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

A Reader Asks....

Recently an Oils For Wellness follower (and a top commenter I might add) asked some great questions. I thought it would be helpful to the other readers to answer them as a post rather than just a comment so here goes.

PJ at PJ's Prose says:

I do have a couple of questions if you don't mind. =)

If I read correctly, you can use essential oils in many different ways, including ingesting them. Is it just as effective inhaling them as it is ingesting them?

OFW: ONLY therapeutic grade essential oils that are labeled as a dietary supplement are safe to take internally. Look for a white box that says "supplement facts" on the label. Young Living Essential Oils is one of the very few aromatherapy companies in the world that grow, test, research, and distribute these pure plant oils to use as medicine.

Inhalation of oils is particularly useful for respiratory and emotional issues, as well as cleansing environmental air. Spinal or muscle injuries benefit the most by topical application to the spine, reflex points of the feet, or specific injured area. Internal use of essential oils is extremely beneficial for digestion, boosting the immune system, and in the case of a major health crisis like infections, cancer, and parasites. In some cases, all three methods of application of essential oils (topical, inhalation, and ingestion) are interchangeable and may produce similar benefits.

Do you use a diffuser or can you use an oil burner or does it matter?

OFW: A cold air diffuser, preferably an ultrasonic one, is the best way to disperse the essential oils into the air with the therapeutic molecules intact. Heating essential oils in ways such as an oil burner can destroy the delicate chemical make up of the EOs which gives them their healing properties.

Wouldn't the size of the room affect how much of the properties of the oils were getting into your system?

OFW: Diffusing in a smaller room does concentrate the number of molecules that are inhaled in short time period, however the molecules can remain suspended in an indoor environment for several days and are still beneficial even if diffused in a larger area. If there is respiratory congestion, for instance, it would be a good to get a larger concentration of EOs into the system quickly to break up the mucus/phlegm and fight infection.

Would the actual herb/flower be just as effective if brewed into a tea?

OFW: Essential oils are the therapeutic properties or "life essence" of a plant. When herbs are dried 30-90% of the essential oils evaporate. So when EOs are distilled, it makes them very concentrated. An acre of lavender can be distilled into one bottle of essential oil. One drop of peppermint EO is equal in strength to 28 cups of peppermint herbal tea! While herbal teas are certainly still useful, essential oils offer a broader spectrum of therapeutic properties that work in synergy to affect body, mind, and spirit.

The ability of essential oils to act on both the mind and the body makes them truly unique among therapeutic agents. The fragrance of some essential oils can be very stimulating- both psychologically and physically while the fragrance of other essential oils may be calming and sedating, helping to overcome anxiety or hyperactivity. On a physiological level, EOs may stimulate immune function and regenerate damaged tissue. Essential oils may also combat infectious disease by killing viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. All of these things can occur simultaneously, which makes the use of clinical aromatherapy so exciting and fascinating!

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter to learn more about how essential oils can benefit your health everyday!

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen

Transform Indoor Air With A Home Diffuser

Diffusing essential oils is one of the easiest and most effective ways to utilize the powerful germ-fighting, deodorizing, and uplifting qualities of therapeutic essential oils. This beautiful fountain style diffuser was just launched at Young Living Convention last month and I love the sleek new look! It has whisper-quiet ultrasonic technology and user friendly features. You can see how easy it is to operate in the video below.

This diffuser wholesales for $85 and during the holiday season includes a small bottle each of Christmas Spirit Essential Oil blend and Orange Essential Oil. Diffusers are available for 50% OFF with a coupon included in a Start Living kit like the Start Living With Everyday Oils kit which also opens a wholesale account with Young Living for future savings.


Some of Young Living Essential Oils most popular oils for diffusing:

Thieves®: University tested for its cleansing abilities.
Abundance™: Believed to attract positive energy.
Purification®: Excellent for cleansing the air of impurities.
Peppermint: Diffuse or apply topically for an energy boost.
Lemon: Revitalizing and uplifting, this essential oil is high in antioxidants.
Orange: Good for relaxation, this oil brings peace and happiness to the mind.
Grapefruit: Has a great citrus aroma that is refreshing and uplifting.
Citrus Fresh™: A relaxing, calming blend—great for adults and children.
Joy™: Diffuse this oil for a refreshing, uplifting effect.
Lavender: The most versatile of all essential oils, lavender oil is good for quieting the mind before bed.
Peace & Calming®: Helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit.

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.

The New Ultrasonic Diffuser

Here it is!!! The latest in diffuser technology launched last month at the Young Living Essential Oils convention. I just took mine out of the box and gave it a whirl.

Wow, is this thing sooooo much more user friendly than any other diffuser that I've used.

It wholesales on my website for $85($112 Retail) and includes a 5ml bottle each of Lavender and Citrus Fresh.

Ask me how you can get one for 50% off!

Here are some the fabulous features:

1. It is silent......no annoying hum of a motor.

2. Has its own one touch button timer. Automatic shut off.

3. Soothing light spectrum option--very cool!

4. Uses one cup of bottled or distilled water.

5. No glass nebulizers to break.

6. Easy to clean with no clogging.

Some benefits of cold air diffusing pure essential oils:

Diffused oils alter the structure of molecules that create odors, rather than just masking them. They also increase oxygen availability, produce negative ions, and release natural ozone. Many essential oils such as lemongrass, lemon, Purification blend, Citrus Fresh blend, and Thieves blend are highly antibacterial and are extremely effective for eliminating and destroying airborne bacteria, fungus, mold, and unpleasant odors.

Research shows that cold air diffusing certain oils may also:

· Relax the body, relieve tension, and clear the mind.

· Help with weight management.· Improve circulation, alertness, and mental clarity.

· Stimulate neurotransmitters and secretion of endorphins.

·Stimulate growth hormone production and receptivity.

· Improve digestive function and hormone balance.

· Relieve headaches.

A cold air diffuser is designed to atomize a microfine mist of EOs into the air, where they can remain suspended for up to several hours. Unlike aroma lamps or candles, it disperses oils without heating or burning, which render the oil therapeutically less beneficial and even create toxic compounds.

(From Essential Oils Desk Reference, Second Edition, Essential Science Publishing)