Are you interested in learning about essential oils and aromatherapy? If so, this essential oils for beginners guide should be very helpful. We’ll get deeper into some of the topics in future posts, but this is a great starting point.
Essential Oils and Aromatherapy have become very popular in this last decade. However, they aren’t new. They’ve been around for thousands of years. In fact, you can find references to essential oils in the Bible.
People use essential oils for many reasons – from fresheners for their home to medical purposes.
The best thing about essential oils is that they are natural. Perhaps we could refer to them as being nature’s pharmacy.
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What are Essential oils?
Essential oils are natural oils that are extracted from a leaf, a plant, bark, a tree, or other natural source. The oil retains the scent of the plant from which they were taken.
Oftentimes, essential oils go through a distillation (via steam or water) process or a mechanical method such as cold pressing.
Essential Oils Uses
These oils are used in a variety of ways and for a large variety of purposes. Many people love to simply diffuse them for their fragrance. Others use them topically, simply applying on their skin, oftentimes in specific locations, for health benefits. There are also people who simply inhale the scent straight from the bottle for health benefits.
I love this beautiful set of images that lists a variety of oils that help with specific issues.
Why People Use essential oils
Essential oils can be used for a large variety of purposes. These include:
• General health maintenance
• Well-being
• First Aid
• Fragrances
• Skin health
• General health issues (helping with sleep, alertness, anxiety, etc.)
• Immunity boosting
• Cleaning products
• Sanitization
• Bug bites
• Sunburned skin
• Insect Repellant
• And so much more
If you search online, it is very easy to find testimonies from people who have been helped through the use of essential oils. The stories include help with skin problems, insect repellants, hormonal issues and seasonal allergies.
You can read my own essential oil testimony here. When you find success with a product, you become a believer. That was my experience and I continue to use essential oils today.
One of the wonderful things about using essential oils is that oftentimes more than one essential oil can help with a specific issue.
By the same token, this also causes confusion about essential oils. Although one specific essential oil can help one person with an issue, it may not help another. They may find that a different essential oil helps them with that same issue.
The good thing is that there is so much information available both online and in books, that people at least know which essential oils are likely to help with a specific issue. That provides a great starting point.
3 Ways to Use Essential Oils
There are 3 common ways to use essential oils. The most common way to use essential oils is to use them aromatically.
Aromatically
The top 3 ways to use Essential Oils Aromatically.
• Using a diffuser
• Simply smelling them directly from the bottle
• Palm inhalation
Topically
The Top 2 ways to apply Essential Oils topically:
• Add a drop or two to a carrier oil such as almond oil or olive oil and rub onto your skin
• Apply one drop directly onto your foot (using a foot reflexology chart)
Ingesting
The other common way to use essential oils is by ingestion. To do so requires research on your part to be certain that you are using a 100% pure, top quality essential oil AND that it is safe to use internally. That topic requires a post of its own, so I will not try to cover it here.
What Essential Oil Brand should I use?
It is very important that you use a brand of essential oils that is pure. The ones that you can typically buy in the department stores generally do not meet that criteria.
It is necessary to do your own research and find an essential oil brand that you are confident you can trust. You need to find a brand/company that can provide you with all of the information about their oils. Can they answer any questions you have? Can you visit any of the farms where they distill the oils, or grow the plants? Do they provide you with any education about using the oils? And so forth.
When you are using essential oils for health purposes it is imperative to know that you are using 100% pure essential oils. Don’t just trust a bottle that say 100% pure essential oil on it. Some brands may say that is is 100% pure on the bottle but may truly only have 5% of the type of essential oil you are trying to purchase. The bottles alone can be very deceiving.
Essential Oils – My Choice
I use the Young Living brand of essential oils. I took the time to research them as well as other essential oils brands before I began my essential oil journey. For me, they were the most trustworthy essential oil company. Their oils are pure and met all the safety criteria that I was looking for.
If you are interested in Young Living oils, I’ll be pleased to share information with you and to help you get a generous discount.
The bottom line is to do your own research and find an essential oil brand that you trust.
Should I ask my Doctor before I use Essential Oils?
It was a doctor who first recommended essential oils to me, but we all have different health issues and body chemistry. So, yes, it is important to ask your doctor before you decide to use essential oils for a health issue. Although many doctors have taken classes on the use of essential oils, I have found that most have an opinion on them. Your doctor knows you and knows what issues you have faced, so it is best to get their opinion before trying something new.
Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Summary
Essential oils are a great addition to your home. They have such a great variety of uses and benefits. Plus, they are very simple to use. Diffusing a natural scent into your home or using an essential oil for your skincare or healthcare has its wonderful benefits.
What essential oil should I start with?
One oil that a lot of people love is Lavender. It is the one that a lot of people start with. It is often used to help people relax and fall asleep. But, that is just two of its many possible uses.
What essential oil to start with is an individual choice. I would recommend starting with an oil that you love the scent of. Diffuse it daily. When you are ready, try another one.
Would you like help beginning your essential oil journey?
Young Living offers Starter Bundles. These are sets of different oils that are hugely discounted. Most of them come with a great quality diffuser. You then have several essential oils on hand. You can start with one oil and then move on to the next. Or try two or three of them together. We call that blending. The choice is yours.
If you would be interested in purchasing a Starter Bundle, please contact me. I would be happy to help you get your essential oil journey plus getting a generous discount. Additionally, I’ll help you along the way through providing great educational resources. These resources include a Facebook group where you can learn even more about essential oils and learn from others who use essential oils on a daily basis.
I was an Essential Oil Skeptic
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