With natural healthcare on the rise, the use of essential oils is becoming more common—for some. Getting started with using essential oils (EO) can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be! I’m going to share the most commonly used EO’s along with how to make them work for you and your family.

What Are Essential Oils?

My definition of them is that they’re drops of healing from mother nature herself. But that’s not the official definition.

Essential oils are a natural oil that is derived from a plant or other source through a distillation process. Because of the process used to obtain the oils, they still contain some of the attributes and characteristics of the source.

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Essential Oils to Keep Readily Available

As a beginner, I would keep the following in my medicine cabinet:

• Lavender
• Lemon
• Tea Tree
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Four Thieves
• Frankincense
• Oregano

Along with these I would be sure to have carrier oils–essential oils can be really strong and carrier oils are used to dilute them a bit without losing the integrity of the oil. This is especially important when using them on children.

• Grape Seed Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Safflower Oil

How To Use Essential Oils

The beauty of essential oils is that they have the ability to promote healing of your body or other forms of therapy without you HAVING to ingest them–though there are some that are digestible and work amazing as well. There are MANY MANY MANY uses for them, but to give you an idea of just how awesome and amazing they are, here is a list of common uses:

Home & Cleaning:

• All purpose cleaner 4 drops of lemon oil + 4 drops tea tree oil + 8 oz warm water = a natural disinfectant spray
• Clean Air 3 drops cinnamon oil + 1 oz carrier oil and diffuse in the air to disinfect
• Washing Clothes drop between 10 & 20 of your favorite scent into a load
• Eliminate Mold add a couple drops of tea tree oil to your diffuser and it will kill the mold in the air
• Christmas Scent 1 drop pine + 1 drop sandalwood + 1 drop cedarwood into your fireplace as your burning your logs and it will feel like Santa is already here

Spa & Personal

• Detox Bath mix lavender, powdered milk, and Epsom salt together and then relax in the bath for 20 min
• DIY Linen Spray 10 drops lavender + 20 drops vanilla + 10 drops chamomile + 8oz water in a spray bottle
• Calming Oil mix 10 drops lavender with 5oz of your favorite carrier oil and keep on hand if someone is having trouble sleeping
• Reduce Cellulite 5 drops grapefruit + 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and rub into cellulite 2 times daily

Natural Health Remedies

• Relieve Migraines mix lavender and peppermint together and rub on temples
• Reduce congestion rub eucalyptus oil on soles of feet or add to hot water and inhale
• Heal burns lavender oil + aloe gel
• DIY Vapor Rub eucalyptus oil + peppermint oil + coconut oil
• Treat Bruises 5 drops lavender + 5 drops frankinsense + 4 oz hot water and create warm compress for the area
• Energize Your Day inhale peppermint
• Reduce Fever 2 drops peppermint + 1 drop eucalyptus + 1 drop lavender into cool water and sponge over body
• Motion Sickness 2 drops of each in a necklace diffuser: peppermint, lavender, and ginger
• Ringworm 3 drops tea tree oil + coconut oil and massage over affected area 2 times per day
• Lice 3 drops of thyme, lavender and eucalyptus oil with unscented oil and apply to scalp. Cover head with a shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes before shampooing out

 There are so many uses for essential oils! Which ones do you think you'll be trying out first?