Essentials For Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

I have been thinking about compiling a "nutshell" list of what supplies one should have on hand to become an efficient user of everyday aromatherapy. You can add other first aid items to this list of course such as bandages, etc. These are the necessary tools for using essential oils safely and easily instead of commercial products and OTC medicines. This is what I use for my family's health care!

Essential Oils:

The Young Living Essential Oils Everyday Oils Kit detailed below will provide nine basic single oils and blends needed for your medicine cabinet. It is available for purchase here at retail or wholesale prices. The wholesale kit includes a coupon for 50% off the Home Diffuser. You can also watch a video presentation on these 9 oils on the website also.
Lavender
Apply 2-3 drops lavender oil on a minor burn or sunburn to decrease pain or on a rash to relieve itching.
Apply one drop on a cut to stop the bleeding.
For nosebleeds, put a drop of lavender on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice, press under middle of top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until bleeding stops, careful to not freeze lip or gum.

Peppermint
Rub 4-6 drops in the palm and rub over stomach and around navel to relieve indigestion, flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea.
Add a drop to a mug of warm water to aid in digestion and relieve heartburn.
Rub several drops on the bottoms of the feet to reduce a fever.

Lemon
Saturate a cotton swab and use between toes to clear athlete's foot.
Put a drop on bleeding gums caused by gingivitis or tooth extraction.
Rub a drop on to help reduce corn, callous, and bunion twice daily-am and pm.

PanAway Blend
Apply topically on sore muscles, arthritis, or injured area to reduce inflammation and bruising.
Rub a few drops on the temples, forehead, and back of the neck to relieve a headache.

Peace and Calming Blend
Diffuse in the room to calm autistic, ADD, overactive or hard to manage children.
Diffuse while sleeping to help stop nocturnal teeth grinding.

Purification Blend
Put a drop on insect bites to neutralize the poison and stop the itching.
Rub a drop on the outside of a sore throat when it is first beginning.
Rub a drop on a blister, cut, or scrape to cleanse and disinfect.

Thieves Blend

Place 2-3 drops in honey or a capsule or apply to the bottoms of the feet for immune system support especially during flu season.
Diffuse to eliminate bacteria, mold, allergens, and odors in the air.

Valor Blend
Massage into neck, chest, or shoulders to release tension.
Drop onto the wrists to ease anxiety and encourage confidence.

Frankincense
Massage several drops on the temples and back of the neck for stress relief.
Drop onto the skin to minimize or soothe scarring and stretch marks.
Apply on the face to minimize oil production and acne.

Other essential oils and items to keep on hand:

Melaleuca alternifolia (basic antiseptic/fights super germs)

Eucalyptus globulus (fights super germs/respiratory infection)

Eucalyptus radiata (for kids-respiratory illness)

Young Living Essential Oils Di-Gize Blend (stomach flu and food poisoning)

Young Living Thieves Antiseptic Spray (for cleansing minor abrasions and wounds)

Young Living Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer

Young Living Thieves Hard Lozenges (sore throats)

Young Living Essential Oils LavaDerm Spray (minor burns and sunburn)

Young Living Essential Oils Inner Defense softgels (for flu, candida, and infections-instead of antibiotics)

Young Living Essential Oils Life 5 Probiotic (restores intestinal flora-to be used with Inner Defense

Order Young Living products at the Oils For Wellness website, click through to enter the site and Get Started Now to access product catalog.

Aromatherapy Supplies You Will Need:

Storage case to hold at least 16 essential oil bottles

Cold air ultrasonic Home Diffuser

Glass droppers/pipettes for filling bottles, samples, or capsules

2 ounce amber or blue glass bottles for mixing/storing blended oils

2 and 4 Ounce solid white plastic bottles for creating bath gels or lotions.

Preprinted Young Living essential oil labels for bottles/samples.

Glass roll on applicators-great for applying diluted oils/blends for perfume and therapeutic use.

Half ounce plastic dropper bottles for administering EOs blended in a carrier oil

The aromatherapy supplies listed above are available at Abundant Health.

Carriers To Blend Essential Oils:

Pure jojoba (*my favorite-doesn't go rancid), grapeseed, almond, or Young Living V-6 Massage Oil (for topical use)

Pure aloe vera jelly or juice (burns, skin abrasions).

Honey or organic agave nectar, olive oil (dietary use)

Empty vegetarian capsules for dietary supplementation of essential oils.

Alba Botanica Unscented Body Lotion for creating your own scented lotions using EOs.

Young Living Essential Oils Bath Gel Base for making your own bath gels.

Epsom or sea salts for baths or foot soaks (injury, bruising, sore muscles)

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about using therapeutic essential oils! Call me if you would like to order or need more information on becoming an everyday oiler! 715-381-6979

Be Well,

Jennifer Nordin

Facing Influenza With Essential Oils

You have probably seen the billboards and the TV ads asking the question "Are YOU the face of influenza?" To me, this question has victim written all over it. Don't get me wrong, we should definitely be concerned about contracting the flu, but should not fear it. With its dramatic tone and ominous black and white photos, the influenza awareness campaigns really play up the fear factor in a very subtle way. If one pays close attention, this campaign is actually an advertisement for vaccines.
My question would be "Is your immune system ready to face influenza?" Powerful bacteria and virus fighting essential oils are a great asset to your medicine cabinet for supporting the immune system. Here are some of the simple things that can be done to assist the body's natural defenses:

#1 Pray for your immune system and for the protection of your loved ones health many times daily. Do not be afraid, only believe!

• Wash hands often, and avoid using unwashed hands to touch eyes, mouth, or nose. Cover nose and mouth with a sleeve or tissue if possible when sneezing or coughing. Avoid close contact with individuals that are not well.


• In between washing, use a natural hand sanitizer with germ fighting essential oils such as Young Living's Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer. Avoid Purell, Dial, and many other common commercial sanitizers since soaking up all those synthetic chemical antibacterial agents and perfumes through our skin isn't promoting good health!


• Get enough restful sleep.


• Avoid sugary foods, this is especially tough during the holiday season. Sugar promotes acid and mucus production in the body. This can throw off proper ph levels which then creates a welcome environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive. NO high fructose corn syrup! Daily probiotics before bed encourages healthy intestinal flora with good bacteria.


• Be aware of psychoneuroimmunology, the study of how emotional and other psychological responses influence the biochemistry of the brain, hormone production, and the immune response. Our thoughts affect our bodies' immune system responses. Stress, fear, and worry can lower the production of the cells needed to fight disease.


• Educate yourself about vaccine risks and think twice about getting the flu shot. As with many vaccines, the often permanent damaging effects to our health can be much worse than getting the disease/virus.


• Maintain proper Vitamin D and antioxidant supplement intake as well as eating a healthy diet rich in essential fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidant fruits and vegetables.

Diffuse, diffuse, diffuse!
If you don't have a high quality cold air diffuser in your home yet, now is the perfect time to get into the practice of diffusing essential oils daily to create an unfriendly environment for the flu virus to hang out. Heating essential oils can damage the fragile therapeutic molecules, so candle burners, light bulb rings, and a pan of hot water on the stove are not good methods for diffusing. Some cold air diffusers like Young Living's Ultrasonic model have a built in timer. Running a diffuser in a central room of the home for 15 minutes every hour works well to disperse the micro fine oil mist and circulate it through the air where they can remain suspended for days. In very large homes, one diffuser is needed on each level for maximum therapeutic benefit.

Below are the essential oils that should be stocked in every home's medicine cabinet this fall!
Top virus-fighting essential oils for diffusing:
Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil Blend (see the full Thieves line of products)
Lemon
Ravensara
Tea Tree (melaleuca alternifolia)
Eucalyptus radiata
Top virus-fighting essential oils to apply topically:
Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil Blend
Young Living's Di-Gize Essential Oil Blend
Young Living's ImmuPower Essential Oil Blend
Peppermint
Mountain Savory
Oregano
Top virus-fighting essential oil supplements for internal use:
Young Living's Inner Defense Softgels
Young Living's Digest and Cleanse Softgels

DILUTE one EO single or blend 50:50 with a carrier oil and massage 2-4 drops on the chest, stomach, or lower back 2-4 times daily. Rotating singles and blends for each application works well so there aren't too many scents combining at the same time!
COMPRESS: Apply diluted oils above to lower abdomen and place a very warm damp towel 1-2 times daily.
Influenza Recipe for bath (from Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th edition)

• 2 drops Eucalyptus radiata


• 6 drops frankincense


• 3 drops blue cypress


• 6 drops spruce


• 15 drops ravensara


• 1 drop wintergreen

Stir above essential oils thoroughly into 1 cup of Epsom salt or baking soda, then add mixture to hot bath water while tub is filling. Soak in hot bath until water cools. If you have very sensitive skin do a hot foot soak with a quarter of the mixture instead of full bath.

Every person's immune system responds in its own unique way when exposed to a bacteria or virus. There are no guaranteed silver bullets that will make us invincible, however essential oils have proven to be very beneficial and effective before, during, and after illness. To get the full therapeutic potential, essential oils MUST be therapeutic/medicinal grade products and MUST be used consistently. Playing around casually with them here and there just won't be effective especially in the face of a tough virus like H1N1. Learn as much as you can and arm yourself with these powerful, natural virus-fighting gifts from nature! Ask me about getting a Young Living wholesale account so you can save 24% off Customer prices on all your purchases.

These tips are for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Anyone who has a compromised immune system or thinks they may have the flu should consult with their health care provider.

Oiling Myself Well

So sorry, dear followers, that I haven't posted for an entire week. I was busy battling a nasty respiratory bug of some sort, ahem, gathering research for my blog. I am rarely sick, but this was a tough one that hit me like a truck. Started with a fever, a swollen gland and ear, possibly tonsillitis, raw throat, massive mucus overload in my sinuses, and then congested lungs. My whole lymphatic system ached, no doubt clogged with mucus and the lymph node under my left arm was hard as rock down into my breast. It is my nature to stay positive and believe me,I worked at getting well, using every essential oil in my arsenal to move this bug along.

I don't do Nyquil or any Quil for that matter. Over the counter decongestants, cold medications, pain relievers? Nope. Here is how I used essential oils for this recent bout of yuck (remember these are medicinal, therapeutic grade essential oils--DO NOT take EOs internally unless they are labeled as a dietary supplement!).

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia):
Applied these EOs 2 or 3 times daily for congested ears/glands. A drop of each EO mixed with a drop of jojoba or olive oil on a cotton swab then inserted halfway into ear, twisting gently to coat ear canal. Never drop EOs directly into ear!

For tonsillitis, I swab undiluted Tea Tree over the back of my throat--not pleasant to do, but almost immediate relief! Followed by hot water with fresh squeezed lemon, great for breaking up mucus and encouraging lymphatic circulation.

Thieves Hard Lozenges : I went through a whole box of these little gems! Great to suck on to soothe sore throats and cough and contains a powerful blend of EOs to fight bacteria in the ear, nose, and throat.

Inner Defense softgels: These are my silver bullets for respiratory issues, very , very strong thyme and oregano and other heavy hitting bacterial fighting EOs! I took 2-3 during the day with meals.

Life 5 Probiotics: These amped up my healthy intestinal flora that was struggling with mucus overload. Took one capsule at night.

Frankincense cleared out the congested lymph node and breast duct like nothing else! A 50/50 dilution of Frankincense in jojoba or olive oil rubbed over area, then I put a warm compress over it....ahhhh.

Eucalyptus globulus and Pine : I diffused these EOs like crazy throughout the house! Pine is a bronchial dilator and really helped expel the stuff lodged deep in my lungs.

Feel free to contact me for information about how to order these EOs and products for YOUR medicine cabinet or visit my online catalog for purchasing.

Essential Tip of the Week: Cold Sores

Cold sores are also known as Herpes labialis. Diets high in the amino acid lysine can reduce the incidence of herpes, however, the amino acid arginine can worsen herpes outbreaks. EO softgels that have an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity such as the Inner Defense formula can be beneficial for fighting recurring viral infections from the inside out.

Peppermint and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) EOs have been studied for positive effects on the pain of herpes. These oils can be used in rotation 5-10 times daily as soon as the cold sore starts forming. Lavender is helpful in healing the skin and reducing scarring when the sore is cracked or in its final stages.

I like to place one drop of oil in the EO bottle cap and soak up the tip of a pure cotton swab then hold the tip directly on the cold sore area for a minute or two.

When applying EOs to an open sore, a 50/50 dilution with a carrier oil will help reduce discomfort or drying the skin.

This tip is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Essential Tip of the Week : Fighting Fungi

Those who suffer with discolored, brittle toenails may be grateful to hide their feet in socks this time of year! Now is the perfect opportunity to get those nails on the path to looking healthy in time for sandal season. Toenail fungus can indicate systemic overgrowth of fungi and yeast, so attacking it from the inside and out is the best battle plan.


Many essential oils have very strong antifungal properties. A great heavy duty blend is Melrose, a powerful combination of Melaleuca alternifolia, Melaleuca quinquenervia, naoli, rosemary, and clove. Toenails have been restored to a healthy state, (even after completely falling off) by applying one drop of Melrose directly to the top of the unpolished nail twice daily. A cotton swab can be saturated with the EO and used under the nail to combat the infection beneath. Consistant application of the EO is a must to get good results.

Yeast and fungal infections can indicate improper ph balance in the body, especially highly acidic conditions. Stop feeding fungus by reducing or eliminating foods made of refined white flour, sugar, and yeast such as doughnuts, bagels, and white bread as well as cheese (high in microbes), alcohol, mushrooms, and high fructose corn syrup (skip those sodas!). A daily regimen of Inner Defense EO softgels and Life 5 probiotic is a user friendly one-two punch in fighting fungi on the inside.

Start now to be well on the road to showing off your pretty feet next summer!

Winterize Your Body With Inner Defense

Just like draining the sprinklers, putting on snow tires, and checking the furnace in preparation for winter, our bodies also require special maintenance during the cold time of the year.

Young Living has pioneered the formulation of therapeutic/medicinal essential oils for internal use. In Europe, the internal use of essential oils is commonly called aromatic medicine. Here in the US, it is still a fairly new concept. First of all, few essential oils are available that are pure enough to be called a supplement. If you plan to take an essential oil internally be certain it has a white "supplement facts" label on the bottle otherwise it isn't meant for internal use.

Inner Defense was put to the test for me last winter. A friend and I decided to do a mid winter getaway to stay in a cabin( yes, it was heated-somewhat!) for the weekend. It was 20 below zero outside and when my friend got home she developed bronchitis and used an inhaler and antibiotics for a few weeks. I immediately started taking Inner Defense 3 times a day with meals. I could tell something was trying to lower my immune system on our trip because my throat was starting to get a little scratchy. Long story short, I took these high powered oils for about 10 days and never got sick even though I was directly exposed to the germs/virus all weekend besides being chilled in subzero weather.

What is Inner Defense?

These liquid gel caps are filled with some of the most potent immune supporting essential oils.

Including Thieves Blend: Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus radiata, Rosemary

Thyme, which is a rich source of thymol, a substance known to create an unfriendly environment for yeast and fungus.

Oregano, which is high in carvacrol, known to support well-being when the body is distressed.

Citronella has mild cleansing properties.

Don't let the cold and flu season get you down; winterize today with essential oils on the inside!

Available on my website or contact me for more information.