Why I Love Essential Oils

Five years ago, my husband (who is a licensed mental health therapist) brought home a bottle of Young Living's lavender oil. He bought it from his coworker, a Christian nutritionist, therapist, and naturopath. We loved the oil, but we may have used it in a few misguided ways. We didn't purchase a diffuser and when it ran out, we simply moved on, though we told ourselves we needed to order it again.



Fast-forward to three years ago, and we'd just had our first baby. He was happy and perfectly healthy, and I wanted him to stay that way! I knew that children's over-the-counter cough medicines and other pharmaceuticals had been pulled from the shelves years ago (and for good reason), but I wanted to be able to protect him, and to combat anything that would keep him from health.

Something in the back of my mind recalled our experience with that first drop of lavender, and I remembered that there was something special about therapeutic-grade essential oils. We had since moved away and lost contact with my husband's coworker, but when one of my best friends mentioned she was placing an order with Young Living, I jumped on board, asking roughly a thousand questions along the way.

Essential Oils are powerful

These days, essential oils are a big part of my life. In my book, they are the only way to safely and effectively keep my kids healthy (even in the face of preschool). But they do so much more than that...I turn to essential oils for everything from cleaning the air, to lifting my family's spirits, to addressing and supporting health. I use them to guard myself and my family against those sick days that hit us in the fall and winter. I use them when I need energy or calming, and I use them to help me focus and clear my head.

There are a million positive benefits to using essential oils, and I plan on discovering them all. ;) But truly, I love them because they are natural, yet very powerful.

Essential Oils are a beautiful part of God's creation

I believe these oils are amazing gifts straight from God. Using aromatic oils and plants for health and worship is an idea that's actually mentioned in the Bible, and there are all sorts of biblical references to aromatic substances, perfumes, and essential oils. God makes it clear in his word that he loves plant fragrances, and to show us what our prayers mean to him he often describes them that way. I love that essential oils work in perfect harmony with my faith, as long as I have my priorities straight and put God first.

It all comes down to the science behind the oils. To put it briefly, essential oils are made up of molecules that give the oil its specific properties. Those molecules are grouped into chemical families, so if you're interested in the chemistry side of EOs, that's a fantastic thing to learn too. One of the things that gets me so excited about EOs is the scientific facts that provide a foundation for their use. I'm not just out here smelling nice things and imagining they help me, twirling around with them in a field of flowers (although that does sound fun). And speaking of fun...

Essential Oils smell amazing

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a fragrance addict. I adore things that smell good, and as you can imagine, I've been known to go down the path of using commerical products that are damaging to me as well as the environment. Having kids meant getting more serious about what I allow in my home for safety reasons, and I felt good about making positive changes, but sad about losing some of those typical fragrances you find in the stores as perfumes, candles, wax melts, air fresheners, etc.

That's where essential oils came in! Some of them have absolutely delectable smells, and some have rich aromas that smell more like an expensive perfume. They can smell spicy, sweet, refreshing, floral, juicy, crisp, fresh, earthy, and herbacious. Yes, every time you diffuse oils you are and experiencing some physical and mental health benefits, but they are also great for refreshing a room and making your kitchen smell fantastic again (even after fish night!). I use EOs to replace all the products mentioned above, and I'll go into more details on that soon.

Essential Oils are fun to work with

One of the best uses of essential oils is putting them into a carrier oil and creating a product. It can be as simple as little coconut oil and lavender for soothing skin and emotions, but there's something really significant about being able to creatively work with essential oils to address a need in my life. Once I started working with my oils and creating blends for my diffusers, mixing a couple of oils into a natural unscented lotion, or adding a drop of Thieves to my toothbrush to keep it sanitized, I was hooked.

Sharing the EO love

I'm not a doctor, or even a certified aromatherapist (though I may be one day!). This is my place to pursue my passion and share what I'm learning each step of the way, through the online classes I take and the books I read. I can't wait to pass along quality information and my sheer enthusiasm for essential oils. The fact that you are taking the time to read my blog and learn more about essential oils means so much. Thank you, from one aroma lover to another!