While I spend most of my days bouncing between business meetings, clients sessions, product talk and testing, the one thing that stays consistent in my daily regimen is juicing and essential oils. The misconception many have is that essential oils are just “smell goody” things. Many don’t know that these oils provide powerful healing benefit.
From the awakening aroma of citrus to the sweet floral aroma of lavender, essential oils ignite the senses and enliven the body. Our ancestors used botanicals from wood and seeds, to plants and resins, to help heal. In a time before standard pharmaceuticals, nature was the answer to heal our emotional, emotional, mental, and physical body.
My fascination with essential oils began many years ago, for the first time, my senses were heightened in a way I had never experienced. Essential oil quickly became an essential part of a grounding routine for me, a tool I used to reconnect to my inner voice.
In what seems to be a limitless range, essential oils work with your lifestyle to heal conditions from hormonal imbalances and thyroid disease to helping one manage weight and anxiety.
Before you take your first whiff
Note that not all essential oils are good for you. Synthetically treated oils are toxic agents and have no place in healing. Essential oils need to be pure, not processed, and they need to be certified organic and therapeutic grade. When created this ways, the essential oil is carefully distilled from plants, harvested at the height of quality.
Breathe in or rub on
True healing can come from these remedies, one of the misconceptions is that the benefit ends with the scent. While the scents can be as heavenly as a field of wild flowers, the oils are so much more. As you breathe in through the nose, the aroma enters your body and the benefit enters your blood stream, about 70% of what is inhaled is absorbed. As you breathe, you are ingesting the most concentrated essence, complex plant medicine.
Essential oils can also be used topically, they are absorbed through the skin and put into systematic circulation.
Why you should use
There is no doubt that essential oils act of the central nervous system. This effect can translate into feelings of relaxation, calm, or exert a balancing effect for those who suffer anxiety or stimulate those who are fatigued. These essential oils also support our immune system and overall well-being. In short, they can be used to help with sleep, energy, skin, anxiety, stress, lethargy, environmental protection, thyroid health, adrenal support, and immune defenses.
Top 15 Essential Oils & the Health Benefits
Each and every essential oil contains compounds with unique healing and therapeutic benefits. Here are some of the most popular essential oils and how to use them.
Clove: Anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and antioxidant protection.
Cypress: Improves circulation, reduces varicose veins, lifts confidence and can help heal broken bones.
Eucalyptus: Improves respiratory issues like bronchitis, sinusitis and allergies. Also invigorating and purifies the body.
Frankincense: Builds immunity, reduces inflammation, heals age spots, supports brain and fights cancer.
Ginger: Reduces inflammation, supports joints, improves digestion and relieves nausea.
Grapefruit: Supports metabolism and cellulite reduction. Mix with coconut oil and rub on areas of cellulite or take a few drops internally with water.
Lavender: Helps with relaxation, improves mood and heals burns and cuts.
Lemon: Great to use in homemade cleaning products, improves lymph drainage and cleanses the body.
Myrrh: Natural anti-septic and can prevent or reduce infections. Also, supports beautiful skin, reducing stretch marks and hormone balance.
Oregano: Powerful anti-microbial properties, can kill fungus and help you kick a cold fast.
Peppermint: Supports digestion, improves focus, boosts energy, fever reducer, headache and muscle pain relief.
Rose: Incredible for reducing skin inflammation and great for creating glowing skin. Add a few drops to your facial moisturizer. Also, one of the most valued essential oils in the world at $1000+ for 15ml.
Rosemary: Can naturally thicken hair so it is great to add to homemade shampoos. Also, it improves brain function and memory so it’s great to used when working, reading or studying.
Tea tree oil (melaleuca): natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, reduces bad odors and can help stimulate the immune system.
Sandalwood: Natural aphrodisiac that improves libido and can also improve energy.
Different oils can be blended together to enhance each other’s energy or can be blended with a base oil (i.e. coconut, avocado, olive, almond, jojoba oils) to be used for massage, shower gels, or body lotions.
My Recommendations…
When it comes to essential oils, quality is everything. I am a big fan of these three particular lines, if you’re going to start, be sure to look into:
- H. Gillerman Organics – To fine-tune her blends, Hope Gillerman turned to the 3,000-year-old system of Traditional Chinese Medicine and studied under a master teacher, also a Taoist Monk, who taught her to take into account the underlying conditions that affect our health, including weather, climate and stress.
- Ajai Alchemy – Ajai embodies the essence of coastal living through charged fragrances and elemental beauty alchemies made next to the sea. Proudly designed and lovingly handcrafted in California, Ajai and each alchemy is made with the intention to activate your own brilliance, vibrancy, and power of invincibility, and comes with a special mantra to be repeated as part of your sadhana, or daily ritual.
- DoTerra -DoTerra essential oils are gently and carefully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade doTERRA essential oils.