Essential Oils Blog

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Jul 30, 2010, Natural Cold Sore Remedy

Looking for a natural cold sore remedy? Essential oils can be a great way to rid yourself of the pain and self-consciousness that cold sores can bring.

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Jul 27, 2010, Natural Home Remedies

Natural home remedies are a great way to deal with the common ailments that can affect any family. And the popularity of such remedies is growing, too.

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Jul 27, 2010, Blood Sugar and Ocotea

Many people suffer from what is often called low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Even it this has never been confirmed by a blood test, lots of folks will tell you that this is their problem when they have a spell that makes them feel weak, jittery, sweaty and hungry. We have a few of these individuals in our own family.

Whenever someone goes through one of these spells, they need to address it quickly. For most, that means getting some food. Food made up of carbohydrates – like fruits and whole grains – usually bring the quickest relief. Personally, I've found something with a little protein – like almond butter – to provide help that lasts.

But, we've also found an essential oil to be extremely effective with low blood sugar issues – and that essential oil is called ocotea (pronounced oh/ko/TAY/ah).

Ocotea essential oil is extracted from the ocotea tree in Ecuador, and has the highest level of alpha-humulene of any essential oil. This compound is known to be able to balance the body's internal response to irritation.

Ocotea is related to the cinnamon family, which is interesting because there have been studies done recently regarding cinnamon's ability to stabilize blood sugar. (By the way, ocotea tastes like cinnamon, too.)

I have used Ocotea many times when I have been getting that low blood sugar feeling. All I do is put a drop under my tongue, and I'm back to normal within just a few minutes.

I know of other people who like to put a drop of ocotea in a glass a water and drink it a couple of times a day to help regulate their blood sugar levels.

When our youngest son, Matthew, needs some help in this area, I like to put a drop on a little bit of food. This happened recently in church when he was feeling woozy during the service. We slipped out and headed to the kitchen. There I found a bagel, and put a drop of ocotea on it. After eating it, he was quickly feeling like himself again.

Sometimes just sniffing the oil will help, too.

I like ocotea because I have found it to be simple and effective. And that's important because blood sugar problems are something you want to be able to handle without delay.

A couple other things about ocotea?

First, ocotea has been effective in lowering cortisol and blood glucose levels in diabetics.

Second, ocotea has been used to curb the appetite and promote weight reduction.

This little known essential oil provides some important benefits. It may be an oil that you, or someone you care about, should get to know better.

Jul 17, 2010, Canker Sore Remedy

The right essential oils can serve as an excellent canker sore remedy. And that's a good thing, because canker sores can be very debilitating and something most people want relief from fast.

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Jul 14, 2010, Natural Remedy for Allergies

Essential oils can serve as an excellent natural remedy for allergies. That's been our experience on numerous occasions, making essential oils our natural allergy remedy of choice.

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Jul 10, 2010, Frankincense Uses

I've been intrigued with frankincense lately and thought I'd share a bit of what I've been learning.

Frankincense has been highly valued for thousands of years. Not only was it brought as a gift to the Christ child after His birth, it held a prestigious place in ancient economies.

Today, the value of frankincense resin is becoming more and more recognized. This is in large part due to recent medical studies evaluating the impact of frankincense on various diseases and health concerns.

Here are some present day applications of this ancient essential oil:

ANTI-DEPRESSENT: Studies show may be effective in relieving depression, anxiety, and grief.

CANCER THERAPY: Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal cells and suppress cancer cell viability.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: Long used as an anti-inflammatory, frankincense has helped those suffering from arthritis and other causes of chronic pain.

SKIN CARE: Going back to the ancient Egyptians, frankincense has been used to rejuvenate skin and even remedy scar tissue.

ANTI-ANXIETY: The properties of frankincense can deepen breathing, helping one to cope with anxiety, fear, and anger.

ANTISEPTIC: Frankincense smoke has been used to kill germs and arrest the spread of disease. It is still used today in the Middle East to repel disease-carrying insects.

BOWEL DYSFUNCTION: Frankincense has shown to be a great alternative to modern drugs for problems like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea.

RESPIRATORY DISTRESS: Frankincense research shows it may alleviate asthma and allergies.

VASCULAR SUPPORT: Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, frankincense may inhibit plaque build-up in arteries.

Frankincense can be used in different ways, depending on the application.

While traditionally, frankincense has been burned to create a unique aroma, today it can be used with an essential oil diffuser.

Topically, frankincense can be safely applied to the skin. Areas most common for topical use include the feet, forehead, neck, and temples.

Quality frankincense can even be taken internally. The resin can be chewed and the oil can be taken in capsules or added to a glass of water.

With the exciting frankincense research taking place, and the desire for alternative therapies to drugs, this ancient remedy is worth further consideration for people suffering from all kinds health problems.

We regularly use frankincense ourselves and find it to be terrific.

Jul 9, 2010, Essential Oils for Acne

Natural acne remedies are in big demand as people try to avoid the use of harmful chemicals and prescription drugs. This is where essential oils for acne can meet a real need.

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Jun 30, 2010, Family Essential Oils. A natural way to a healthier household.

Our family uses therapeutic-grade essential oils to address everyday health needs and improve our overall well-being. Your family can benefit from the power of natural healing oils too.

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Jun 29, 2010, Cypress for Bleeding

Cypress has an interesting history. The Phoenicians used it for building ships and bows. The Egyptians used cypress wood for making tombs. There's even a legend that the cross of Christ was made of cypress.

Well, I'm excited about a new application I've learned about for cypress essential oil. It can be used to control and stop bleeding.

Whenever you're faced with someone bleeding, you know it needs immediate attention. But what do you use to address it? Essential oil from cypress is now going to be my first choice.

Cypress has many properties, one of which is that it is a vasoconstrictor. That means it has the ability to narrow blood vessels, and that comes in really handy when you're trying to stop some bleeding because it helps to restrict blood flow.

Recently, I've heard some great testimonials about people using cypress to take care of bleeding.

One had to do with the stopping of a nosebleed. Another had to do with putting an end to hemorrhaging during childbirth.

Other good uses would involve using cypress for cuts or bleeding gums.

When applying cypress for bleeding you DO NOT put it directly on the affected area. Instead, you put it away from the area of the bleed. A good spot is along the veins on the inside of the arms. Because of the major blood vessels in this area you are able to get the oil into the blood stream quickly.

Of course, as is true with any essential oil product, you only want that which is of high therapeutic-grade. If you are not using pure therapeutic-grade essential oils, I would not use them at all.

Jun 5, 2010, Ticks

Ticks are a big concern, especially with the increased incidence of Lyme Disease.

The Northeastern United States and Upper Midwest is where Lyme Disease is most prevalent. But no matter where you live, you want to be careful of ticks because they can carry other diseases as well, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Like just about every kind of problem, taking preventive measures is always best. But even with prevention, the need to contend with a tick can arise.
Recently, one of our sons, Jordan, was taking pictures in a nearby nature preserve. When he came home, he found a tick burrowing into his leg.

When he showed me, I didn't panic, but I did want to move fast to get that critter removed.

People have long used a warm match head or sharp tweezers to remove ticks, But not surprising, I thought of using an oil.

I knew we'd had great success removing slivers with my Thieves blend, so I thought, “Let's give it a try!” So, we applied a drop or two right on the thing, and that loosened him up so he was easy to pick off. It was that simple.

Other oils that may help to remove ticks or chiggers are thyme or oregano diluted 50 percent. The phenols in these oils – like the clove in Thieves – will usually make them to let go and squirm to get away form the oil.

After a tick has been removed, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the spot, and you can use oils like tea tree, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, or Melrose to sooth any irritation.

Stay away from those ticks the best you can!

Jun 2, 2010, Cough Remedy Recipes

Even when we're not in the cold and flu season, a cough can come on you or someone in your household, so a good remedy for coughs can come in handy.

Here's a simple recipe made with essential oils and honey that we've found effective. . .

1 drop lemon
1 drop orange
1 drop frankincense
1 drop peppermint
1 teaspoon honey

We've found this recipe to give immediate relief with even stubborn coughs.

Here's another approach that I just learned someone else found successful. It really helped a 10 year old boy stop coughing and get to sleep. All they did was apply Thieves, frankincense, and peppermint to his feet and chest. With this, their son was able to stop coughing and go to sleep. After waking up once at night coughing again, they applied this combination once more and found success right away.

Sometimes oils need to be applied more than once, so don't be afraid to repeat an application to attain the relief you are looking for. Another thing to keep in mind is that one mix of oils may be more effective for you than another, so it's good to have more than one recipe on hand.

May 26, 2010, Buy Essential Oils

Wondering where to buy essential oils? You can purchase essential oils directly through me. I am a distributor for the world leader in therapeutic-grade essential oils.

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May 24, 2010, Using Portable Oils

A little while back I wrote on the "portability" of essential oils and provided a list of the essential oils I take with me wherever I go.

Since then, I've been asked how I most commonly use these oils. So,in answer to that, here again is the list of the oils I take with me and how I might typically use them. . .

Lavender - allergy relief, burns, spastic colon or menstrual cramps (with peppermint layered over it), stress, assistance in sleeping when traveling, preventing plugged ears when flying (put on cotton ball piece and place in ear), sunburns.

Wintergreen - headaches (including migraines), improving breath, charley horses (muscle spasms), pain/inflammation.

Melrose - wounds, to stop bleeding, poison ivy.

Lemon - put on throat area for mucous in throat, add to drinking water at restaurants.

Ginger - motion sickness in car and plane (with peppermint layered over it - put behind ears and over stomach), nausea.

Frankincense - dizziness (put a drop in palm of hands and place over the area directly in front of ears and hold it there while inhaling), inhale for general ill feeling - put over brain stem area and forehead between eyebrows.

Ocotea - blood sugar imbalances (put a drop under tongue)

Purification - bug bites, purify air of bad smells.

Valor - use when in need of courage, and to help to balance body (referred to as chiropractor in a bottle).

Peace & Calming - To bring a calming effect, help relax.

Peppermint - nausea, itching, headache, sinus congestion, improving breath, freshening water, and other uses.

Thieves - removing slivers, preventing sickness when feeling it is coming on, canker sores.

R.C. - congestion, tickly cough (put some on finger and hold on throat area where cough seems to be stemming from), and colds.

Di-Gize - upset stomach, stomach cramps, diarrhea, food poisoning.

Patchouli - nausea (layer peppermint over the top - put oils behind ears and over stomach).

Well, that's the list. Hopefully, you'll find some ideas here that you can benefit from. But I encourage you to experiment some yourself to see what works best for you.

Bye for now.

Laura

May 17, 2010, Wintergreen for Headaches

I'd like to pass on a quick word about wintergreen and its effectiveness for dealing with headaches. Headaches are such a common affliction, so I thought this was worth getting out to you.

Whenever I've had a headache, I've been accustomed to using peppermint as one of my first essential oil choices. The same is true for other people, and peppermint has brought great relief to many suffering from headaches.

But lately I've been hearing about a lot of people getting headache relief from wintergreen.

My aunt, for example, has used it successfully for migraine headaches. I've heard others using wintergreen with success for other types of headaches, too.

So, I decided to give it a try.

Last week I had the opportunity when I had a horrible headache beginning to set in.  I grabbed my wintergreen, and rubbed some into my temples, forehead, and back of the neck. I inhaled some as well. The result was remarkable.  My headache symptoms seemed to lift almost immediately.  Within a short time, I had forgotten all about it.

This shouldn't be surprising.  Wintergreen is known as an effective pain reliever, and is often used in ointments for musculoskeletal problems.

From now on, I'm going to be reaching for wintergreen when I get a headache. You may want to give some good, therapeutic-grade wintergreen a try, too.

May 14, 2010, Portability of Essential Oils

One of the things I like so much about using essential oils is that they are so convenient. And a reason they are so convenient is that they are highly portable.

I take my essential oils with me whenever I leave the house. That way I've got them readily available if a need arises.

I cannot count the number of times I've used my oils while out and about. Usually it's just for me or someone in our family. But on occasion I'm glad I've got them with me to help out a friend or even a stranger.

Whether it's a headache, upset stomach, fatigue, sliver, bug bite, burn, or twisted ankle, essential oils are what I want to have with me to apply immediately.

Of course, I do not take all of my essential oils with me – just those that I use most commonly. For me, these include: peppermint, wintergreen, frankincense, lavender, lemon, ocotea, Patchouli, and ginger, as well as the blends PanAway, Valor, Thieves, Di-Gize, Melrose, Purification, and R.C.

I carry the oils in a nifty little zippered carrying case that I got from YL Wisdom. You don't need to have the case to carry your oils, but if you are keeping them in your purse, it is a good idea to keep them contained in some way.

If you are just taking one or two with you, you could always just drop them in a pocket. This is what my husband does.

However you choose to carry them, do take your essential oils with you. There is nothing more aggravating than having a need arise that your oils can address, but not have them with you.

One more point. When you have your essential oils with you away from home, do not leave them in a hot car as this may diminish the therapeutic quality.

It's a great feeling knowing you are equipped with quality essential oils wherever you go.