Thought about trying essential oils before? Here's everything you need to know about getting started with essential oils, including tips, tricks & recipes!
Over the past year or so I've been making changes in my life in an effort to live more healthfully in a natural and less toxic way. A lot of that has had to do with my eating–I've removed nearly all animal products from my life, with the occasional drizzle of honey or baked good with eggs–but I've incorporated this mindsetĀ into other areas of my life too.
I'm making the transition to using onlyĀ non-toxic products in my home and on my body, exploring using meditation to calm my mind and help me stay more present, and incorporating aromatherapy for relaxation and focus (specifically, I've been using essential oils).
You can read about my beauty transition over on my natural beauty page, but I wanted to take today to talk a little bit about essential oils, share how I got started using them and give you a few tips to get started on your own if you're interested.
How I got started with Essential Oils
I've always known about essential oils, but I always just assumed they were used mostly to make a room smell nice. I like the idea that you could give your house a little freshening up without having to use those artificial smelling wall plugins or overly scented candles. So I picked up a few bottles from Whole Foods, but used them very sporadically and never with anĀ intention other than making my house smell nice.
Then about a year ago, two things happened: 1) I started being more conscious of the products I was using (no more toxic candles!) and 2) a friend of mine started talkingĀ about how she was using essential oils and they were transforming her health. That piqued my curiosity; anything that is natural and supports wellness, I want to learn more about.
I reached out to her, we hopped on the phone and she told me all about how she was using essential oils. Everything from helping her kids get to sleep at night, helping her stay more focused during the day, helping with seasonal allergies or colds, etc. What she was saying really resonated with me and I could instantly see where oils could fit into my life. My restless sleeping,Ā my mind feeling like it was bouncing from task to task during the day, and especially for seasonal allergy support. Matt suffers from terrible allergies and I loved the idea of something natural that could help support that.
So I went for it; I picked up a starter kit from Young Living which came with a diffuser and 11 of the most popular oils, along with an amazing community of women to ask questions and get new ideas from.
How I use Essential Oils
Honestly, I think this could be an entire post on it's own, so I'm going to keep it short right now. I use oils for all sorts of things and while I'm not necessarily a “power-user”, I do use them in some form every single day. Here's how I generally use them:
- Diffuse at night for better sleep
- Diffuse during the day for more energy
- Dab on my wrist to help with concentration and focus (both with work and meditation)
- Dab on my big toe at night to sleep more deeply (you might have actually seen me talk about how I use the oil called “Valor” for this in my June Favorites video)
- Add to some beauty products
- DIY beauty and skincare products
- Removing nasty smells from the laundry
- Disinfecting surfaces
And the list goes on and on. There are thousands of ways that oils can fit into your life, no matter what your goals are. It's pretty amazing how these little bottles are super-charged with wellness supporting benefits.
How you can Get Started with Essential Oils
Here's the truth of the matter: essential oils vary greatly in quality. The ones you see at Whole Foods and other natural food stores aren't therapeutic grade and as such you won't get the same benefits you would if you were using a higher quality brand. The one I recommend is Young Living Essential Oils.
I will say though, oils can get expensive pretty quickly, which is why I recommend that if you're interested in getting started you pick up a Premium Starter Kit. It's the easiest and most affordable way to dip your toes into the world of essential oils.
Hereās whatās in the kit:
- 11 (5-mL) oils that have daily-use application including Thieves, Stress Away, Purification, RC, DiGize, PanAway, Copaiba, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Copaiba, and Frankincense
- a diffuser powerful enough to cover 300 square feet (retail between $80 and $100)
- samples of our most popular products, including 10 oil pouches and 2 (2-ounce) packets of NingXia Red
- educational material, including the Essential Oils at A Glance users guide
- one AromaGlide Rollerball Fitment to pop on your oil bottles for easy application
- 10 tiny dram bottles to carry oils with you easily or to share oils with friends (SO cute!!!)
Pretty freaking awesome, huh? You really do get everything you need to test things out. You'll be able to find combinations you adore, you'll have info on hand about how to use them in your everyday life and you'll save a boatload of money (over $100) than if you were to buy everything individually.
Plus when you buy a starter kit instead of oils individually, youāll also get:
- 24% off future products
- ongoing oil usage support through our members-only chat groups, free online classes, and one-on-one support from me as you need it
How to use the Oils in the Starter Kit
I think the easiest way to get started actually using your oils is to diffuse them. That's what I do on a nightly (sometimes daily) basis. It's almost like a crockpot, just fix and forget! The diffuser that comes with the kit is great too because it has an auto shut off mechanism, so you can run it while you fall asleep and then it will automatically turn off.
Some of my favorite diffuser combinations:
- Bedtime: Lavender, Stress Away + Cedarwood
- Good morning: Lemon + Peppermint
- Allergy Support: Lemon, Peppermint + Lavender
- Immune Booster: Thieves + Purification
- Mental Clarity: Peppermint, Frankincense + Stress Away
And honestly, that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of ways to use them!
Here are some other usesĀ for the oils in the Premium Starter Kit:
Lavender Essential Oil ā Helps you wind down after a stressful day. Helps calm kids for an easier bedtime routine. Supports healthy skin, after sun soother, support normal healing of bumps & bruises, assists when adapting to occasional stress
Lemon Essential Oil ā Uplifting to mind an body, contains naturally occurring d-limone, supports healthy skin, add to food and water to enhance flavor
Stress Awayā¢ Essential Oil ā Helps relieve stress related to day-to-day life, encourages realization, promotes wellness, helps reduce mental rigidity and restore equilibrium. Diffuse to unwind and de-stress at the end of a busy day.
Thievesā¢ Essential Oil ā Help support strong immunity in both kids and adults when you start to feel sick, minor aches associated with everyday life, diffuse to purify the air, clean any surface in my home. Itās amazing for bathrooms!
Peppermint Essential Oil ā May soother minor aches associated with everyday life. Supports normal digestion. May support performance during exercise.
Purificationā¢ Essential Oil ā Diffuse to purify the air. Make easy homemade DIY outdoor spray enjoy the outdoors free of annyoances. Add several drops to a wet cloth and put in the dryer to freshen laundry (I do this with every load!).
PanAwayā¢ Essential Oil ā Support relief of normal aches and pains and sore muscles after exercise (amazing!). I add a drop of it into my daily coconut oil moisturizer and rub it where my muscles hurt. Works every time!
Copaiba Essential Oil ā Promotes wellness. Can be mixed with honey and warm water to make a tea. You can also combine this essential oil with others to enhance their effects.
DiGizeā¢ Essential Oil ā Supports healthy digestion; use with meals to support a wellness regimen. I like adding a drop or two to my salad dressing; can't even taste it!
Frankincense Essential Oil ā May help soothe the appearance of healthy looking skin, use for massage after activity, diffuse during meditation for grounding.
RCā¢ Essential Oil ā Unique blend of Cypress, Spruce, and three types of Eucalyptus, includes the naturally occurring constituents eucalyptus and limonene. Rub on your feet or chest before exercise to uplift and inspire, or massage into your feet before bed to create a comforting atmosphere.
Want to try them out? Here's how we do it:
Here's my promise to you: I'm here to educate and to help, not push or sell. I only recommend products that I truly believe in; and because oils have been so good for me, I want to help you learn how to integrate them into your daily life. And that group that I mentioned above? It's incredible! It's fully of passionate women with lots of experience and they're there to ask questions, bounce ideas off of or get recipes. By noĀ means do youĀ need to join (it's 100% optional), but I personally have gotten so much more use out of my Starter Kit because of that group!
The enroller and sponsor number will be filled in ā double check to make sure itās 2681451. Email me at alyssaĀ (at) simplyquinoaĀ (dot) comĀ with āESSENTIALĀ OIL MEMBERā in the subject line as soon as youāve created your account so I can get you added to our chat group and get your credit squared away.
LET'S DO THIS! Get your kit today!
There are two ways to buy Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils ā as a wholesale member or as a retail customer. Becoming a wholesale member is the only way to purchase the Premium Starter Kit and get a 24% discount on all future purchases.
If you have any questions about oils or before or during the sign-up process, please email me at alyssaĀ (at) simplyquinoaĀ (dot) com.
XO,
Alyssa
**This particular pricing is good only for the US and military families abroad living on a base. The Canadian Premium Starter Kit is very similar, as is the kit now available in Europe. I work with women and families all over the world and would love to get specifics to you regarding the oils, kits, and pricing available in your area. Email me at alyssaĀ (at) simplyquinoaĀ (dot) com with “Essential Oil Pricing” in the subject š
