my neck. Almost instantly my headaches was gone! Poof! It was hard to believe that a drop of oil could do what two or three pills could do! So after that I've been an essential oil believer!
So here is the type of oil you need to use. You'll want 100% essential oil. Not something mixed with a carrier oil (carrier oil is any non essential oil used to dilute an oil. Like almond, coconut, olive, jojoba, ect.) Some oils are too strong to put directly on the skin so you'll need a carrier oil to dilute it. Or if you have sensitive skin a carrier oil may be wise.
There are three ways to use oils. Diffusion, topical, and orally. I use my humidifier to diffuse oils but there are specific air diffusers for aromatherapy. Topical is just simply applying the oil to your skin. And oral injestion is just that. I rarely use the injestion method because some oils are poisonous if taken orally and the taste if very bitter. Always always always make sure you do your research before trying a new oil. Some oils are unsafe for children, babies, and pregnant or nursing women.
So after much research I went out and got some peppermint oil and lavender to start with. Those are two great beginner oils. They work for so many different things. A few examples, peppermint is great for stomach aches and menstrual cramps. Lavender is wonderful for allergies and skin rashes. It's a natural antihistamine and a drop of lavender oil under the younger is better than any allergy medicine out there! So I'll give y'all a list of the oils I use and what I use them for.
Peppermint - (this bad boy is the bomb!) So I use this for headaches and body aches. A couple drops on your temples and on the back of your neck and you'll feel instant relief. Rub a few drops on pulled or sore muscles for relief. On your lower abdomen and lower back for menstrual cramp relief.
Lavender - rashes, bug bites, acne, skin health, stretch marks, bug repellent, ear aches and allergies. For allergies I just do a drop of oil under my tounge and leave it there for about a minute. Then I get a big glass do water and chug. You don't want to get too much on your taste buds because it is very bitter and the taste last really long. Also you may be burping lavender for a couple hours afterwards. I have even gotten my hubs to do this for allergies and he was impressed.
Clove -bug reppelent, pain relief. I use this for more deep intense muscle pain. It creates more of a heat feeling instead of the cooling effect of peppermint. And it smells so good!
Eucalyptus - bug reppelent, cough and cold symptoms.
Tea Tree - earaches, ring worms, cough and cold symptoms.
Sweet Marjoram - menstrual issues and cough and cold symptoms. For the menstrual I rub a couple of drops in my lower abdomen and on the insides of my feet. I'll tell you more about the feet in a second.
Citronella - bug reppelent
So here are some of the mixtures I've tried and they all have worked so well!
Earache - mix a couple of drops of lavender and tea tree oil in warm olive oil. Take a q-tips nod apply oil to the outer part of the ear. Don't go into the ear canal or bear the ear drum.
Cough and cold aromatherapy - it depends on the size of your diffuser/humidifier. Mine is a smaller humidifier so I didn't about 10 drops of each - tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and sweet marjoram. I chose sweet marjoram because it was an expectorant and anti-sposmatic and its been know to help the respiratory system. Tea tree because it's beneficial to the respiratory system, helps with colds and throat infections. Eucalyptus because it's eucalyptus!! Its in cough drops right?! It helps with phlegmy messes, coughs and the flu. I actually used this mixture a few weeks ago. I had a horrid coughing fit while I was sick and it wouldn't stop. So I grabbed my phone and opened my oil app and searched my oil cabinet to see what I had. So a coughing spell over 15 minutes long calmed down after breathing in this aromatherapy goodness! I was impressed needless to say.
Bug repelent - who wants to hose themselves in a sticky deet mixture?? I don't want to! I mix about 3-4 drop of citronella (this stuff is super strong and it makes me kinda want to gag....so don't use too much) about 8 drops of lavender, eucalyptus and clove oil. Tada! Now you've got a wonderful all natural bug reppelent!
Ok one more thing about oils. Not still 100% sold on the vita flex chart but hey I do it anyways on occasion (as I mentioned earlier about lady time cramps and problems) Also I work at a neurology clinic so I see the positive effects of pressure points and vita flex usage every day.
Here is an chart for your reference. So you apply the oil to the corresponding. Part of you body and that's that! I used my sweet marjoram oil on the female reproductive organs and it helped ease my pjs symptoms. So it's one of those things I use on occasion but not all the time.
I hope this post gave you some good information and maybe peaked your interest in essential oil use! Hey anything to stop popping pills is always a good idea in my opinion. Just remember always do you research before using any essential oil.
Ps here is the app I use
The rocky mtn essential oil app
