Tag Archives: lavender

doTERRA essential oils: what we’re using right now

Posted on 11 November, 2017 by Will Nicolson | Leave a comment

Having jumped on the essential oil bandwagon 3 years ago, I still remember what it’s like at the beginning. doTERRA, along with rival companies like Young Living, offers hundreds of oils and a whole heap of other essential oil-based products, supplements, and of course diffusers.

Where are you supposed to start? How can you get the most from your essential oils, without putting a gaping whole it your wallet? Essential oils aren’t cheap, so you really want to make sure you’re making the right oil choices, rather than just taking an aromatic stab in the dark.

These days, it’s fair to say that we’re very much up with the play when it comes to essential oils. We’ve spent the big bucks on oils (and made them back tenfold) and we now know what works best and what’s not really worth the money. We’ve definitely got our go-to doTERRA oils and other products, and I thought I’d share those with you right this very second.

Our favorite doTERRA oils and products

As doTERRA affiliates, we always make a point of trying out all the oils and products that doTERRA produces – it would hardly be fair otherwise! The benefit of this is that we know exactly what we like, and what we don’t like…and chances are this information can help you as you sit down to make your next doTERRA oils order. Here’s what we use almost every day in our household.

Lavender essential oil

Of course this oil had to be on the list! Lavender is easily the most versatile of all the doTERRA oils – it smells amazing, it’s gentle (unlike “hot” oils like oregano or peppermint), and it can be used on both humans and pets! Here’s what we use lavender for:

diffusing in the bedroom of our 3 month little girl, Isla, as she naps during the day – but a VERY DILUTED concentration! Lavender is one of the safest oils to use with infants, as it doesn’t irritate their respiratory tracts, but we’re always very careful with it anyway. The lavender soothes her and helps her sleep better, and the diffuser helps to alleviate the dryness of the air and enable her to breathe better.
dabbing under our noses when we’re stressed or putting a drop or two on our pillows to help us sleep better through the night
diffusing in the living room to make the place smell a whole lot nicer, relax us while we work, and neutralize smells from all the nutritious cooking we do!

On Guard essential oil

We like doTERRA’s On Guard oil for two reasons: it smells fricken amazing (making it a nice oil blend to put in the diffuser) and it’s loaded with potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial essential oils – trust me, I’ve done the research. We use it:

while traveling, especially flying, as a hand sanitizer and as a way to boost our immune system and protect us from all the colds and illness that flies about in public places!
at home in bathrooms and other damp areas that might have a risk of mold
whenever we feel a cold or sore throat coming on – a dab or two on the neck and behind the ears does the trick!

Melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil

The quintessential “first aid” oil, the potent antimicrobial agents in tea tree have made it a go-to antiseptic agent for centuries – and why mess with a good thing? We’ve always got a bottle or five of this stuff on hand for anything that needs sanitizing – be it a toilet bowl, shallow wound or graze, or questionable surfaces in and around the house. I’ve even put it in a spray bottle with some water and used it to kill mildew on grape and squash leaves!

Frankincense oil roll on

I’ve recently started using frankincense essential oil a lot after I did some research on it and discovered it’s anti-inflammatory, pro-immunity, and anti-oxidative powers…they’re pretty impressive! I’ll use it on knee joints that are a bit sore, questionable developments on my face, and on any moles that I think might be up to no good – frankincense essential oil has been shown to kill cancer cells, making it a good failsafe for any parts of the skin that seem inclined towards melanoma.

doTERRA MicroPlex VMz

I was actually pretty impressed when I read the list of ingredients in doTERRA’s MicroPlex VMz – while some of their products can contain certain things we neither need nor want, this one seems very much top quality. I pop 2 to 4 per day as a broad-spectrum multivitamin, and I certainly feel like it fills in all the nutritional gaps in my otherwise bulletproof diet. I especially like that it doesn’t have carrageenan as a filler – more of that, please!

doTERRA TerraZyme

As I mention a lot (probably a bit too much, if I’m honest), we eat a ridiculously nutrient dense diet – sort of like a hybrid Paleo and Primal way of eating, with certain biohacks thrown in for good measure. But I don’t always feel 100%, and I’m beginning to suspect that maybe my digestion isn’t as good as it should be – meaning I’m not absorbing all the nutrients that I’m putting my stomach.

With this in mind, I’ve been taking 2 TerraZyme capsules with each meal, and while the results aren’t exactly spectacular (I’m not THAT sick!), I definitely feel like I’m digesting my food more efficiently and getting more goodness from what I eat. TerraZyme has decent concentrations of all the major digestive enzyme strains, and it has the added bonus of betaine HCL, which directly stimulates stomach acid production – a very good thing!

doTERRA PB Assist

Even the healthiest of people need a good probiotic to ensure their gut is in ship shape, and as such I usually make a point of taking one at least every other day with a meal. I like doTERRA’s PB Assist as their enteric coating seems quite strong – meaning the live bacterial cultures actually have a chance of making it through your harsh stomach acid intact, ready to make their new home in your gut! I also like that it doubles as a prebiotic, which ensures that the good bacteria you’re feeding your gut with can get settled in and start thriving faster – prebiotics are a type of fiber that acts as food for gut bacteria.

Ready to get started? Find out how to get the most from essential oils AND make money doing it by clicking here.

Doterra Essential Oil Reviews: Frankincense

Posted on 5 June, 2017 by Will Nicolson | Leave a comment

In case you hadn’t already noticed, we’re big on essential oils. We use them for anything from fighting off colds to cleaning around the house. It’s fair to say that there’s a doTERRA essential oil for almost any ailment, and in the right hands essential oils can really be a powerful therapeutic tool. Today, my focus is going to be on doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil, easily one of our top five most-used essential oils. Stay tuned for more reviews on our favorite oils, as we examine the scientific evidence for their effectiveness and how they help us on a personal level.

Frankincense essential oil uses

Frankincense essential oil is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic…meaning it can be used for a wide range of applications in and around the home. Here’s a quick overview of the more popular uses for doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil.

Relieve indigestion

Frankincense essential oil can help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as gas, bloating, tummy aches, constipation, IBS and cramps. Frankincense essential oil acts similar to a digestive enzyme, speeding up the process by which your gastrointestinal system breaks down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. You can simply rub frankincense oil straight on your stomach to get the benefits, or, if you’re planning on taking it internally, make sure you use only 100% therapeutic-grade essential oil. If you’re using doTERRA frankincense essential oil, it meets this important criterion so you’re good to go.

Treat skin problems

For whatever reason, anecdotal evidence suggests that frankincense essential oil can speed up the healing of superficial wounds and visibly reduce scarring over time. It can be used to treat eczema (just make sure you mix it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba to reduce potential sensitivities), stretch marks, blemishes, and acne. Remember: a little goes a long way, so just a drop or two mixed with a carrier oil should be enough for each application.

Relieve joint and muscle pain

This is where the anti-inflammatory powers of frankincense really come into their own. Frankincense has been used to effectively relieve joint pain, muscle pain, and areas of swelling from blunt trauma injuries. Usually just rubbing a drop of doTERRA frankincense essential oil along with a small amount of carrier oil on the affected area is the most effective way of treating the inflammation and pain, but for faster relief try putting a drop of frankincense on a warm, moist towel and leave it on the affected area until it cools.

Reduce wrinkles and signs of aging

Frankincense essential oil is an astringent, meaning it causes the skin cells to contract and appear smoother and younger. This means that applying frankincense to your skin, along with a moisturizing carrier oil like jojoba or coconut, can not only reduce the development of wrinkles, it can actually make your skin appear younger. Essentially the same as what a toner and moisturizer would do, but without the chemicals and nasty side effects.

Alleviate stress

The aroma of frankincense oil is amazingly soothing, make it a great companion to lavender essential oil for relieving stress and relaxing your mind and body. The best way to whip up an anti-stress remedy with doTERRA frankincense essential oil is to simply put 3-4 drops in your diffuser and allow the aromatics to spread throughout your home. If you haven’t yet invested in a diffuser, sprinkle 2-3 drops in a hot bath and soak away your worries for 20 blissful minutes.

The science behind frankincense oil benefits

It’s one thing to read about all the anecdotal success that people have had with frankincense essential oil, but what about the cold, hard facts? I’ve reviewed the scientific literature, and here’s what I found.

Frankincense oil fights cancer

Happily, the claim that frankincense can actually inhibit the development of cancer is very much true. There’s countless articles in the literature demonstrating frankincense essential oils ability to kill tumor cells and induce cancer cell death. In addition to fighting breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, frankincense has also been shown to alleviate bladder cancer via oxidative stress.

Frankincense oil and immunity

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of evidence to back up this claim, however what research has been completed suggests that frankincense essential oil exhibits “lymphoproliferative activity“. This means that it supports your lymphatic system, a critical part of a healthy functioning immune system.

Frankincense oil and microbes

There’s plenty of research showing the antimicrobial prowess of frankincense essential oil (which comes from the genus Boswellia, FYI). As this study indicated, frankincense essential oils were particularly effective against the fungal strains B. carteri, B. papyrifera and C. albicans. Another article indicated that frankincense may also be effective against B. cereus and E. coli.

Frankincense oil and inflammation

They weren’t lying when they said that frankincense is anti-inflammatory. This 2006 study tested frankincense’s anti-inflammatory effects on mice, and the results were favorable. Another study in the same year indicated that frankincense species are effective in treating a range of chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative bronchitis. Another study found much the same thing, concluding that frankincense can be used to treat inflammatory diseases and inflammatory pain.

Our personal experience with frankincense essential oil

We probably bust open a bottle of doTERRA frankincense essential oil 2-3 times a week. I use frankincense oil on the bottom of my feet after my bi-weekly sprint sessions, as I used to have plantar fasciitis and it reduces post-workout inflammation. I also use frankincense on a mole or two on my stomach that I don’t want to turn into melanomas, and I often mix it in with some coconut oil and lavender essential oil to create a soothing aftershave, or even a beard oil when I’m giving my razor the cold shoulder. Liivi likes to diffuse frankincense when she’s feeling uptight or stressed, and rubs some on her adenoids when she feels a sore throat coming on.

If you’re keen on getting your hands on some wonderful therapeutic-grade frankincense essential oil, or you’d like to learn more, click here.

How to find relief from stress and anxiety with essential oils

Posted on 6 January, 2015 by liivih | Leave a comment

This is a follow-up to my previous post on anxiety. In addition to breathing techniques, music and other strategies I’ve talked about before, I’ve recently discovered the wonderful potential of essential oils.

Not just a pretty scent…

We all understand that smelling something pretty, like inhaling the perfume of a rose for example, makes you feel happy. But it’s worth understanding a little deeper, because the therapeutic power of essential oils goes a lot further than that.

Without going too deep into the sciencey part, when your nose detects a scent, it means that tiny molecules have evaporated from an object, and entered your nose. The molecules interlock with specialized receptors and communicate with the brain through the olfactory bulb. This captures information from the scent molecules, and actually helps to form and record memories.

Ever had a sudden flashback from smelling an aroma wafting from a restaurant, or the perfume of someone walking by? I can totally recall the moldy, nasty but comfort-inducing scent of my parents’ old minivan, for example (lol). When you think about it, scent has a profound effect on our memories, feelings and emotions.

What you inhale affects your health

We all understand that inhaling bad molecules from the air can negatively affect our health. Car exhaust, glue fumes, poison gases, cigarette smoke, mold spores and airborne viruses for example. We easily acknowledge that these things, which we can’t see with our naked eye, wreak havoc on our health when we smell and inhale them into the body.

So what if good, happy, healthy airborne molecules could do the opposite? Re-program our system for better balance and energy, and help prevent and reverse illness? Well surprise, they can! Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants; they are the substances that help protect and support the successful growth of the plant. When they are harvested through gentle methods from excellent quality plants, they form wonderfully rich natural medicines for the human body.

And it doesn’t stop there…

Out of all five senses, smell is the only one directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, which is our emotional control center. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, arousal, and hormone balance. What this means is that essential oil molecules can impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical function.

All of these physical functions compile to form the body’s sympathetic and asympathetic nervous systems. The asympathetic system is the one you want to activate to calm down and turn off the stress response. Influencing the limbic system with essential oils is one way you can directly activate the asympathetic nervous system, like pressing a “chill out” button.

In summary, the use of therapeutic grade essential oils can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being. Recent research is showing that essential oils may help relieve symptoms just as effectively as medication, but without the side effects of anxiety drugs.

The best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief

Frankincense

Frankincense is a beautiful, warm woody oil distilled from the sap of the boswellia tree. The sap is sustainably harvested in crystal form, as shown here. Then it’s steamed and the distilled oil is collected.

The sesquiterpene molecules in frankincense help calm anxiety and create feelings of joy and happiness, by stimulating healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production from the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands.

I like to rub frankincense on my face as it helps smooth and heal the skin, and that way I can inhale its calming scent and get a prettier complexion while I’m at it.

Lavender

Lavender oil is distilled from the flowering tips of the lavender plant. Hundreds of pounds are collected and steamed to make the precious essential oil.

Lavender oil has been commonly used for centuries as an antiseptic, a natural antibiotic, an insect repellent and a calming sedative.

Lavender is well-known as a natural sleep aid to bring relief from insomnia. I like to put a few drops on my pillow before I go to bed, or add some to my epsom salt bath water.

During the day I also mix a few drops with a little bit of frankincense and rub on the back of my neck. This is a nice stress-relieving ritual; take a few deep breaths as you massage your neck and clear your mind a bit. The warmth of the skin helps waft the calming aroma into the air.

Citrus Oils

Citrus oils are made by distilling the oil-rich peels of fruits such as Sweet Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon.

They are excellent for the purpose of uplifting the mood, creating a sense of well-being and chasing away those dark shadows in the corners of an anxious mind. They are said to aid in the body’s ability to respond to stress and also help with circulation and detox.

I like to diffuse these oils at home for a freshening and uplifting vibe. You can also add a drop of therapeutic-grade citrus essential oils to your drinking water or to recipes.

Quality is important

Please take into account the quality of the essential oils you purchase. By using natural medicine you are already saving a huge amount of expense on conventional medical care, plus the lost time you would have wasted with being sick, plus the side effects and toxicity that medications place on the body.

So it’s worth investing in the best quality essential oils to apply and inhale into your one precious body.

Drug-store or health food store grade oils are often laced with synthetics and they have very few quality standards applied. I choose to respect my body and my health, and in turn get the best results (!) by only using the best essential oils. Here is where I buy mine.

Please share your tips…

What oils do you like to use to relieve stress and anxiety? What strategies do you combine with essential oils? Please share so we can all help each other! :)

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