The "Allergy Trio" - My seasonal best friend!

**The experience in this post are based on my personal use of oils.  I do not have any medical background or training, the statements I make are not intended to be taken as medical advice, and have not been reviewed or approved by the FDA.  I feel passionately about my own experiences with oils, so I want to share those experiences with others.  If you are new to oils or have medical concerns, please consult with a medical professional before you begin, and by all means, do your research!

If you've read my blog posts, you have heard me mention my affinity for the "allergy trio" of lavender, lemon and peppermint oils to help me handle seasonal allergies. Every May I get hammered with pollen allergies - I have the itchy eyes, the congestion, the scratchy throat, the cold symptoms - all of it.  I have always relied on a Claritin in the morning every day, but this year, I decided to try a more natural approach - the "allergy bomb" that I had heard about in posts about essential oil use.  I started with diffusing - three drops of each - lemon, lavender and peppermint - overnight in our bedroom.  Both my husband and I noticed a difference immediately!  He commented the very first morning that his eyes weren't puffy, and he didn't feel stuffed up.  I noticed that I didn't sneeze a dozen times when I first woke up.  A huge improvement on the "norm" for us!!

In the spring I sponsor a running club at our school - it is the long standing joke that after we finish our run, I sneeze about a hundred times.  I started taking the allergy trio - 3 drops of each - in a capsule before our runs, and I noticed that not only could I run better (I suppose because I could breathe better) but I didn't sneeze at all afterward.

Yesterday my husband was out mowing the lawn while I was cleaning inside the house.  I noticed that I was very congested and my throat was itchy.  I finally realized it was from the grass and his mowing.  I used my allergy trio, and within 20 minutes I was feeling so much better!  My husband came in and asked if it was a safe time of day for him to try a capsule for the first time.  I reassured him that this was one of the advantages of the oils - they didn't keep you awake like OTC allergy meds did, so you could take them at any time of day.  He tried it and within 10 minutes he said he was symptom free.

My only regret is that we have a whole bottle of Claritin in the bathroom that I have not opened up more than three or four times this season. . . . I haven't taken one in about 2 months, and I feel great!  What a wonderful feeling to know that I'm managing my allergies naturally and not with chemicals!

If you have any questions, of course, please email me.  And if you're interested in Young Living oils, which I have chosen as my oil supplier, based on the quality of their product and their impeccable reputation, let me know.  If you're interested in membership with Young Living, which allows you to purchase oils at wholesale prices (24% off of retail), you can sign up here.

Lavender Oil - I thought I knew it all!!

When I ordered my everyday oils starter kit from Young Living, I figured I would occasionally use the lavender oil for sleep and relaxation, but here I am 6 weeks in, and I use lavender more than any other oil in the kit, and in ways I never imagined!

If you've read my past posts, you've heard me talk about the "allergy bomb" - equal parts peppermint, lemon, and lavender - that diffuse nightly to help both my husband and I with our seasonal allergies, and that we both take daily by capsule to help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms and congestion without the side effects of antihistamines or OTC allergy medicines.  You've also heard me mention that I apply diluted lavender and valerian oils on my kids' feet and my husband's to help with restful and deep sleep.  As I type this, there are diffusers running in both of my kids' rooms with lavender in them to help them calm down and fall asleep.  When my older child has fits (as 6 year olds are prone to do) I can calm him immediately by rubbing some lavender on his chest.  Much more effective than a time out, yelling, or anything else we'd tried.

In my last post, I talked about how I've used lavender for skin care products as well.  I have dabbed lavender oil straight onto cuts and scrapes to help them heal, and I have learned that the horrible itchy patch on my left elbow, which never seems to go away, can be healed with lavender.  And I anticipate using lavender this summer to help with sunburns and bug bites.

As  I started researching essential oils, I saw that lavender was referred to as the "swiss army knife" of essential oils and now I know why!!

update: Recently I spent an afternoon making a variety of beauty products with my Young Living oils.  I found, not terribly surprisingly, that most of the skincare recipes called for lavender oil.  Its skincare benefits are well known, and it is mild on the skin, as well as smelling great.  After making all of my DIY products, I can now say that I am using lavender oil on my skin every single day.  I can't wait till my rosemary oil arrives in a few days so I can make a lavender rosemary lotion (which is supposed to be amazing for dry skin).  Doesn't that sound like it will be heavenly!?

If you have any questions, of course, please email me.  And if you're interested in Young Living oils, which I have chosen as my oil supplier, based on the quality of their product and their impeccable reputation, let me know.  If you're interested in membership with Young Living, which allows you to purchase oils at wholesale prices (24% off of retail), you can sign up here.