What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are the life blood of plants, the living fluid inside of them that serve as the plant’s immune system. They regenerate, oxygenate, and strengthen the immune response of the plant. They are necessary for the plant’s survival protecting it from disease, providing nutrients, and helping to keep destructive insects away. Really, essential oils are vital for the plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings.
When grown in the proper conditions, harvested at the perfect time, and extracted with the utmost care, essential oils can bring balance back to our body helping to keep it well. Essential oils are very complex, consisting of hundreds of active microscopic constituents that work together in harmony and are able to reach every part of our bodies on a cellular level. Because they are natural, they are easily recognised by our cells, and our bodies utilise them in a very similar manner as plants. They help support our body’s natural healing capabilities.
Essential oils may seem like a new thing everyone is into these days, but they have actually been used around the world for thousands of years and are considered to be our first medicines, supporting healing and wellness for centuries. In fact, research dates the use of essential oils all the way back to 4500 B.C.! In biblical times they were used for anointing and healing the sick. Today they are often used for aromatherapy, massage, physical and emotional well-being, meditation and prayer, personal care, in nutritional supplements, cleaning, and so much more. Essential oils can inspire a positive emotional state, improve your physical wellness, enhance spiritual awareness, refine your beauty routine, and cleanse your home and surroundings.
How can I use them?
Aromatically
Diffusing Young Living essential oils is an excellent way to enjoy the wonderful aroma of essential oils while taking in the abundance of wellness benefits essential oils have to offer. They can purify the air and neutralize odors as well as providing a relaxing, uplifting, or serene environment to lift your mood. To use essential oils aromatically, you can inhale the oil directly from the bottle, rub a few drops in the palms of your hands and cup your hands together over your nose and mouth and inhale, or use a Young Living ultrasonic diffuser to disperse the oils directly into the air.
Topically
Direct application of Young Living essential oils is one of the easiest and effective ways to use essential oils. They are able to penetrate cells and are transported throughout the body in minutes. Applying to the bottom of your feet is the great place to begin. Essential oils can be applied directly to the skin, referred to as “neat,” or applied to the skin with a carrier oil (a fatty vegetable oil such as coconut oil, grape-seed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, V6 oil, etc.). Using a carrier oil, often referred to as diluting, does not diminish the effectiveness of the oil, rather is slows the absorption rate into the skin decreasing the chance of skin irritation. Refer to the essential oil’s label for dilution guidelines.
Internally
Add selected essential oils as a flavouring to your favourite recipes & beverages. Or use them as a dietary supplement as part of your health routine.
One of our favourite ways to use oils is to add a few drops to a glass of cold water of Ningxia and drink!
Always remember to check the label of an oil - to see if it is indicated for use as a internal supplement.
BUT WAIT!
Not all Essential Oils are created equal!
This is super important to understand. Not all essential oils available on the market are safe to use like Young Living’s essential oils. Many store-bought oils are for aromatic use only and are not meant to be applied topically or ingested. Further, many of these oils contain additives or have not been properly distilled which breaks down or destroys therapeutic constituents and sometimes even creates toxins which are then left in the oil. They may be a little less expensive when purchased from the store, but you really do get what you pay for. When you consider that it takes 75 lemons to produce enough oil to fill a 15mL bottle of lemon essential oil or that it takes 22 pounds of rose petals to produce a 5mL bottle of Rose essential oil, you can begin to understand why the bottles of pure, unadulterated essential oil cost a little more. When it comes to health and wellness of you and your family, the only grade we recommend for personal use is Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils.