How to use essential oils
I remember when I got my first kit of essential oils. I was so excited to smell everything; it was like Christmas morning!
The smells were magical. I opened each bottle up and inhaled. The lemon, lavender and peppermint, each one taking me to a different world. And then I got to the oregano, and well some people love this one; let's just say I prefer to keep this one near my feet when I use it!
But after that I didn't quite know what to do with them. I kept opening up and smelling them. Usually the ones I liked the best, and that was it.
Little did I know there was a whole world of uses for these beautiful gifts.
Aromatic Use:
Many people underestimate the effects of the aromatic method, but this is quite a mistake! When you inhale essential oils they have a direct impact on the limbic system.
What's that you ask? The limbic system includes structures that are in charge of long-term memory (hippocampus), emotions (amygdala), hypothalamus (autonomic nervous system and hormones, incredibly important!), and blood pressure, heart rate and attention (cingulate gyrus, but you knew that one).
The aromatic method has profound psychological and physiological effects! You can:
Diffuse to fill a room with the essential oils, cleansing the air and impacting a large area.
Inhale: straight from the bottle, place a few drops in your palms and cup your mouth and nose, or a couple drops on a handkerchief a hold up to your nose (this is my favorite when I'm stuffed up).
Topical Use:
When you place oils on your skin it gets into your blood stream within 30 seconds. Therefore, it can have localized benefits or travel throughout the body to spread the goodness.
Be sure to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil when applying topically. This can be coconut oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, etc. Some of the essential oils are considered 'hot' oils and can irritate the skin.
Don't think for a second that diluting with a carrier oil will dilute it's effectiveness!
On the contrary, it can actually increase the essential oil's efficiency and decrease the rate of evaporation from the skin. Win, win in my books!
Tip: cinnamon, clove and oregano are some of the 'hotter' oils. If you have sensitive skin just apply these oils on the bottoms of your feet. This is also a good place to use the oils if you're not a huge fan of the smell! Don't worry, they'll get to where they're needed.
Internal Use:
This can be an incredibly powerful way to use essential oils, but should be done with care. Not all essential oils can be taken internally, either the quality is not up to standard or the type can be hazardous internally.
Many oils are generally regarded as safe (GRAS standards) for internal use, but be sure to look for the supplement facts guide. I only use certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils and only trust this standard.
Another note to make, when taking them internally always use a glass or high quality metal container. (You should be anyways, plastic in general is not good to drink from, you know that!).
Internal use can have amazing benefits from the inside out aiding in digestion, supporting cellular function, having cleansing effects.
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Disclaimer: the key to essential oils is their quality, and let me tell you all essential oils are not created equal. Be sure to use oils that are certified pure therapeutic grade. CONTACT Us if you want to know the oils we trust most and personally use for our families!