Everything you need to know about Essential Oils

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What exactly are essential oils? Well, they are one of the most important components of natural medicine. Natural medicine draws from the power of nature rather than modern science to cure our ailments without interfering in the intricate balance of what makes up the human organism. By choosing natural and organic methods of treatment over man-made pills and syrups we can be sure that the body will have no trouble with accepting that natural medicine. The risk of painful side effects is greatly reduced and no harmful toxins are entering the body together with the medicine itself.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are called essential not due to being vital to us but from the word “essence”. They are the essence of a plant that has been collected for use in natural medicine. These fragrant and ethereal oils carry a very potent strength within. Depending on the plant it was collected from, each essential oil has its own unique properties. Knowing all of them will allow you to never again reach for modern medicine when curing common ailments.

If you feel doubts about what essential oils can do, try to remember the last time you were surrounded by nature. Maybe it was a memorable walk on the beach or a stroll through a forest. Didn’t you feel strangely energized afterward? Breathing in all the different fragrances is how we revitalize ourselves after living in concrete jungles all the time. Essential oils are how you can bring some of that nature home so that you can enjoy all of its benefits even when you don’t have the time to go and surround yourself with nature’s gifts. And let’s be serious, in today’s modern world we rarely have the luxury of that free time.

Do they really work?

After years of experimenting with essential oils on my own, I can say this for sure: “Essential oils can aid you in curing some ailments and reduce the amount of modern medicine you use”.

However, that doesn’t mean they are the answer to everything. I don’t kid around with more serious diseases and will always consult a doctor before trying to treat it on my own with only natural medicine. We need to find the right balance between modern and natural medicine.

I treat essential oils as a general aid to improve my well-being. If I have a light headache then I will first try to get rid of it with some peppermint oil. Itchiness from dry skin? That’s the job for chamomile oil. For combating stress I use valerian oil and lavender oil in my bathtub. Whenever I feel an oncoming cold, I try to prevent it using tea tree oil. You need to find what works for you. I feel that thanks to essential oil my overall body condition has improved and I rarely succumb to real sickness now.

The use of essential oils in medicine is not a new concept. Many cultures had been using plant essences before the invention of modern medicine and researchers have found evidence for that. That’s because they work. Pure essential oils can have been proven to have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and many other properties. Some are clear and others have a colorful hue that comes from the plant it was taken from. Each works in a unique way and while they might not work for everyone, one thing is sure: they will not harm anyone. Which is more than can be said about current medicine with each one having a long list of possible side effects.

What about the science?

No scientist is denying the fact that plants used to be the most common way of treating diseases in ancient times. That is an established fact. So why did we turn our backs on them?

Plenty of modern drugs, especially dietary supplements, are made with the use of natural plant compounds. Researches discover new plant properties each day and that research is one of the fuels of creating modern pharmaceuticals. However, even if a man-made drug is based on natural properties, that rarely means it’s completely organic. Lab scientists work very hard to improve the effectiveness of their medicine and that’s obviously a very important job. But for me, when it comes to curing a common cold I believe it is better to treat myself with essential oils over the course of five days rather than take a few antibiotics and face more severe problems later in life when my immune system has completely deteriorated due to medicine overuse. So why take a pill that’s filled with different potentially harmful ingredients made in a lab when you have easy access to pure essential oils?

But if essential oils don’t have the desired results then there is no shame in turning to modern medicine instead. As I said before, it’s all about the balance. I don’t believe in the one-cure-for-all idea. There are things that can’t be treated with natural medicine and there are things that better left to be treated without the use of modern medicine. I have come to this belief after a long time of trying out different methods and seeing how they work with my own eyes. I am generally skeptical of claims made by other people, especially if they are representatives of a company trying to sell its medicine, natural or not. That’s why I strive for my own empirical evidence. What I’m sharing with you here is what has worked for me and my family.

What’s in my home medicine cabinet?

I have a regular supply of essential oils at home. I tried them all out and I know how they work. Whenever I feel even slightly unwell, these essential oils are the first thing I reach for. And more often than not, I don’t need to anything else.

I do make sure to have some modern medicine as well because sometimes the onset of a sore throat or a migraine is so sudden and severe that I don’t want to take my chances, especially when it comes to the well-being of my family. However, thanks to essential oils I often find myself having to throw out some of that medicine due to it passing its expiration date. That’s why now I really only have the minimum amount of modern medicine in my bathroom cabinet. Buying too much of it is wasteful and I know that I can always run to the store if I really need some for emergency use.

Being able to use essential oils has really eased my mind as well because I don’t need to worry about watching out for side effects. That’s one of the biggest benefits for me because I am a mother of two children who I love very much and wouldn’t want their bodies to react badly because of the medicine I gave them.

What essential oils brand is the best?

I am a loyal customer of Young Living essential oils. It’s the only company I trust completely and that I feel confident enough to recommend to others. I have used essential oils from other brands that were pretty good as well but then I would always find that one oil that didn’t seem as pure as the others. Young Living is the only company that consistently uses only the purest essential oils. They are the highest standard in the industry when it comes to quality.

They claim to monitor every step of production very carefully and I have no reason to think their claims aren’t true.

The Young Living website explains their process in great detail. They are transparent and dedicated to providing customers with only the best products. I never had any problems with their oils and no one in my family ever had any negative reaction to them. They are so pure that I am confident I would be fine even if I drunk some of them!

Young Living Premium Starter Kit

I highly recommend their Premium Starter Kit. It is by the best value and it contains all of the oils we use the most frequently at our home – that’s peppermint, lemon, Peace and Calming, and Thieves. Some of them are essential oil blends, meaning a combination of essential oils that has been deemed to be the most effective in curing a particular ailment. The Young Living’s Premium Starter Kit is a great starting point for any beginner in natural medicine.

The way I recommend is joining Young Living as a Wholesale Member. By being a part of Young Living, you automatically get an amazing 24% discount on each item. Feel free to share this information with your friends and family so they can get their own discount as well! To keep your discount you need to order a minimum of $50 a year which is really not a lot considering how many wonderful essential oils and other products Young Living has to offer. So while the Premium Starter Kit costs over $300 for the retail price, with your Wholesale Member discount you can get it for half the price!

The Kit contains the following:

  • Ten bottles (5 ml) of various essential oils that include lavender, peppermint, lemon, PanAway, Peace & Calming, Frankincense, Purification, Thieves, Valor and Joy, Stress Away
  • Aroma Glide roller fitment that allows you turn any oil into a roll on for easier application. If you suffer from chronic headaches, heaving a roll on of peppermint oil in your purse can be a real life-saver
  • A home diffuser to hang somewhere at home
  • Sample packets you can share with your friends to introduce them to the benefits of essential oils. These include lavender, lemon, peppermint, Peace & Calming, and Thieves
  • Two 2 oz. NingXia Red samples that are great for those days you just have no energy for anything

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