My Essential Oils Story

In January 2013 we decided to try to clean up our family's diet.  I found myself worrying about all the junk that we consume on a daily basis.  So, we decided to try to get rid of all high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, & other chemicals that are in our foods.  We started with baby steps & we started making our own bread.  Then we moved on to making everything else from scratch.  WHEW..........talk about overwhelming!!!  I quit buying bisquick & "cream of" soups & butter substitutes & the list can go on & on.  Honestly, there were days that ended with lots of tears shed because I was so overwhelmed & felt that I couldn't keep up with it.  And I wanted to so badly..........I truly believed it was what was best for my family.  Well, time marched on & it all got easier.  :)  It took a few months, but I got to where I was doing lots of these chores without even thinking about it anymore.  YAY!!!  Then after a year of doing this our diet was mostly "clean". (I say mostly clean because we still splurge & we eat yummy things that are not good for us.)  After getting our diet in better shape I started thinking about what else I could "clean up."  To me the next logical step was to tackle the medicine cabinet.  We have never been a very sickly family & we've always used medication (OTC or prescription) sparingly & as a last resort.  I had been researching essential oils for months & months & the idea was very intriguing to me.  I loved the idea of having a natural way to take care of my family's minor ailments.  And just like my food, I wanted a oil that were completely natural.  So after I had been researching for a while, I noticed a friend of mine, Elizabeth Bailey was posting about Young Living Essential Oils on facebook.  Young Living was the company I was already leaning toward after my own research.  Elizabeth was a person that I felt would be making informed decisions & I trusted her judgement.  So I messaged her one day after seeing her facebook post.  I asked all kinds of questions & she answered them. That afternoon I took the plunge (in February 2014) & bought an essential oil starter kit for myself.  I can't tell you how excited I was that day!!  We were having dinner with friends that evening & I told her about ordering my kit & all the reading I had done on essential oils. When my kit arrived I was like a kid at Christmas.  I dove right in & starting using the oils on my family & diffusing & making creams. I. LOVE. IT!!!! Best decision I've ever made. Since February we've been using essential oils daily...............lavender, peppermint, Valor, etc.  We're always reaching for our oils!!  I've also been known to apply them to friends & family.  If I hear them talking about something they're dealing with, I come running with my oil bag!!  In fact, since we began using YLEOs in February, we've only had to use OTC or prescription medicines 3 times!!!  I'm amazed everyday at how powerfully these oils work!! This has turned into a passion for me.  I love being able to help so many people.  There are no words to describe how I feel when someone asks me about something & I share an essential oil with them, then they come back telling me what that oil did for them!!  It completely makes my day!!

A Guide to Using Essential Oils

So, you haven't jumped on the oily bandwagon yet, BUT you're so curious about what all the fuss is about.  How do you decide if these essential oils are right for you & your family?  There is so much info to read & so much to learn that it can be a bit overwhelming to get started using essential oils.  But let me tell you, once your jump in, you'll be so glad that you did.  It will be the BEST decision you've ever made!!!

So where do we start?  First off, let's determine what essential oils are.  Are all oils the same?  Most of us think of a yellowish oil made from animal fats, corn, olives or peanuts that you cook with when we think of oils, right?  Or maybe we think of the dark substance that goes into our cars that requires changing out every so often.  Oils are also used in cosmetics & in the production of paints and plastics.  There are certain oils are good for our bodies.............those are essential oils!!!
  

The next time you take a walk through a pine forest or grow peppermint or sage or thyme in your herb garden or if you happen to drive by a lavender field, take a deep breath!!! You are experiencing the power of essential oils.  How awesome is that???  

In an earlier post, I explained to you how I found & started using Young Living Essential oils.  If you didn't see that post & would like to, you can read it here.  There are so many everyday uses for these essential oils.  Did you know that essential oils can support our physical, emotional and spiritual health? One of my favorite sights is the rainbow of goodness in my YLEO bottles.............I LOVE knowing that I have a natural way of taking care of my family!

So what are essential oils exactly???  Essential oils are concentrated liquids from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes and seeds.   These oils are the lifeblood of the plants and are usually extracted through steam distillation or cold pressing.  These essential oils protect the plant in similar ways to how own blood works in our bodies: they fight infection, contain hormone-like compounds, and initiate regeneration. Essential oils have a similar chemical structure to that found in our own cells and tissues.  This makes them compatible with human protein and enables them to be readily identified and accepted by the body. Because they are made up of tiny molecules, essential oils can penetrate cell membranes and blood and tissues. This enables them to have a wide range of effects on the body and its systems.
 
You want to make sure that you do your research before deciding which essential oils to use.  After I had researched & read for months (comparing various companies & information), I decided that my family will only use Young Living Essential Oils.  Why?? It is important to purchase unadulterated, pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils.  What is adulteration?  I read a great definition for that.  I'll share it here.......I do not remember where I read this, but I think it is a perfect definition.  "Adulteration- oils that are engineered or extended with the use of synthetic chemicals.  It is easy to engineer a scent by imitating one constituent of the essential oil; however it is impossible to imitate the entire constituants of the essential oil.  A therapeutic grade essential oil may have hundreds of constituants synergistically working side by side each other.  How can a chemist copy all that?"    You want to make sure that the oils are steam distilled or cold pressed so that their properties are not altered.  Many less expensive oils on the market are diluted with alcohol &/or preservatives.

 Young Living's Seed To Seal guarantee sets them apart from the competition!! 

Here are a few facts about essential oils...

* Highly concentrated and far more potent than dried herbs

* Not greasy

* Have a long shelf life.....years

* Powerful antimicrobials

* Have been around since bible times and were used long before we had "modern medicine."

*Can be used in a variety of ways to get therapeutic benefits.  See this post for more info on the ways to use essential oils (aromatic, topical, & internal).  Below is a quick reference of application spots for essential oils.

Young Living Essential Oils works incredibly hard & takes great pride in providing us with  essential oil-based wellness solutions that help us dodge harmful chemicals.  Whether you are looking for essential oils for your home, wellness, balance, &/or beauty needs, you should look no further than Young Living.  

I would love to help you begin your oily journey.  You can leave a comment here or email me at ericalovell@att.net & I'll be happy to help you.  No matter your needs, I'm confident that we can find the essential oil(s) to help you.  Here is a chart that I found quite interesting....comparing essential oils & modern pharmaceuticals.  I don't know about you, but I'll take the EOs anyday!  Check it out!!

 I hope this post has been beneficial to you & has helped you see just a glimpse of what essential oils can do for your family!!  Please browse around & check out the rest of my posts to see other ways my family & I use these life changing oils!!!