What Are Essential Oils?
Plants contain complex and powerful substances known as essential oils. These aromatic liquids are derived from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. These distinctive components defend plants from insects, harsh environmental conditions, and disease. They are also vital for a plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings. Referred to as the essence of the plant, pure essential oils not only protect the plant but also determine its aroma.
Essential oils have been used throughout history, dating back to 4500 BC. From perfumes and aromatherapy to cooking and medicinal purposes, essential oils have been used in everyday life for centuries. In modern times, research shows that pure essential oils can provide similar benefits to humans and animals as they do to plants.
Why Quality is SO Important
Many oils, touted as essential oils, are derived with harsh chemicals, diluted, or copied and produced in a lab. Cheap copies bring cheap results and have the potential to be toxic. With that said, it is imperative to take great care in choosing high-quality essential oils.
How Are Essential Oils Used?
There are two basic ways to use essential oils: inhalation and topical application. You will most likely have read or heard about people ingesting essential oils. Essential oils are super concentrated, it would take drinking 30+cups of peppermint to equal one drop of peppermint essential oil. That is well beyond what a human can and should drink in a day. We (the Modern Alternative Mama team) think that oils shouldn’t be ingested and work best topically or diffused.
OTCs vs. Essential Oils
One of the most appealing aspects of using EOs is knowing it comes from nature. A good brand of essential oils will be minimally processed, and we know exactly what’s in the bottle. Pick up any OTC med you have and read the ingredients list.It will be hard to pronounce half (if any) of the ingredients listed. Secondly, if it’s colored and flavored, it most likely contains high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring, which we all know should be avoided whenever possible.
Another thing to keep in mind about OTCs, aside from their dangerous side effects, is that they’re only meant to mask your symptoms – not get rid of them. For example, if you have a cough and you take a cough suppressant, you’re doing precisely that…. suppressing it.
So what’s a person to do? Luckily, hundreds of essential oils & essential oil blends out there can easily be used in place of almost any OTC on the market. Below are some of essential oils and the OTC medications they can replace.
Single Oils:
When diluted with a carrier oil or diffused, single ingredient essential oils can be used for a number of things. Here are a few ideas!
Lavender is known for its calming properties. It may also help to reduce fevers, relieve burns, and aid sleep.
It can be used for: sleep, antipyretics (fever reducers), burn ointment, and general pain relievers.
Wintergreen is known to help reduce muscle pain as well as relieve headaches. Note: nursing women should not use this as it may affect their milk supply. Use with caution as it is potent.
It can be used for: pain relievers, muscle relaxants, headache, and migraine medicines.
Rosemary is excellent for colds and breathing. It can help those with colds breathe better and may benefit some people with asthma. It is also known to promote hair growth.
It can be used for: Chest rub for congestion, hair oil to promote growth, diffused to help with headaches.
Bonus: You can use Earthley’s Rosemary-Lavender Dry Shampoo or for a regular shampoo you can use Rosemary-Lavender Shampoo Bar for extra hair support.
Lemon is a bright, uplifting scent and is know for improving moods and mindset and alertness.
It can be used for: Improving mood and energy by diffusing.
Essential oil Blends
When blended together, essential oils can really pack a punch on how they support the body. We at the Modern Alternative Mama team love Earthley’s essential oil blends. They use high quality oils and are affordably priced. Here are a few blends we like:
Tension Relief Essential Oil Roller
This one is already diluted and in a roller bottle ready to go. It works great for headaches and muscle tension. Keep one at home and in your purse!
You’ll have to dilute this one, but this is blend of dill weed, bergamot-mint, and spearmint oils to help unhappy tummies feel better. This oil is safe for small tummies and big tummies alike, making it a great option for families to have on hand!
Ouchie Stop.
Another blend you’ll have to dilute at home, the Ouchie Stop essential oil blend is designed to soothe cuts, scrapes, bumps, and bruises. This simple blend combines Roman chamomile, copaiba, and vetiver to promote wound repair, relieve minor discomfort, and soothe the skin.
What OTCs would you most like to replace? Are you currently using essential oils, and if so, how?
Wonderful, inspiring information, Tina! Great job!
This is why I love being a YL consultant! Such great products that WORK!
I just purchased the YL Progessence Plus blend, and there’s a warning on the label that says it contains “a chemical known to the state of CA to cause cancer.” Are there any YL reps out there who can tell me what that chemical might be? Is it still safe to use?
Great info! I am looking to get some essential oils soon and am trying to figure out all that I will need and want. I love that you wrote what they can replace, that is so helpful! Do you have a blog or somewhere that you write about different oils?
This is a fantastic resource! I also use Young LIving oils and highly recommend them. Thanks for sharing this information in an easy-to-understand manner for beginners!
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I am a doTerra consultant. They have the purity and potency that I trust for my family. Always choose an oil that is free of contaminants which could include pesticides, weeds, synthetics, to name a few. Otherwise the oils that are meant to heal can actually cause more harm.
We have gone inhaler free since using oils. We never really did use OTC’s anyway, but we really love using oils. They are easier to use and more potent than herbal teas.
I was so bummed I missed the webinar. My husband had an away football game. I totally enjoyed the game, but was sad I had to miss the webinar.
Great post Tina! We love our essential oils!
I love using essential oils and I’m a big fan of all the ones you mentioned. I think I go through Lavender the most quickly because it’s so versatile. I also love doTERRA’s On Guard blend, especially this time of year. If you’re on Pinterest, I have a whole board devoted to essential oils: http://pinterest.com/krissajeldy/essential-oils/
I realize the original post created a bit of controversy among essential oil users as there are many people on here that choose to use another company over Young Living. That is fine as that is your choice.
But for me and my family I look at it like this: any avid garndener or organic food eater knows….the best food comes from that which you have grown yourself. Young Living grows it’s own plants on their very own farms. 7 farms on 5 continents. They are the only essential oil company in the world to do what they do. When I am using essential oils internally as supplements for my health, it is very important for me to know the source. Essential oil companies that do not have their own farms contract their crops thru independent farmers, GMO and authenticity testing are often not present when that product is presented for purchase. For me personally, I need to know how pure, how authentic and how riguorous the testing was that was done for products that I am putting in or on my children. Their safety comes first. I can step onto ANY of the YL farms and watch the process from seed to seal. That for me….means EVERYTHING. I don’t have respect for a company that has wrongfully taken confidential information and propietary formulations from a previous employer for their own personal gain.
But again,, to each their own. My intention was not upset anyone but doing a post about Young Living. It’s what I personally choose to use (for the reasons listed above) so when I came time to write this, that is obviously the company I was going to refer to in my post. I did countless hours of research when I first became interested in eo’s to ensure that I was making the best, most informed decision for me and my family and I suggest every else to do the same!
I am very interested in the essential oils. This may sound stupid, but I am not sure how to use them.
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