A Little Oily

I've been dabbling in the world of essential oils the past several months. I know people have been using these oils forever, and I finally tried some for myself. I wanted to try so many different kinds with my first order, that I became a member of Young Living before I had even tried them.  My motivation was finding a natural route to help with relaxation and anxiety in Frankincense. I am always on the lookout for eliminating more chemicals from our home as well. I love Norwex products and the two work great together!

I have since added to my collection a bit and have a few favorites--

Thieves (a blend by Young Living) - This mixture of cinnamon, cloves and other spices is one of my favorites for diffusing (especially with lemon).  I also use it in cleaning my counter tops, sinks and even my toilets.

Lavender - I recently received home made laundry soap from a friend made with Lavender and Lemon. It smells so good I want to eat it every time I do laundry! :)  Lavender is actually what made me a believer in essential oils. It cleared up two separate each aches in my kids when I REALLY wanted to avoid the disgusting chewable antibiotic. (Only apply a drop to cotton ball--never drop into ears! Make sure you do your research before using ANY essential oils on your skin.)

Frankincense - Mixed with  fractionated coconut oil in a roller bottle, I use on my wrists at night to help me relax and sleep better. This one's smell, although mild, took some getting used to.

R.C. (a blend by YL) - I love this eucalyptus blend in a roller bottle when I feel a sinus cold coming on. 

Tea Tree - Works great in a roller bottle for bug bites. I've also heard great things about tea tree eliminating head lice, but I do not have experience with that use!

Lemon (see above), Lime, Grapefruit and Tangerine - I like to add a couple of drops to ice water to add a little flavor.

It has been fun experimenting with home uses. I made this Room & Linen spray this morning using distilled water, 30 drops of oil (I chose Lavender/Lemon) and vodka! Vodka and witch hazel are used interchangeably in many home and personal use recipes.  I have also made a bug spray using rosemary, citronella, Thieves, Purification and peppermint. It had good reviews and is ready for our own family's trial run as soon as this rain clears off!  On my list to make is a spider repellent that uses peppermint and vodka to help ward off the daddy long legs spiders in our basement.

I went to a workshop last week where we made room spray, carpet refresher and foaming hand soap. The home products one can make with essential oils really is endless, although I still do like many of my store bought lotions, shampoos and deodorant.

Oils and products should be stored in tinted glass when possible as they can break down plastic containers. I buy all of these bottles on Amazon. I highly recommend trying a few oils for yourself, either in personal care, cleaning or even cooking.

Pinterest is a great place for ideas and usage guidelines for specific oils.

I don't consider myself a particularly "crunchy" mom, but you could say that I am a bit "oily!"