Essential Oils- How I Really Use Them

Last Summer I was really struggling with my migraines and was I looking for another treatment to help with them. In previous months I had heard all kind of things about essential oils and how they help with headaches and other ailments. And I was super skeptical about them. I am so not the "granola" type and until recently, most of the people I knew that used them were not like me. But suddenly many of the people that I knew that were raving about them were just like me- moms, friends, bloggers and people I trust. So I thought about it for a while, but didn't do anything about it. What finally pushed me to make the leap to try them was losing our health insurance. Becoming self employed has its difficulties and I figured anything that might cut our medical costs would be worth trying. I ordered the  Essential Oils Premium Starter Kit from Young Living Oils that allows me to become a member (and distributor if I so desire.)
And even still, I purposefully didn't tell anyone I was trying them out. I was a little embarassed and wanted to see about them myself. Until now I haven't even ever blogged about oils for several reasons. One being- I'm not trying to make a business out of distributing oils and two, I'm not an expert. I AM still a huge fan of tylenol, Ib Profin, and all over the counter (and some perscription!) drugs. I do still use household cleaners from Walmart and I don't make my own laundry detergent. But I'm not opposed to other (especially natural) solutions if they work.
So now that I have been using and dabbling in oils for a while now, and I think they are working for us. We aren't obsessed, but I've been pleased. There is something to that "oils stuff". Today I thought I'd share exactly which oils I use and how I use them. There are tons of oils I haven't looked into or given a thought too, but these are the ones I have. There are also a thousand more uses for these oils than I describe, but these are what we normally prefer at this point.

Theives: Theives was the first oil I was really interested in trying, besides Peppermint. It is supposed to help with immunity to sickness and quicken your recovery when you are sick. It smells like cinnamon and cloves so it's pretty pleasant to use.  
The week my oils arrived last year all three of my kids had Hand, Foot and Mouth. They were miserable, but I put Thieves on the bottom of their feet (with coconut oil) every few hours and diffused it (with the diffuser that comes with the kit) and within five days or less they were all better. It was hard not to credit the oils when Hand, Food and Mouth usually lasts a lot longer than that.  I wish I had been more religious about applying Theives to my kids while they had colds or the flu this winter- or everyday to help prevent sickness- but I wasn't on top of it. I do think it would have helped them stay healthier and in general when I have a sick kid I try to remember to apply it to their feet and diffuse it. 
DiGize: DiGize does not come in the starter kit, but when I heard about it I quickly placed an order for it. DiGize is supposed to help with an upset stomach or cramping. When I get the flu, or an nauseous at all, I am miserable so I had high hopes for this oil. (This one smells like black licorice- which I hate- so beware.) 
And low and behold I had the chance to really test it out Tuesday night. A lot of different foods have made me bloated and crampy during this pregnancy and it's miserable. Easton had a baseball game that night so I couldn't lay on the couch and be sick.  I finally had the thought to try DiGize on my bloating. I applied 3 or so drops (with coconut oil) to my stomach as well as a drop or two of Peppermint. I also put a drop of Peppermint in some water to drink and took that with me in the car. And miraculously within 15 minutes I was feeling better- so much better. It was amazing. My cramps and my bloating went away and I felt fine for the rest of the night. Lesson learned for next time! 
Lemon: Lemon is a very nice smelling oil- it smells like lemons. I like to put a drop in my water or to diffuse it. I don't use it a lot, but I like it. 
Stress Away: Stress Away is a blend of oils and it might be my favorite mood boosting oil. It really smells nice and if I'm stressed out I'll put it on my wrists and smell it. It has some kind of calming element to it that I can't deny. 
Peace and Calming: This blend also smells good and I'll use it like Stress Away. I haven't used it a lot, but may find more uses for it in the future. 
Peppermint: This oil is my lifesaver. I almost always have it in my purse or on hand.  I've suffered from chronic migraines since high school and although this oil hasn't totally fixed them, it has helped tremendously. If I feel like a headache might be coming on I will rub a few drops of pure Peppermint oil on the back of my neck, on my temples, and put a drop or two on my thumb to apply to the roof of my mouth. I try to breath in the oil in my mouth as deeply as I can into my nose and kind of up to my brain. Sometimes its too strong, but usually the stronger the better. Like I said before this one is good in water too for an upset stomach. 
Pan Away: PanAway is a blend that I also use for my headaches. It has spearmint in it and other things that really help sore muscles. I'll rub this on my neck pre-headache instead of Peppermint. Also Soren had a really sore neck the other day so we used PanAway and some Ib Profin and he was fine in 20 minutes. I haven't tried this one on my sore muscles after the gym, but maybe I should....
Lavender: Lavender is the oil I ran out of first. I like putting a little of this on my kids' necks when they have a hard time falling asleep. It works like a charm. And it works on me too! I put some on my leg the other day to help my with restless leg syndrome, and low and behold I was OUT within ten minutes. It did help my leg too, but it sure put me to sleep.
Joy: This oil is one of the worst smelling out of the box. It definitely takes some getting used to. But I have tried diffusing it when I'm feeling ornery or grouchy. And I think it helps. Who knows? But it's purpose is to make you feel more joyful so I'm all for keeping with it.  


One of the biggest challenges with starting into oils is the time that it takes to learn about them. There are so many resources, but it's like learning a whole new subject. I haven't learned much more than the basics but so far they are helping me and my family. I'm sure I'll continue to learn more and do it at the speed that works for us. 
So if you haven't tried oils ever, but some of the issues above spoke to you- I'd recommend them. Don't stress about how to use Frankincense or Grapefruit oil- just start with a  Premium Starter Kit and learn a little about each one as you go. You'll find what works for you and what doesn't. You'll find some of them are must haves and some aren't. Each oil has so many uses so don't think that I gave you much education in this post about oils. My only intent is to be open about exactly what works for me and maybe it will help you!
If you think you want to try oils for the first time, you can sign up like I did here. And if you have any questions, or suggestions for why you love your oils, please leave comments below. I'd love to hear them!