Essential Oils 101
Over the past few years I have come to appreciate and believe in the holistic properties of essential oils but often find myself concerned about who to buy from. There are so many brands out there and since I know that I'm going to be using these oils on my body, putting them into the air, and on using them to clean our home, I get concerned about quality. With the current FDA regulations that we have in our country its hard to know what exactly is in our products and who to trust. I recently met up with Karrianne Drury and Rachel Rhodes of Young Living Essential Oils to find out more about essential oils and to talk all things family and holistic living.
Sourcing
Karrianne: Young Living Essential Oils is the oldest essential oil company, having been around for about 26 years. What sets them apart from a lot of other essential oil companies is that they have the Seed to Seal guarantee. Young Living has multiple farms and they literally oversee the entire process from planting the seed through the processing, bottling & getting the products into people’s homes.
Rachel: It’s kind of the same thing as 'knowing thy farmer' with food, where you can trace your food back ~ oils are the same way. With Young Living, you can actually go to the farms. There are 11 farms world-wide including 3 in the United States where you’re able to go and see how the plant material is harvested and how the oil is made. You’re even able to participate in the process. Transparency is extremely important to us.
How to Use Essential Oils
Rachel: There are three main ways that you can use them. Topically, they can be applied on areas that may need attention (back, belly, knees, neck for example). You can also apply the oils to the bottoms of your feet, a great way to distribute the oils through your body and cells at a rapid rate (thanks to some of the largest pores on your body). You can also enjoy the oils topically through DIY’s such as diaper cream, body butter, face serum, chest rub - and many other personal care products that can be made with the oils!
Karrianne: There are two other ways in which you can use the oils. Inhalation, through the use of a diffuser. When you diffuse, the oil hits the olfactory bulb in the brain which is why oils have a huge ability to change your mood and emotions. The third way is internally, which will affect you at a cellular level.
Rachel: When you cook with them, it's a natural way to flavor your food and when you diffuse them, it's a natural way to scent your space and purify the air.
How Many Drops Are There Per Bottle?
Karrianne: 90 drops. When using the oils you'll often find that you'll only need 1-3.*
How and When Should You Dilute Essential Oils?
Karrianne: "Carrier oils" are fatty oils such as sesame oil, jojoba oil, grape-seed oil, almond oil, or coconut oil that can be used to dilute essential oils. We use carrier oils to dilute our essential oils and make them easier to spread over a larger surface area (your back, legs etc.) Diluting doesn’t reduce the effectiveness, it merely acts as a time release slowing down absorption! Carrier oils are great because they help stretch your dollar and they help also if the oil is "hot". A "hot" oil (i.e. tea tree oil and peppermint oil) are essential oils that can feel hot to the touch when directly applied to the skin.
Cooking With Essential Oils
Rachel: Essential oils are a wonderful way to naturally flavor dishes when cooking.** For example, lemon is great for adding to homemade hummus and fish; Peppermint can be added to a mocha or fudge; ginger is great in a stir fry and rice.
How Did You Get Into Essential Oils?
Rachel: So I've always been very conscious about the food that I put into my body but never gave any thought to anything else in my environment. I never really considered what I was putting on my skin or the fact that everything we put on our skin is pulled into our bloodstream. What really pointed me toward oils and a more natural way of living was my experience with our first child Sophia Grace. She had a major birth defect (non - genetic) and was quickly the center of lots of research. Some of the questions in those studies asked about our home environment and routines with my personal care regimen. That was a wake-up call for me. Following that experience, I began researching and making small changes. Oils being one of them. I found oils empowered me as I was able to replace many things in my home with a healthier alternative, I was able to be proactive vs. reactive. I know longer operated from a place of fear as I was protecting my home and had the tools to help my family holistically.
How Do You Incorporate Essential Oils In Your Day to Day Routine?
Rachel: These oils have literally worked their way into every aspect of our home! They’re in our personal care products, they scent our home, they support our body systems (Digestive, Respiratory, Cardiovascular etc) and help to keep our emotions and hormones in check.
Essential oils can be used holistically to support the body - great for an angry belly and/or digestive system, helps to assists with sleep and relaxation, even the occasional feelings of anxiousness. In a future post we will discuss several other ways to support, below are just a few examples.
Essential oils can be used to holistically assist with all sorts of health and wellness issues such as an upset stomach, insomnia, and anxiety. In future posts we will discuss several other ways in which they can be used to heal however below are just a few examples:
Essential Oils for a Happy Belly
DiGize, Ginger and Lemon.
Essential Oils for Sleep
Lavender and cedar wood.
Essential Oils for Feelings of Anxiousness
Frankincense, Lavender and Peppermint.
References:
For more information about Young Living Essential Oils, reach out to Karrianne Drury at drurylanedesigns@zoho.com or on Facebook at "Sage & Grace". A special thank you to Hip Innovative Studio Boutique for allowing us to meet and photograph at your studio boutique.
*When making perfume, depending on the size of your container, you will use more.
**There are many essential oils that can be used to cook with however we recommend making sure that the oils in which you are using have not been adulterated as that may cause some negative effects. Young Living Oils are completely safe to ingest as long as there’s a white label indicating for Dietary use.
Fast-forward to my late twenties, when I started MRFP, where I brought this holistic approach to our business. At the end of the day, I don't just want to create "pretty interiors", I want to design spaces that..