Hello, lovelies,
This week moms I wanted to share with you my love of essential oils and how I use these beauties daily in my life.
We actually started using essential oils just shortly after having Issey when Rok’s mom introduced oil of oregano to us (thanks Katja!). She recommended it for a time when Issey looked like she was coming down with a cold and so we carefully tested this out one night. We used about a tablespoon of coconut oil (as a carrier oil) and mixed a drop of oregano in and once mixed tested it out on ourselves first to make sure it didn’t sting our skin. Then happy with our mixture rubbed this on Issey’s feet and covered with her socks. The next morning her runny nose and watery eyes had cleared and we were definitely impressed and so our journey with essential oils began. Note, it’s worth mentioning that the oil of oregano we use already has olive oil mixed in which reduces the potency, some oils you buy just have oil of oregano and these are very strong! So please always check this out first.
We have been very fortunate over the last number of years (tip wood as they say in Ireland) with Issey’s health, it’s very rare that she gets sick, however, if we suspect the slightest hint of something brewing we are on the case, mixing up of our oil of oregano blend.
So after been intrigued with what we saw with the oil of oregano, (note over the years I’ve found that oil of oregano is extremely effective at stopping a cold sore breakout too) I quickly got to researching the benefits of essential oils and here are some of the things I found:
- Essential oils are nature’s medicine, boosting your immunity and protecting against infections – a lot of essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties!
- Helps balance hormones – balancing out estrogen and progesterone levels in the body (for e.g. use of either clary sage, geranium and/or thyme)
- Improve energy and boost brain function and enhance overall well-being.
Knowing all the benefits (which is notably backed by science) I thought about ways I could incorporate these powerful oils into our household… I started listening to webinars and learning how to create and experiment on my own, it’s actually very simple so let me share some of the ways we use essential oils around our home:
Relaxing Linen Spray – this is beneficial to spray on your pillow just before sleep, to help you sleep soundly and also reduce the stresses of the day. It’s also nice to spray on fabrics to give them a fresh boost. I’ve given Linen Sprays as gifts to friends and family in the past and they love them. My sisters will recall that I took the linen blend with me on holidays last year and would spray on all our pillows just before sleeping
First, decide on a spray bottle: you can purchase different types of spray bottles on Amazon, both plastic and glass, however, I recommend you go for a glass bottle (the one I use in the links below). Glass is much better as its environmentally friendly and you won’t find any nasties leaching into your essential oil sprays, unlike plastic. However, if you want to bring this spray around with you in your handbag or if you’d like to bring on holidays then sourcing a plastic BPA free bottle is best. So here is how you make the blend:
- Add 100ml of filtered water – we use the Berkey filter water system for our family to avoid any fluoride in our water (link below)
- 6 drops of ylang ylang – helps reduce anxiety and relax the mind
- 9 drops of lavender – to calm, reduce anxiety and emotional balance
- 21 drops of orange oil – excellent for soothing, uplifting and relaxing
Voila! you have your linen spray it’s that easy I would recommend you make this every week to refresh the essential oils.
Household Cleaner:
- Add 100ml of filtered water to your spray bottle
- 6 tsp of liquid Castille soap – we use Dr. Bonner (link below)
- A large dash of white vinegar
- 5 drops of peppermint oil
- 15 drops of orange oil
- 15 drops of lemon oil
Again it’s that easy you have a natural household cleaner – I use this on my kitchen worktops and the orange oil is great to cut through grease. Note, I sourced this household cleaner and linen blend from an Aromahead webinar (many thanks Aromahead!) I will share their website link in the resources below so you can check out some other useful blends.
Oil Diffuser:
- My essential oil diffuser was a lovely gift from Rok and it’s on in the morning and just before we go to bed.
- I generally add orange oil to help generate an uplifting mood and also peppermint to reduce stress and help with clear breathing. But the choice is yours… 😉
So where can you buy reputable essential oils: from my research I found that DoTerra is a reputable brand and they sell their oils through consultants online. Alternatively, you can purchase essential oils from your local health store. That’s what we currently do and we use an Irish brand called Atlantic Aromatics and they supply organic and sustainable oils.
A caveat moms, to be prudent it’s a good idea to always test out a blend on yourselves first before applying anything topical on your little ones. Always do your own research (especially the brands as not all essential oils are created equal) and apply caution if pregnant or nursing.
So Moms, as always let me know your thoughts this week on essential oils and if you use them and whether you decide to make a blend… 🙂
Best of luck and best wishes,
Love, L X
Resources
Atlantic Aromatics Essential oils
Dr. Bronners Organic Castille Soap
Credits:
Mom's speaking their truth 