Aromatherapy at Home With The Premium Starter Kit

Aromatherapy is probably essential oils' mainstream claim to fame, with their mood-enhancing scents. Nowadays, it is easy to have the benefits of aromatherapy right in your own home--no spa or massage therapist needed!

Good quality essential oils are a healthy way to scent and freshen the air in your home. But there is so much more to it than that! The molecules of essential oils are so tiny, they travel through your nose, into your blood stream and to the limbic system of your brain (that's the part that regulates your basic emotions and drives). Essential oils are powerful and simply smelling them can affect your body not only mentally, but physically. You can use them aromatically to support your mood, your mind, and your body. Did you ever even notice that the second half of "aromatherapy" is "therapy?!"

To diffuse essential oils, all you have to do is add a few drops of your preferred oil to some water in the well of a diffuser. You can get a diffuser from lots of places now, including Amazon and health food stores. Mine came as a part of my Young Living Premium Starter Kits (yeah, I have more than 1...) Young Living oils are top quality, therapeutic grade, for maximum therapeutic value. The kit includes 11 of their most versatile and/or popular essential oils and the diffuser to use them with!  (Get your hands on it HERE!) But, once you have them, what should you put in your diffuser? You can, of course, start with any one on its own. That's a fantastic way to get familiar with each one, how it makes you feel, and how you like it.  Go slow and don't get overwhelmed! They aren't going anywhere! Once you've experienced them on their own, or if you are just more ambitious to start with, then you can take the next step and combine them to fine tune addressing your needs.

Here are each of the PSK oils with their primary aromatic uses, so you can see how mixing and matching can enhance their effects:

Lavender: calming, soothing, balancing (mentally and physically!)
Lemon: cleansing for the air, clarifying, and invigorating
Peppermint: stimulating mentally, invigorating, and purifying
Copaiba: soothing, promotes body's natural response to irritant
Frankincense: uplifiting, grounding
Stress Away: promotes peace, balance, and relaxation
Thieves: super cleansing, supports immune health
Purification: cleansing, supports respiratory health
RC: cleansing, supports sinus and respiratory health
PanAway: stimulating


Here's a comprehensive collection of wonderful combinations of PSK oils that make for great diffuser blends!

 

*Note that each combo appears only once!

I think you can see a trend here. The single oils are more versatile than the blends. And you can see, 2 or 3 oils are plenty! No need to get carried away.

In my bedroom, a medium space with 2 adult bodies, I tend to stick with 6 drops total: 2-3 drops of each. For my children I do even less. My 4-year-old gets 3-4 drops total in her room, and my 2-year-old usually only 2 drops. I may go up to 8 total drops in my open-concept living/dining/kitchen space. But IMHO, why waste? Now if we are under the weather, or there is something going around and I feel we need the extra support, I MAY flex those totals a bit, but I don't usually feel it is necessary.

Remember too, when combining oils, that some are stronger than others. I find peppermint, Thieves, and RC particularly dominant, while copaiba and frankincense are a bit lighter. I adjust accordingly, for example, 2 drops peppermint + 4 drops Stress Away or 2 drops RC + 3 drops lemon.

If you are just starting out, keep it on the light side and keep the exposure brief, especially for kids! Also be sure to keep an exit available for pets.

So bust out that diffuser and try something new!

Immune Support with Thieves Tea

It's that time of year again! As the season changes and the weather yo-yos, our bodies seems to be more susceptible to all kinds of ickiness going around. Now is the time to work some little steps in to your day to ensure that your immune system is tip top and working hard for you! One way I like to do this is with a Thieves Tea. Now, "tea" is really a misnomer. There is no actual tea in this recipe! Which is kinda nice, cause you can drink it any time of day without worrying about caffeine. Here's what you need:

1 drop Thieves Vitality essential oil
1 drop Copaiba Vitality essential oil
2 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil
up to 1 tsp honey
very warm water

Put warm water in a mug. (Remember not to use water that's too hot, like boiling water. High heat can damage the therapeutic properties of the oils and we definitely don't want that!) 
Put a small but of honey on the spoon, then add your essential oils to the spoon. I have a squeezy honey bear and I like layer honey, oils, honey on mine. I feel like it blends the 2 better. 
Rock the spoon a couple of time to combine, or stir with a toothpick. 
Then, stir the oil-infused honey in to the warm water. 

I've discussed Vitality essential oils before. They are exclusively from Young Living and are labeled with directions for internal use.

Thieves Vitality essential oil is a blend of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus oils. Thieves is the super cleaning blend and the Vitality variety does that for your body! It is the best for supporting a healthy immune system. Keep in mind that Thieves is a hot oil and without the honey (and for some, even with the honey), it can cause a mild burning sensation. I think it feels nice going down, but if it's too much for you, try drawing a toothpick around the top of the bottle and swirling that in your honey instead. You'll still get the same benefits, but using a bit less oil!

Copaiba Vitality essential oil is a single oil and Young Living exclusive. It is a booster oil and naturally supports your body's natural response to an irritant, keeping those natural defenses primed! It adds a lightly woodsy note to the "tea" since it's derived from tree resin.

Lemon Vitality essential oil is a great little detoxifier. It's cleansing properties are great for your body, including your digestive system, which is a vital part of your body's total defense system. And it tastes like, well, lemons!

Together, these taste delicious and very appropriate to the cooler months! The cinnamon really comes through the most for me! My husband and I enjoy this drink on a regular basis not that the weather is changing. So, even though it doesn't actually have tea in it, it is still tasty, warm, and comforting, and doing amazing things for our bodies!

*Please note that pictured essential oils do not reflect current labels for Young Living Vitality oils. The labels have been redesigned.

DIY Foaming Soap

Did you hear? The FDA has banned 19 "antibacterial agents" from commercial soaps, basically saying that they do more harm than good! The problem is really two-fold: first, it drives bacterial evolution leading to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and second, it kills off the good bacteria that your body needs to maintain healthy balance. So, in light of this information, maybe now is the perfect time to be more confident embarking on making your own soap, knowing that you'll still get plenty clean!

The easiest place to start is with foaming soaps. I love foaming soaps. I've been using them for years! I always felt like they lasted longer. When I started on my essential oil and DIY journey, I found out how easy it is to make myself. I also found out that they are mostly water! I really HATE paying for water, including watered down products! So, now, I make it, of course!

I love that I can change it up and customize it. It's a basic formula, but I can add different oils, carriers and essential, to make exactly what I need at the time, like to meet the needs of my skin in summer vs winter, or what I prefer, like spicy in the fall vs fresh in the spring. I will alos add, that since making my own this way, I don't use lotion as much. Since it is made with oils, it isn't as stripping and harsh as traditional soaps, so my skin loves this recipe!

To make your own, first, you need to start with a foaming pump. I bought some from Abundant Health (I love the little travel size!). I've also recycled empty ones from store-bought foaming soap. If you're going to recycle, be sure you strongly dilute any essential oils used, since the grade of plastic is not verified. I also avoid citrus oils in my recycled ones since those seem to be more strongly degrading to plastics.

The next thing you need is a concentrated soap base. I love castile soap for this! It is combination of water, and a number of saponified oils, including coconut, olive, and jojoba. It also has a small quantity or potassium hydroxide necessary for the saponification reaction (basically the mechanism that makes soap grab dirt and carry it away.) You can get it pre-scented with natural fragrances, but I like to add my own. And since I use it for multiple things, I like my soap unscented.

In your bottle, combine about 2/3 water and 1/3 soap, and you could be done there!

If you like, you can add some things first...

• vegetable glycerin
• vitamin E
• extra carrier oil of your choice (probably steer clear of regular coconut oil since it can go solid in cooler temperatures)
• essential oils for skin care (Some of my favorites include, but are certainly not limited to lavender, frankincense, tea tree, Purification, Thieves, Melrose... the list goes on and on!)

Check out my video demo, including my facewash recipe, showing you how easy it really is!

Want to get extra clean this month??? Young Living is offering a FREE bottle of their exclusive, super concentrated Thieves Laundry Soap to new wholesale members for enrolling in September! Learn more about what it takes to get started today here! 

DIY Capsules

I've talked about Vitality oils before (see Infused Water). What do you do if there is a Vitality oil you want to use, but it isn't really appetizing to you? Or maybe it's a hot oil, and when you add it to water it's still uncomfortable for your lips? Enter capsules! Capsules are cheap and easy to use. Don't believe me? Check out my video showing you just how I make 'um and take 'um!

Please remember that not all essential oils are safe for internal use! Please follow labeling instructions and DO NOT ingest oils that don't specifically say it's ok! Young Living makes it easy with their line of Vitality oils! These are their same great essential oils, labeled for internal use. You can learn more about them here!

Bath Salts

Bath Salts may be the most simple DIY out there and a staple for every beginner Essential Oil user. They are great to help you unwind from the day.  Literally, all you need is epsom salts and your favorite EO.  Epsom salts are a magnesium base which is very soothing for you physically and helps ease tension. Essential oils can have such great effects on your body and on your skin. Some are soothing, invigorating, and/or cleansing, and adding them to salts helps the oil disperse into the bath well, helping them get to you and keeping them from sitting on top of the water. Bath salts can be spiced up to cater to different needs, or to be pretty for a gift, but those are the basics.  I love mason jars for these. They are the perfect, inexpensive, large, glass vessel to house them.

For Adults:
Combine 1/2-1 cup epsom salts with 4-20 drops Essential Oil (I like 1-3 drops per ounce of salt) for a large, full bath

For Children:
Combine 1/4 cup epsom salts with 1-3 drops Essential Oil for a small bath

There are lots of variations and additives you can use to embellish your bath and lots of EO's to choose from. You could even use magnesium flakes instead of epsom salts! Both are a magnesium base.

Add up to equal parts baking soda to the epsom salts for a detox bath
Add 1-2 tsp carrier oil per 1/2 cup epsom salts for a silky, moisturizing bath
Add 1-2 tsp dried herbs per 1/2 cup epsom salts for aroma (and they are pretty in the jar!)
Add 1-2 tbsp citric acid per 1/2 cup epsom salts for fizz
Mix and match from the above, or use them all!

As for Essential Oils... there are so many to choose from it's hard to know where to start! The choice is yours and really depends on your goals. Are you looking to de-stress and unwind? Had a tough work out and looking to soothe tired muscles? Are you trying to get your kids ready for bed?  Feeling a little under the weather? A nice bath could be just what you need!

A few words of caution when choosing oils for your bath: Some oils are hot and can cause discomfort when used topically. Always use a carrier oil if you experience topical discomfort! Oil and water don't mix and rinsing with water will do you no good! In addition, peppermint has a remarkable cooling sensation that may not be enjoyable all over you in the bath! Finally, citrus oils can cause skin sensitivity in the sun when used topically. Use caution if you bathe in a citrus oil before going in the sun and cover up!

So go find a magazine or a good book, and get that tub filling! Get your oils (here!) and salts out for a good soak!

Air Freshener Pouch

It's Demo Day! This recipe is so quick and so simple I decided to just show you instead! Learn how to get Purification essential oil blend HERE!

Head-to-Toe Baby Salve

My children inspired me to pursue a cleaner, healthier lifestyle, and alternatives to everyday household products.  At their very young ages, I, as a parent, am so limited in what I can do to take care of them.  I hated hearing that there was really nothing I could do for them for so many things. When I had success with essential oils for myself, I branched out and started using them with my kids.

Now, I will stress that I absolutely trust that I am getting a clean, pure, therapeutic grade essential oil from Young Living, which is the only brand I use on my children. You can learn more about getting started with YL HERE! I will also point out that a parent’s discretion and judgement is critical. If you are going to use essential oils on your children, please use only the best quality, and keep them well diluted for their sensitive skin.  Begin with the gentlest oils, like lavender or frankincense and follow labeling instructions (label dilution guidelines are a minimum.) Never use oils in or around a baby’s eyes, and I recommend avoiding hands as well, since they so often go right in the mouth. My recipes are intended to support a healthy child. If you suspect your child is sick, please seek the help of a medical professional!

Now, finally, for my favorite, most useful, most versatile baby recipe: head-to-toe salve. Get your pen ready…

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 drop lavender

That’s it. Give it a stir and store in a glass jar. DONE.  Seriously!  I used this on my son, from about 3 months, literally, from head to toe.

Rub it on his head before a bath for a healthy scalp (give it about 10 minutes before washing out.)

Rub it all over for a soothing, moisturizing lotion (it is the best baby “lotion” I’ve ever used!)

Rub it on his little booty at diaper changes.

Rub it on tiny feet for restful sleep.

Rub it on tummies after eating (use a circular, clockwise motion around the navel to promote things moving things through the bowels).

Rub it on the jaw for teething discomfort.

If you’re the abundantly cautious type, notice skin irritation or discomfort (extremely unlikely, but possible!), have a preemie, or a baby with very sensitive skin, just add more coconut oil, making it 1 drop to 2 tablespoons or even 1 drop in ¼ cup. If your child is a little bigger, getting into the toddler range, 1 drop per teaspoon or so, will probably suit them better.

All that’s left to do is snuggle and sniff that sweet smelling head!

Getting Inspired to Do It Yourself

I've been doing some things myself around my house for a while now and my creativity has always come from a problem solving place. We needed curtains and throw pillows and art for the walls, and those things are expensive, so I did it myself! I'm a problem solver by nature. I was good at math and science, but I do have an artistic bent. So whatever your strengths, whatever your personality, there are DIY solutions out there for you! Blogs, Pinterest, and YouTube are all full of recipes of varying difficulty and varying topics. I'm here to try to help you find the easiest solutions. Trust me, I'm a busy mom of 2 small kids. If it weren't easy and economical, and if I didn't find homemade products that were at least comparable, if not better than what I was buying, I would not have stuck with it. But I've found success in all of those areas. I'm here to share with you what I have found that works for me and my family.

I like to compare DIY's to cooking. Once you understand the lingo, learn how to read a recipe, familiarize yourself with common ingredients, and keep your favorite ones on hand, it's smooth sailing! DIYing, also like cooking, in that it puts you in control. That's really the best part. You control the quality and selection of ingredients! Eliminate the junk that is not good for you, and only use the best!

Getting started with homemade everyday products, for me, began with my first exposure to essential oils. I have an old friend who is a DIY and essential oil pro! She's been doing it for years and I saw on my Facebook feed she was attending an "Essential Oils 101" event online. I'd been curious about essential oils. I had no idea what they were or where to get them. I really knew nothing! So I jumped in the class. This was right around the time that my second child was just getting big enough for me to start to think about something besides all baby all the time (he was about 3 months old), and I was ready for something for myself. I needed something to be interested in, something to learn about, something just for me. I was fascinated by what I learned! I learned what essential oils are, why quality matters, what the most popular ones are, and some simple ways to use them. My wheels were spinning. I was immediately thinking of all the things I could do, and all the people in my life who would love them too! I ordered my Premium Starter Kit (learn more about that here) and hit the ground running. My team, Young Living, and those resources I mentioned above have all been vital in educating me. They've helped me to learn how to put basic recipes together, but also taught me about the ingredients and how to customize recipes for me and my family to meet our specific needs. My friends, I have learned how to fish! And I can teach you too!

So, this blog will feature both recipes and education about ingredients. Most of my recipes will have 2 parts: the basic components that are required to make it work, and the customizable part to make it work for you!  Because that's really the point! What works for me may not be what's best for you. I want you to succeed, and I know you can do it! I highly recommend investing in a third party reference guide for YLEOs. This will help educate you on the full scope of use for all of Young Living's oils, both singles and blends. You can use it to look up your personal needs and see which oils may be a good choice for you. There are several companies that all publish "pocket" reference guides, and some that even have apps for your phone: Abundant Health, KRE, and Life Science Publishing all offer good choices for a reasonable price.

This video has a run down of Essential Oils, similar to the class I got started with! Check it Out!