How to Use Essential Oils
There are three ways to use essential oils.
- Aromatically
- Topically
- Internally
When you smell things, it affects you- pollen, second hand smoke, artificial fragrances in beauty products, candles, air fresheners, cleaning products, etc. There are all kinds of examples of things that we breathe in and feel negative side effects from. Essential oils are an example of something that you can breathe in which cause positive reactions and side BENEFITS rather than side effects. Using essential oils aromatically can help to uplift the spirit and support overall wellness.
-Rub 2-3 drops of essential oil between your palms and inhale deeply.
-Add a few drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water. Cover your head and bowl with a towel. Breathe deeply and slowly. This is called tenting.
-Use your favorite essential oils in your diffuser. Depending on the size of the room and your desired strength, start with 3-5 drops and go up or down from there depending on how you feel. Everyone is different so just experiment with what works for you and your family.
-Rub 2-3 drops of essential oil between your palms and inhale deeply.
-Add a few drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water. Cover your head and bowl with a towel. Breathe deeply and slowly. This is called tenting.
-Use your favorite essential oils in your diffuser. Depending on the size of the room and your desired strength, start with 3-5 drops and go up or down from there depending on how you feel. Everyone is different so just experiment with what works for you and your family.
Topical application is the way I most commonly use my oils. You can put a few drops on any desired area straight from the bottle (neat) or you can dilute it. Diluting an oil does not decrease it's effectiveness, rather, it allows the oil to be spread over a larger area of the body like the abdomen or lower back. Diluting also eliminates any chance of the oil being "hot" to the skin. Some oils should be diluted when used on children. If you apply an oil that feels "hot" or uncomfortable to the skin or you applied the oil too close to a sensitive area, like the eyes, rub a carrier oil on and that feeling will quickly go away. Examples of good carrier oils are olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil, Young Living's blend- V-6, etc. You don't want to use a low grade vegetable oil, or something like petroleum jelly, unless it's an emergency. Always look for organic and cold pressed. Since Young Living's essential oils are known for their purity, we want the carrier oil we use to be the same. When applied topically, essential oils are ideal therapeutic agents and are absorbed readily due to their small molecular size and weight. They pass through the epidermis and the dermis skin layers and enter into the interstitial fluid quickly. The bottoms of the feet, having some of the largest pores on our body, are a common area to apply the oils. It's important to note that you should be having fun with the oils and experiment what works for you. The oils work differently for everyone and can be used in so many ways. Let your body tell you what it needs! Only hard rule is- Never put oils in your eyes or inside your ears!
Lastly, you can ingest Young Living oils. (Please note that Young Living is the only brand that I use and recommend. There are other safe oils out there, however, I trust Young Living's standards and I trust the purity of what's inside each bottle.)
- Place several drops of essential oil into an empty pill capsule alone or with a few drops of a carrier oil and swallow with water.
-Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to a glass of water (use only glass, ceramic or stainless steel when using citrus oils) and drink. I love to drink my water with lemon, citrus fresh, lime, grapefruit, jade lemon, orange or tangerine!
-Add 1-2 drops to a bit of honey and swallow or add to warm water and honey for a relaxing tea. I add lemon and thieves oils this way to support my immune system.
-Add 1-2 drops (to taste) to meals when cooking. Be careful, the oils are very strong. I dip a toothpick in the oil and stir in meals for flavor- sometimes this is enough.
Young Living also has a couple of oil blends that are already encapsulated for you. Check out their Inner Defense and Longevity capsules, they're great for immune support and cellular health. Young Living actually pioneered the use of essential oils in supplements. They've discovered that essential oils enhance absorption. Methone, in peppermint oil, increases absorption 18 times so, you'll see that most of their supplements have peppermint oil in them for this reason.
- Place several drops of essential oil into an empty pill capsule alone or with a few drops of a carrier oil and swallow with water.
-Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to a glass of water (use only glass, ceramic or stainless steel when using citrus oils) and drink. I love to drink my water with lemon, citrus fresh, lime, grapefruit, jade lemon, orange or tangerine!
-Add 1-2 drops to a bit of honey and swallow or add to warm water and honey for a relaxing tea. I add lemon and thieves oils this way to support my immune system.
-Add 1-2 drops (to taste) to meals when cooking. Be careful, the oils are very strong. I dip a toothpick in the oil and stir in meals for flavor- sometimes this is enough.
Young Living also has a couple of oil blends that are already encapsulated for you. Check out their Inner Defense and Longevity capsules, they're great for immune support and cellular health. Young Living actually pioneered the use of essential oils in supplements. They've discovered that essential oils enhance absorption. Methone, in peppermint oil, increases absorption 18 times so, you'll see that most of their supplements have peppermint oil in them for this reason.
