Guest Post: Essential Oils 101

Essential Oils. They seem to be what everyone is talking about these days. They’re all over Facebook, Instagram, and popping up in just about every store. The funny thing is, essential oils aren’t a new thing. They’ve been around and have been heavily used in various cultures for thousands of years, dating all the way back to ancient times. In western culture, we have been so preoccupied with the pharmaceutical industry that the therapeutic benefits of essential oils kind of got buried in our society- but not anymore!

As a nutrition and functional medicine grad student, I have been learning more and more about how not only is what we put in our body (our diet) and our exercise important, but what we put ON our body is equally important. This is why essential oils can be so powerful in maintaining good health. We expose ourselves daily to hundreds of toxic chemicals that we put on our body, through our personal care (face creams, makeup, hair products, lotions, etc.) and home care (candles, synthetic air fresheners, cleaners, etc) products, and it’s really having a detrimental effect on society. This is a big part of why we see the staggering cancer stats and people getting diagnosed with horrible diseases at younger and younger ages.

Essential oils provide a possible solution to this problem. They’re a natural way to replace so many of the toxic products in our home and provide therapeutic effects to the body- both emotionally and physically. Essential oil quality is key here. The standards of purity are terrible in the essential oil industry is not well regulated- you can’t always believe just what you see on the bottle. In the United States, a bottle only needs to contain 5% pure essential oil to be labelled as “100% pure,” which unfortunately is very misleading to consumers!

I love using Young Living brand essential oils because I know they stand by their quality and purity. Young Living owns their own farms globally and does both on site and third party testing to ensure that each bottle truly is 100% pure- no added junk and nothing lost. You can read more about their strict policies and standards at www.seedtoseal.com. Through my years of research in this industry, they’re the only brand I trust.

Anyway! Today I’m excited to share with you 10 Essential Oils for Everyday Use! These are some of my favorites and if you start using them, I think they’ll quickly become your favorites too.

  1. Peppermint: I enjoy diffusing Peppermint in the afternoon to help keep me mentally alert, and it helps me to focus well for my exams. It also keeps my tummy happy if I tend to eat too much 😉 or feel a little bloated. I always carry it in my purse! Fun fact: It takes 1lb of raw peppermint plant material to make ONE 15mL bottle of peppermint oil!
  1. Lavender: This is known as “the Swiss army knife of essential oils.” I use this nightly to help me get a restful night of sleep, as well as to help me enjoy the springtime outdoors. It also does wonders for creating a calm environment for kids and is useful for occasional dry/chapped/irritated skin.
  1. Lemon: ah lemon! This oil is extremely emotionally uplifting when diffused! It also helps oily skin, maintain energy levels, get rid of occasional calluses, cellulite, and promotes immunity and healthy detoxing of the body. Did you know it takes 75 lemons to make ONE 15mL bottle of lemon essential oil?
  1. Frankincense: One of my favs! Frank is incredible for the skin and immune system, and eases occasional and minor tension, as well as promotes feelings of calmness and balance! Historically, it has over 10,000 uses! #Obsessed
  1. Copaiba: This is an incredibly emotionally grounding oil. You can diffuse it with some Frank to help with occasional stress and create a calm environment. It also supports the body’s natural healing response.
  1. DiGize: This supports a super healthy digestive system. Need I say more? It eases occasional nausea and upset/sour stomach. In other words, always always have this with you. Just a few drops applied topically on the tummy will do it!
  1. PanAway: This one is for the joints & muscles! So, after your daily gym routine, grab some of this and rub it on! Your body will thank you. 🙂
  1. RC: aka “Respiratory Comfort.” This blend is very de-stressing and creates a spa-like aroma when diffused, but you can also apply it topically on your chest/neck area. I like to mix it with lavender in the diffuser before bed. It has 3 types of eucalyptus which have naturally occurring eucalyptol (really good stuff).
  1. Thieves: Everyone needs Thieves- the healthy-keeper! This is one of the best-kept secrets for immune support. Rub a few drops on the bottom your feet nightly, and diffuse, diffuse, diffuse!
  1. Purification: This one helps get rid of bad odors- whether that be in a musty room, shoes, old gym bag, or basement. I love adding a few drops to our laundry and also for spot treating occasional blemishes.

BONUS: Just because I wanted to throw in one more for you guys, here is one more of my “must have” everyday oils!

Stress Away: I called this my “finals week oil” while I was in school. But seriously, this stuff is the bomb. I diffuse it and rub it all over my neck and shoulders whenever I’m feeling especially stressed/overwhelmed, and it really eases my tension. Aromatherapy is powerful!

Well, there you have it! 10 Essential Oils for Everyday Use…plus, one extra. 🙂  Thank you for taking the time to read this- I truly hope you learned something today! Our bodies are incredibly powerful in maintaining wellness when we properly support them. I always recommend people new to oils start with the Premium Starter Kit (pictured above- flowers not included 🙂 ) as it will give you the best experience to begin your oily journey, and when you order it through the link below, I will be your personal guide to help you every step of the way!

If you have more questions or are curious about getting some of these oils for yourself, feel free to shoot me a message at theoiltribelounge@gmail.com !  I’d love to chat. You can also order your own directly through this link: https://goo.gl/FNugTt.

**NOTE: The above link is an affiliate link, meaning that the guest poster will receive compensation for any items purchased using this link.**

In wellness,

Priya

Feature Image Source: youngliving | flickr

About the Author: Priya

essential oils, essential oils 101, basics of essential oils, young living

Priya Maithel recently graduated from Cedarville University with her Bachelor of Science in Allied Health. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Western States, working towards her Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. Priya has been to numerous conventions & conferences over the last four years, where she has learned directly from leading doctors & scientists regarding the science and effectiveness of essential oils. Priya is a dynamic, creative, and inspiring individual who is passionate about educating the public on natural health & wellness, with the mindset that “prevention is the best cure.” She also has built a successful wellness business with a large growing community of followers. You can find her on Facebook as well as Instagram @priyaalexandra and @theoiltribelounge, and visit her website www.naturallypureoils4u.com

Note: All information, opinions, photographs and links have been provided by the Guest Post writer Priya and, as such, are considered her property. If you wish to use any of the information provided, please contact Priya using the above links. 

29 thoughts on “Guest Post: Essential Oils 101”

  1. I love this post! I’ve recently just gotten into essential oils. I only go through Young Living as well! Their oils are amazing! I use probably half the oils on this list but I’m so happy to have more to add to my wishlist! Such a helpful post! Thank you!

  2. I am a huge fan of Young Living’s products as well! Taking any sort of medicine makes me wonder what I’m actually putting in my body. With essential oils from YL, I don’t worry about that and feel like I’m doing something way healthier. XOXO.

    1. That’s why I tend to choose natural alternatives, it worries me popping all the chemicals into my body all the time

  3. I love essential oils!!! My favourite is (as boring as it may be) vanilla!!!

    Whenever I’m having a bad day I love to but some on my little burning candle thingy and just breath in its aromas its so lovely and relaxing and makes the room smell B E A UTIFUL!!!

    Lovely post.

    Hann xx
    ATINYGIRLSBIGWORLD.WORDPRESS.COM

    1. Peppermint has been my go to for my allergies, works better than any actual allergy medication if you ask me

  4. Lemon essential oils are the way to go during the summer. I have a couple scent diffuser sticks in various rooms, and not only do they smell amazing but they repell insects so well, especially those mosquitoes… great post! Thank you so much for sharing!

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