Welcome to Day One of Your Simple Guide to Using Essential Oils? Are you ready to dig in?

For those of you very new to the idea of essential oils, let's begin by defining the term:

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are concentrated, liquid plant extracts used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. They are called “essential” because they contain the essence of a plant, including its aroma and health properties. Since essential oils can be taken from virtually all plants, many essential oils come from various sources, including flowers, grasses, fruits, roots, trees, and leaves.

There are three common ways we use essential oils: diffusion, topical application, and household. One important note before we move on; unless otherwise noted, this eCourse is primarily for using essential oils on adults, though I will give you some tips for using them with children.

Now that we have that part out of the way, let's move forward by discussing the must-haves for using essential oils and some of the ways we use them in our own home.

Which Essential Oils Should I Use First?

There are hundreds of oils to try, but I'll give you my recommendations at different price points so you can do what works for you. I've only listed a sampling of the applications of these essential oils, so click through to read more.

Essential Oil Singles

Lemon, Peppermint, Tea Tree, and Lavender are some of the most versatile (and therefore cost-effective) essential oils you can purchase, and are some of the first oils I tried. With just these 4 essential oils, you will be able to meet your family's needs for general first aid, household cleaning, better sleep, boosting the immune system, deodorizing, and more.

Here are a few benefits to using just these four essential oils:

Lemon - This is a common oil in many cleaning products and as a companion to oils for the diffuser. It is great for deodorizing and disinfecting, and I often include lemon when I'm trying to fight off illness in our home.
Rocky Mountain Oils
Plant Therapy

Peppermint - Another versatile oil, peppermint is the first oil I reach for when I'm struggling with a headache or if I need a quick pick-me-up. It is so helpful in the diffuser for sinus issues. We also make a spray with it to ward off ants!
Rocky Mountain Oils
Plant Therapy

Tea Tree - Tea tree is great to have on hand for many reasons. My favorite is that it's great in the diffuser for kids when they have congestion problems, where other oils may not be a safe for them (we'll cover safe use with children soon!). Tea tree makes an effective anti-lice spray, and is the first essential oil I used on my son (to help with the itching and healing of chicken pox).
Rocky Mountain Oils
Plant Therapy

Lavender - Lavender is the most used and most versatile essential oil on the market. Have you ever seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Remember the dad who sprays Windex on everything from a swollen toe to acne? That's lavender. Except lavender actually works. Lavender is amazing for many skin conditions, so it's a wonderful choice to add to lotions and soaps. You can also use it to freshen and scent linens, and it is a must-have for the first aid kit. It is most commonly used in my house to help with sleep and and for joint pain. It is one of the essential oils in nearly every blend I create because it really is good for almost everything that ails you.
Rocky Mountain Oils
Plant Therapy

You can purchase these 4 oils in the Single Essential Kit from Rocky Mountain Oils or in the Essential Oil Starter Set from Plant Therapy at a discount. The Plant Therapy Set also includes Frankincense and Grapefruit.

Essential Oil Blends

Essential oil blends are sometimes the most effective way to use essential oils. The synergy of different oils can make them even more powerful, and there are times you may want help with more than one issue.

Quite frequently I create my own blends from my personal favorite essential oils, but I also keep some of my favorite blends from my favorite companies on hand as well.

Immune Strength is the essential oil blend I reach for anytime there is illness in our home. It has shortened the duration of winter illnesses in our family, and prevented others from getting those same illnesses.

This is what I use throughout the cold and flu season and whenever we are going to be in a crowded public place. Colds and the flu have all but been eliminated from our family since we began using this blend.

Compare to:
Young Living Thieves
doTerra On Guard
Plant Therapy Germ Fighter

If you prefer to blend your own essential oils, this recipe on my blog is the immune-strengthening blend I have been making for a couple of years.

Purify is a blend created to eliminate airborne bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungus, as well as to deodorize. It can also be used in first aid uses such as spider bites. This is the blend I generally diffuse in the bathroom. It has a wonderful lemon-y scent and smells very fresh and clean. On a recent vacation to Florida, I used to as an insect repellent and it worked very well.

Compare to:
Young Living Purification
doTerra Purify
Plant Therapy Nature Shield

Stocking Up on Basic Supplies

In addition to your essential oils, you will need to make sure you have a few more items on hand. This includes some good carrier oils so that you can properly dilute your essential oils. Because essential oils are extremely potent, rarely should they be used on the skin "neat" (without being diluted), especially when applying oils to children.

I have a couple of favorite carrier oils. For most uses, I generally choose Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO). FCO has no scent, doesn't become solid like the coconut oil you may cook with, doesn't stain fabrics, and you don't need to worry about it spoiling. My other favorite carrier oil is Jojoba Oil. I usually choose Jojoba if I'm applying the oils to a wound, burn, or rash, because, unlike FCO, Jojoba Oil has healing properties of its own. It also has a very long shelf life.

I have used regular coconut oil topically when I don't have FCO on hand (or when making a skin product). Olive Oil. Grapeseed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil are also good choices. You can usually find these options available at your local health food store.

You'll also want to get your hands on some 15 ml empty essential oil bottles, 10 ml roller bottles, a diffuser, and a carrying case as you get set up for using essential oils.

Ok, that was a lot of information. But it should also be very useful for you as you get started.

The next email I'll be sending tomorrow will cover general safety tips (including safe use of essential oils with children) so you can actually start using your oils!

Action Step

Buy one or more of the oils or kits above (or dig them out of the cabinet) and get ready to start trying out the tips and recipes coming your way!

Up Next: How to Use Essential Oils Safely

Precautions

Never use essential oils undiluted, in the eyes or mucus membranes. Do not ingest unless working with a qualified practitioner. Keep essential oils away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier oil).

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.