Essential oils are all the rage these days. From prevention to treatment of whatever ails you to the best remedy for cleaning your house, these natural wonders are used for just about everything! At Heart In Motion, we LOVE our essential oils! Here is a list of my favorites and what we use them for. Side note, be careful about the brand of oils that you choose. Just because it says “essential oils” does not mean that they are the pure oil. I use only Doterra because of their strict, pure manufacturing processes.
Lavender – We use this for everything SKIN and RELAXATION. Lavender has anti inflammatory and antiseptic properties and is good for everything from bug bites to rashes to minor burns and scrapes. Next time you get a rash or anything itchy on your skin, apply a layer of coconut oil, then follow with a few drops of lavender. It soothes the itch within seconds. Also, lavender is great for helping you to relax and sleep well. For sleep, apply the oil to the bottoms of your feet, chest, and back of the neck. We also diffuse this oil for maximum effect when sleeping. Start your diffuser about 15 minutes before you go to sleep.
Digest Zen – This oil is the gold standard for all things DIGESTION. From constipation to diarrhea to gas and bloating, this oil balances the digestive tract to produce relief within minutes. This oil can be used under the tongue for nausea as well as taken internally with a veggie cap (2 drops in capsule) before a high fat meal to aid in digestion.
Immortelle – This is a pricey oil blend but well worth saving for! Immortelle is the best anti aging oil and is amazing for scar prevention. I have seen unbelievable results with this oil. This is a step up from lavender and can make just about anything heal and gives you the best chance at scar prevention during healing. Use 3x day until the cut/scrape is completely healed. Immortelle is also amazing for anti aging. Apply to face, neck, and decolletage once daily for best results.
Peppermint – Peppermint is a lot like lavender in that it is one of the most versatile oils. In addition to being great for stress relief and headache relief, peppermint oil is wonderful for digestion and acid reflux. Many people find that putting peppermint on their abdomen soothes digestive issues. Some prefer to take it internally for acid reflux. This oil comes in both oil form as well as beadlet form. The beadlets are great to keep in your purse to take when you eat out if you have digestive issues or reflux. You can also pop them in your mouth for instant fresh breath.
On Guard – This oil is our favorite oil for both prevention and treatment of any illness. Mix this oil with liquid coconut oil in a roller bottle and put on the bottoms of your feet every morning for the best protection against illness. This oil can also be diffused any time of year throughout your home, but especially during cold and flu season. Put a few drops in your diffuser every night to keep yourself healthy.
On Guard Plus Gelcaps – This is a pre-blended on guard in gelcap form for ease of use. We take 1-2 gelcaps 3x per day for about 3 days at the first sign of any illness. If anyone in the house gets sick, everyone else takes 1 capsule 2x per day for prevention.
Marjoram – This is our favorite oil for muscle cramps and muscle knots. Marjoram can relieve a muscle spasm within 30 seconds to 1 minute of application. I have clients who keep a roller bottle of marjoram in their gym bag as well as one by the bed for middle of the night leg cramps.
Past Tense – This oil is fantastic for headaches! Put just a little on your temples and rub it in. Different oils are effective for different people, but I have found that most people have great success with past tense for headaches.
Melaleuca (tea tree oil) – Last but certainly not least is melaleuca. This is probably the oil that our family uses the most. Melaleuca oil is known for its anti bacterial and anti microbial properties. In our house we use it to clear up acne (just apply straight to any pimple 2x daily, and it will dry up quickly). It is also great for any type of infection or fungus like athlete’s foot.
Deep Blue – No discussion of essential oils would be complete without a mention of deep blue. We use deep blue in lotion form, but it can also be used in oil form. I have found the lotion to be more effective than the oil for sore muscles. This oil blend contains not only oils to soothe and relax tight muscles but also anti inflammatory oils to decrease inflammation and allow for healing.
If you make roller bottles out of your oils, these are my favorite. I find that the ones with metal balls are the most sturdy.
This is my favorite diffuser. I use it by my bed, and it lasts all night. I typically fill it just a little bit over the “fill line” so it will go all night. Just be careful not to make it too full or it will not turn on.
Remember that when using essential oils, less is more. Oils are often more effective when mixed with a carrier oil like liquid coconut oil or jojoba oil.
Oils can seem expensive, but they are a great alternative to chemical medications. One oil bottle contains about 350 drops of oil, and 1-2 drops are potent enough to treat most things. Dilute your oils to make them go even further.
STEP(S) FOR THIS WEEK:
- Take a look at the oils above and see if there are any that you can use to replace your current medications. Start with one and increase your collection as you go. The list above and uses for oils is not comprehensive as there are many uses for each oil, but it is definitely a good place to start.