NATURE IS THE BEST PHYSICIAN

I find it interesting that essential oils date back to the beginning of time. In Egypt, Cleopatra and other women of class, would tie a cone to the top of their head of animal fat infused with the essential oil of roses and lavender. Slowly, due to the heat, the animal fat would melt and slowly drip into their hair, onto their face, and down their body. The essential oils were said to make them have beautiful glowing skin. I don’t recommend that today. But, we can use oils to enhance, heal and protect our bodies.

The best places to rub the oils for maximum effect are up the spine and at the bottom of our feet. If your have respiratory issues, rub some on your chest and at the base of your nostrils. If you are nervous or stressed, put the oil you are using in the bend of your elbow. Ingesting via veggie caps or by the use of a diffuser are also excellent ways to use essential oils. One of the upcoming posts will be devoted to recipes.  The other day I used lemon oil on fish and also in a glass of water. Delicious.

Here are some short and sweet uses for essential oils:

Balding – Rosemary

Anti-aging with cell protective qualities – Frankincense and Helichrysum

Stress – Frankincense

Sore Muscles – a blend of Wintergreen, spruce, peppermint, helichrysum, camphor wood and balsam fir.

Thicker healthier hair – Ylang Ylang

Natural mouth wash -  10 drops of myrrh in 2 cups of water. You can also add peppermint, or orange

Pimples be gone – 2 drops of Tea Tree oil after washing to the area

ADHD and also just to sit and chill – 42 dops of Vetiver, 15 drops of Ylang Ylang, 10 drops of Frankincense 8 drops of sage, 5 drops of marjoram and 17 drops of fractionated coconut oil.  Rub on the feet  before school, after school or at bedtime. Can apply every 4 to 6 hours as needed. You can also rub this on the back up the spine on any child that is just out of control. And of course – adults.

Face Moisturizer – wrinkles – 4 drops of lavender, 3 drops of frankincense, mix with almond oil or coconut oil. 

Cellulite – mix 10 drops of lemon with 10 drops of fractionated  coconut oil. Wrap area with plastic wrap – snug but not tight. Wait 40 minutes. Repeat daily or weekly as needed.

Lifting Spirits – 2 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Lemon, 2 drops Orange or Tangerine.  Rub through your hair and around the neck.

When you are searching for an essential oil, all companies make mid grade to high grade oils. They all will work. Depending upon the company, you may have to use more or less of an oil. The quality of the oil is what gives your body what it needs. You want something that will reach your cells and actually penetrate the cells. Look up www.pubmed.org  - this is an independent research site. When testing essential oils, it uses only clinical grade oils for its research. 

Make the rest of your life, the best of your life.

MINOR ILLNESSES AND SKIN CARE with Chamomile – Clove – Eucalyptus - Lavender

Time to jump in with both feet on this Oilers Journey.  To be successful, we must first become familiar with the basic essential oils. To be prepared, you should stock your medicine cabinet with certain basic oils, like a basic toolkit. Have enough of these oils to last three months:

Chamomile….Clove….Eucalyptus ….Lavender….Lemon….Peppermint….Rosemary….Tea Tree….and Thyme.

Chamomile – I once grew chamomile so I could have my own organic chamomile tea. I tried to make essential oil from the flowers, but it was way above my pay grade. It’s much easier to purchase Chamomile oil.  This oil works well for eczema, hives and inflammatory ailments such as colitis and gastritis.  It aids digestion, fights infections, soothes discomfort from arthritis, and relieves stress. Chamomile is gentle enough to use on children for their immune system.

A few drops on your pillow will help promote a restful sleep. Put a few drops on the bottom of your feet or put some on your hands and inhale it to help with allergies.  Bee Stings – place a drop or two on the sting and massage into the area. Rashes – a few drops mixed with a carrier oil (more on that below) and then massaged onto the rash. Sciatica – Massage into the lower back, down the thigh and knee area to soothe the pain. Even rubbing into the soles of your feet will aid the sciatica.

Clove –  This oil is great for dental care. It will soothe a toothache in very little time by placing a drop on the area that hurts.   Clove oil is also good for dry skin (rub it on). It also helps with baggy eyes and puffy skin. Mix with a carrier oil for sensitive skin. One source on the internet says that Clove Oil functions as a sexual stimulant remedy for impotence and frigidity. This may be the subject of another post. Plus, I am not sure where you put it or how you use it!

Eucalyptus – Mix with a carrier oil for a valuable chest rub, massage oil and use in the sauna to open up the sinuses and for all respiratory illnesses. Rub it on a sunburn for relief and to ward off mosquitoes. The oil also makes an excellent skin toner.

Lavender – This is the most versatile of all the essential oils. Carrying around a bottle of Lavender oil is like having your own personal first aid kit, perfume and pick me up. It makes very tasty cookies. Rub 2-3 drops of lavender oil into your palms and inhale to bring about calmness. Great for use in crowded areas like planes or subways to carve out your own personal oasis. As a sleep aid – a few drops on your pillow will help you drift off to sleep. A few drops on a bee sting will help reduce swelling and soreness. A few drops on a minor burn will reduce swelling, pain and aid in healing. A drop on a cut will stop bleeding and kill bacteria. To alleviate motion sickness a drop or two on the tip of your tongue will aid in the nausea. Rub lavender on dry and chapped lips or skin for relief.

The next post will continue with the oils we should have in our medicine cabinets.

Carrier Oils

Use any vegetable oil or nut oil as a carrier. Fractionated Coconut is the best. I have used olive oil and sweet almond oil. Just avoid mineral oil and petroleum jelly. These two are by products of petroleum and therefore not natural or botanical. Store your carrier oils in a dark glass bottle with tight fitting top. A cool dark place is also ideal for storage. Essential oils will never go rancid. However, carrier oils over time will go rancid.

Try some and join me on this journey of discovery.

OIL SCHMOIL – ARE THEY ALL THE SAME?

First, we must know what makes an essential oil.  The following is taken from an essential oil website: An essential oil is a naturally produced liquid obtained from the roots, flowers, fruit, bark, stems and other elements of a botanical. Extracting essential oils requires sizable amounts of raw botanicals; for example, it takes about 150 pounds of lavender flowers to produce just one pound of  True Lavender oil. This makes them highly concentrated, potent, and valuable. (Some companies may not have the concentration and potency you want, read labels)  

Different distillation processes are used to extract the oil. Steam is the most common. After steaming, the cooling process starts bringing it back to a liquid. The water and oil separate naturally. Just like people, oil and water don’t mix. There is also cold pressing, which reminds me instantly of the good kind of olive oil to purchase. So, with lemon and oranges, the peel is scored and the oil is pressed out.

Essential oils have been valued throughout history. Frankincense was highly valued and traded on the Silk Road. Today, it is still highly valued. From the beginning of time, essential oils have been prized for their therapeutic and medicinal properties. They can soothe, as well as give energy. They can heal, be used in cooking, cleaning,  and give a feeling of well-being. Essential oils can be singular oils or a blend of oils. Basically, we can smell the oil, ingest it, or apply it directly to the skin.

What I have discovered so far, is that all companies seem to have scientific ways to extract the oils. All companies seem to have certified pure essential oil. And even some companies say that their oils reach the cellular level.  I had to ask what in the world was “reaching the cellular level”?  So I researched further. While many companies can advertise their oils reach the cellular level, it seems very few can prove that 100% of their oils permeate and actively reach inside the cells. 

First, I had to discover just what it meant to have an oil reach the cells.  I watched a few videos that showed scientists explaining the machines they used, watched oil being dropped onto actual cells and then another clip that showed oil reaching the cells. The explanations got a little intense at times; not being a medical person. But, I am an Oiler, so I hung in there.

It seems that when an oil is absorbed by cells, the cells actually react and behave in a certain manner. This can all be measured by scientists. Cells take in the oil and use the oil metabolically (a word I don’t usually use, but it’s scientific and sounds good). If the oil is pure and concentrated, the cells actually embrace the oil and use it where the body needs it.  What impressed me is that from the oils I checked, very few oils permeate the cells and have a cellular response.   

Bottom line. All oils ARE NOT created equal. If you are just liking the way an oil smells or that some of the oils take away a headache or make you breathe easier for a short amount of time, then stick with your current oils and embrace them.  For me? I like the scientific data and the clinical grade of oils.  Even though I may not totally understand all the medical jargon the scientists use, I embrace it.

You may have guessed by now, that I embrace Essential Oils. This blog will be giving tips and tricks and uses for ANY essential oil.  I am really enjoying this Oiler's journey.  

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Call me a health nut junkie or a person that likes snake oil. But, like many of you, I have tried this and that in search of what feels right, works for me, and is healthy. For years I have been on the edge of jumping into the essential oil industry. The time has come. I am going to become an official Oiler.  No, not like in the sports team, but like in the use of essential oils.  In my journey towards becoming an Oiler, I want to share with you everything I discover. And yes, I am an independent distributor with a company that produces clinical grade essential oils. But, this blog is to share my journey, what I learn, how it works on me, tips, tricks, recipes and anything to do with essential oils. I will even share my epic fails with oils. In return, I would like you to follow me and interact with me, even if you already use essential oils. Ask questions and share your hints for usage. Besides, what fun is there in taking this journey alone?  

Let’s get started. Per the dictionary - Oiler: noun. 1. Anything that holds oil.  2. Oilskin garments.   Hmm. Not exactly what I had in mind for this blog.   Let’s try again. Wikipedia says an Oiler is a worker that oils machinery.  That does seem to be slightly closer. After all, essential oil does oil our body – a truly remarkable machine.  I then typed in Google search – essential oil oiler. And Bam! There are savvy oilers and even dog oilers.  All websites dealing with essential oils seem to call the person that is either a user or is knowledgeable in such things …..an oiler. So, it seems I AM an oiler. And, I am on a journey to discover everything about essential oils and share it with you.