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I’ll be honest. I was a little skeptical. I’ve been using Lavender and Tea Tree Oil to make my own cleaning products for years, but I didn’t really jump into the essential oil thing until recently because there was a lot of hype and I typically run away from hype. Mount Rushmore? Not worth the hype. Wish I hadn’t gone.
But sometimes the hype is merited. Like the Grand Canyon. I told my husband Daniel that I didn’t want to go to to the Grand Canyon on our road trip this summer because it would probably be disappointing. He took me anyway. And it was the farthest thing from disappointing. It was INCREDIBLE.
See? I almost missed that. And I kinda feel the same way about essential oils. Turns out they’re like the Grand Canyon, not like Mount Rushmore.
My brother and my sister-in-law both gave me a nudge and I’m still getting my feet wet. I am NOT an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I’ve been experimenting with them and slowly building up my supply and I’ve been pretty amazed with the results.
So I thought I’d give a rundown of how I’ve been using them for other essential oil skeptics out there.
Cleaning
I’m a big fan of using Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, and Young Living Thieves oil. They smell great and I don’t have to worry about toxic cleaning products affecting my family’s health. (Check out my friend Jen’s awesome post about how she practices green cleaning to find out more.)
Natural Remedies
We use high quality therapeutic grade Young Living oils in our home to stay healthy. Especially when using oils topically on my kids, I do NOT mess around with anything I don’t trust. I love Young Living and I’d be happy to tell you all about it. You can email me haley.s.stewart@gmail.com.
So far we’ve used oils to support health in our home when dealing with ear infections, skin issues, respiratory infections and more. I’m using several Young Living products right now as I’m tackling an autoimmune disease.
Diffusing
I was SO happy to unpack my diffuser in our new apartment after it had been in storage for three months. I love to diffuse Young Living Stress Away and I also love Patchouli. When there’s a stinky food smell or a whiff of diaper smell in the air, I use Young Living’s Purification to get rid of the bad smell.
And since we just have compost toilets at our apartment at the farm (no, really, they don’t flush), I’ll probably be using a lot of that Purification scent. (Don’t worry, they’re not too stinky, but sometimes there is a lingering scent in the bathroom. You don’t want to hear about my compost toilet. It’s ok. I’ll stop.)
I’m excited to learn more about how to use the oils I have and about new oils I haven’t tried yet. It’s nice having them in my mommy toolbox. I started out with the Young Living Starter Kit which includes a home diffuser (I highly recommend it and you can order one here.) And I’ve been slowly building on those.
Have you tried out essential oils or are you a skeptic? How do you use them?
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I love essential oils!!
And I kinda do want to hear about your compost toilets!! Lol
Maybe I should do a post, haha! Or a periscope or video or something. I think I’m gonna!
Melody! I made a youtube video, lol: https://youtu.be/CUr-wY9o_W0
Yay! Thanks! Hah
I love essential oils, we use them for pest control as well. Peppermint and eucalyptus are great at keeping flys and Mosquitos away. they’re also good for relief from nasal symptoms.
I haven’t tried that yet! What a great idea. Any ideas of deterring mice? Daniel killed one in the bathtub this morning :/
I think clove oil is good but I haven’t tried it myself. Peppermint might too some animals are deterred by minty smells
My husband and I just got our starter kit from Young Living and are loving it!! so much great stuff to learn:)
Awesome!
I grew up in the Black Hills of SD and drove three hours out of the way to wait in line to visit the Grand Canyon when it was all fogged in (and it was a super lame experience), so it is imperative on my upbringing to object to your hating on Mount Rushmore. Art (even really cool, big art carved into granite with dynamite) will never live up to Nature, though… so I can take your word on the Grand Canyon.
I have been really skeptical of the essential oil hype, but I might perhaps give it a try–especially to clear up an ear infection in a little one.
That’s incredible how the EO’s helped your sinus infection! That’s actually how I discovered them, myself — I was suffering terribly with a sinus infection and was willing to do pretty much anything to feel better! The peppermint definitely helped me! It’s also one of the best all-around EO’s — helpful for headaches, tummy aches, and even just when you’re hot! Have you ever seen the tip to mix it in a spray bottle with water, and just spray it on the back of your neck for some relief in the heat? Gotta try it!
I haven’t tried that! Thanks for the suggestion, Annie!