Giving Wellness

Funny how much has changed in the 7 months I've been using essential oils.  Over this past holiday weekend, I diffused oils at my parents house, both to clean the air and to make it smell holiday-ish (I diffused a blend called Christmas Spirit which I LOVE!!)

I brought a travel bag of oils with me that I wasn't comfortable leaving home without, including Thieves, Lemon, Deep Relief, Sleepyize, and Stress Away.  I can honestly say that we used all of them as well as several others in the short weekend we were there.  And I learned, when my sister spattered her favorite shirt with bacon grease, that you can use lemon oil or eucalyptus oil to get out grease stains.  Who knew??

Anyway, I am excited to share wellness with my friends and family this year as gifts.  I have a bottle of Stress Away and Christmas Spirit to give the sitter, Stress Away Roll-Ons for the teachers, Mister for my husband, and Gratitude for myself.  And apparently I'm talking about how I use my oils non-stop, because suddenly several friends and family members are asking about buying oils and signing up for memberships.  I'm so grateful for these oils, and how they've changed my life and my family's level of wellness!  I can't wait to see what they do for us in the upcoming year!

Your Body's Not Meant to Run on That. . .

I recently listened to an online webinar as part of the Young Living Essential Oils Summit, which touched on a lot of topics around healthy eating and healthy living.  One metaphor that really stuck with me is when the speaker said the following (paraphrased): If your car was out of gas, you wouldn't fill it with diesel fuel would you?  Because your car is not built to run on diesel.  Just like your body is not meant to run on chemicals, synthetic and artificial additives, or genetically modified foods.  So why would you put that in your body?  Your body is meant to run on foods directly from nature - plants and animals that have not been altered, chemically treated, or taken out of their natural environments.  That's what we should be feeding our bodies!

Admittedly, I am far from fully clean in my eating habits, but every small change I make is another change in the right direction.  A lot of those changes have come from removing toxins from my home by replacing toxic cleaning products with natural, non-toxic ones,

I've also started making my own beauty/skincare products using all natural ingredients,

And some of it involves just a greater awareness of what I'm putting into my body and where it comes from.

In this season of increased gratitude, I am so grateful to have resources, information, and products available to make healthy changes in my life and in the lives of my husband and sons.

 If you have any questions or would like more information about anything I have discussed in a post, please send a message.  And if you are interested in a membership that allows you to purchase essential oils, supplements and beauty products of exceptionally high quality, at a 24% discount, click here to get started!

Reminder: I am not medically trained, and the information I write in these posts are based on my experiences with essential oils.  If you have questions about oils for medicinal purposes, please talk with a trained medical professional.

Back to School

My Fellow Teachers, School Administrators, Child Care Providers, or anyone else who spends their days around children:

I don't need to tell you that Fall and Winter are rough on our immune systems! It seems like every time we start a new school year, my husband and I (both of us teachers) immediately catch some kind of a cold or bug.  Not to mention that fall tends to mean lice season in the schools!!  This year I head into the school year with an ace up my sleeve - my oils!!  I have spent the last couple months stocking up on my favorite calming blends (Stress Away, Valor, Grounding), my cleaning oils (Lemon, Thieves, Tea Tree, and Eucalyptus), my "healthy body" support oils (Thieves, DiGize, Peppermint, Oregano), and my "beat the bug early" oils ( RC, Ravintsara, Basil, Raven).  I spent yesterday making new Lemon Oil All-Purpose Cleaner, Foaming Hand Wash, and a variety of roller ball blends for my kids and myself.  I feel ready to fight off the back-to-school germs.

My kids will be ready for school, too.  We have Sleepyize to diffuse at night to help them stay well rested, Thieves to rub on their backs and feet to help support their immune systems, and Geneyus to diffuse in the morning to help us all be focused and alert.  I have my Tea Tree to put in the laundry to make everyone's clothes smell wonderful, and again, my Lemon Oil Cleaner that they can use to help me clean up without any concern for exposing them to toxins or harmful ingredients.  I am so grateful to have my oils and to have information available to help me know how to use them to make this a great start to the school year.

If you're interested in learning more about the oils I've mentioned above or about the oils I have chosen to use for my family and myself, please feel free to send me a message!  And if you're interested in getting the same wholesale pricing discount that I get for my oils, you can use this link to order your starter kit!

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.

Step aside, Martha!

I spent today creating DIY versions of all my go-to beauty products.  I spent hours this morning going through recipes (there are so many availab(le!) and making a shopping list (which was not terribly extensive, since most of the ingredients I needed were either things I had in the kitchen or oils that I already had from my starter kit).  Then my afternoon was devoted to making natural, healthier versions of my products  - from exfoliating scrub to eye cream.  I had SO much fun!!  The recipes were easy, the products look great, and I can't wait to see the results!  I've made my "allergy trio" and my "weight loss trio" part of my regular routine, but now I have adopted a new trio - the skin care trio.  Most of the skin recipes involved a combination of frankincense, lemon and lavender oil.  I've been using frank on my skin since I got it - it is recommended for wrinkles, scars, and uneven skin tone.  Lavender is recommended to help with skin irritation, and lemon is recommended as an anti-oxident, so this combination made a lot of sense to me.  I've done lots of reading about coconut oil, vitamin e oil, and jojoba oil, and combining them with essential oils seems like a very healthy alternative to skin care products made of a bunch of things I can't pronounce!

I used these recipes:

Face Wash - using baking soda, coconut oil and oils to cleanse instead of harsh chemicals
Exfoliating Scrub - honey, almond meal, and peppermint oil - so invigorating!
Eye Cream - vitamin e oil, coconut oil, and frankincense oil, which are all known to help with fine lines and signs of aging
Night Cream - lemon, lavender, frankincense oils blended with coconut and olive oil.
Lotion (non-greasy body lotion) - shea butter and jojoba oil with lemon, lavender, and peppermint oils
Foaming Hand Soap - castile soap, glycerin, thieves oil and distilled water as a hand cleanser/sanitizer

Next on my to-do list: shaving lotion, sunscreen, and bug repellent.  I'm hooked!

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.

Lemon Oil - I Can't Say Enough About It!

    Lemon oil. . . . where to begin!!

I have found many daily uses for my lemon oil.  I started using it as an additive to my water - partly to encourage me to drink more water throughout the day, partly thanks to an article (that I hope to relocate and link here!) that talked about how good it is for a natural liver and kidney detox when you drink it every day.  Then I stumbled aross this article that talked about things to do with lemon essential oil that I hadn't even thought of.

It is another oil that plays many different roles throughout my day:
When I get up in the morning, I drink a glass of water with lemon oil in it, as a way to hydrate and a little energy burst right away.  Throughout the day I have a water bottle with lemon oil in it next to me at work to help me in my goal to drink more water at work!  I have learned that you should only put essential oils in glass water bottles, as the oils can leach toxins out of plastics unless they are "hospital grade plastic" - and no one wants to be adding toxins to their water!!

Right now I start my day with my allergy bomb (2-3 drops each of peppermint, lavender, and lemon oil in a capsule with a carrier oil).  I have found it to be more effective and easier on my body than any OTC allergy medication or anti-histamine I have tried **

A few weeks ago I made an all purpose home cleaner with my lemon oil.  I combined equal parts distilled water and white vinegar (I used 1/2 cup of each for my 16 oz. spray bottle) and 20 drops of lemon oil in a glass spray bottle (found on Amazon).  You could easily adjust the amount of lemon oil to suit your preferences.  I love the lemony smell without the oily residue that this proportion gave me.  We now use this spray cleaner daily in the kitchen (appliances, counters, sinks), on the dining table (won't harm wood!!), in the bathroom (the vinegar and lemon oil combination cuts through the mineral build-up that we get from our city water), everywhere!  The best part is that my two little helpers love to help me clean, and since I know the ingredients are safe for them, I don't worry about letting them spray for me!

Those same little helpers had put a whole bunch of stickers on the wood coffee table a while back.  We had scraped, wiped, wet, picked, and rubbed, but those stickers didn't want to come up.  Two years later, I tried lemon oil to remove them.  I put it on them directly (about a drop on each sticker), rubbed it in with my fingertip, waited about 2 minutes, and then wiped.  EVERY sticker came up, as did the sticky residue underneath!!

At school I work in a beautiful room with custom made wood tables.  When students got permanent marker all over the gorgeous tables, I was heartbroken.  We tried several chemical solvents to remove it and it dulled the ink a bit, but the damage remained.  I figured it couldn't hurt to try some lemon oil, since I knew it wouldn't hurt the wood, and the worst that would happen is the dulled ink would still be there. After applying the oil and letting it sit for a few minutes, when I scrubbed, the marker came up.  So I kept going, and used it to remove glue, ink, and all sorts of other junk from the table tops, too.  And the added bonus, of course, is how good the room smelled afterward.

I love cooking spicy foods!  But I don't think to wear gloves when cutting up peppers, and I inevitably remember too late, when I go to take my contacts out later and get the oil in my eyes!  Now I've started rubbing a couple drops of lemon oil on my hands after I work with the peppers, and it takes the hot oil right off of my hands!

Lemon oil is also used in conjunction with other citrus oils and peppermint oil as a weight loss combination, it can be used as a sanitizer when rubbed on the hands, it is great for a bad mood, as it brings a bright and happy smell when diffused, and of course it is a great addition to a cup of hot water or green tea!

I could keep going, but I think you get the picture!


If you're interested in trying out Young Living oils, or if you have any questions, please email me.  I'm happy to help you get started!  And if you're ready for a membership with Young Living, you can sign up at this link.


**Just a reminder that I have no medical training or background.  I am speaking only to my experience.  It is important to do your own research, and consult with your doctor before starting essential oil use.

My Story

Welcome! Chances are, you found this blog because you're interested in learning more about essential oils.  That's where I started, too.  I have known about oils for the last few years - a co-worker swore that putting peppermint oil in her water helped as a digestive and an appetite suppressant (sounds good to me!) and I gave it a try.  That was about as serious as I got.

Meanwhile, a couple years went by, and I went from being a person with very few health concerns and a fairly healthy lifestyle to being someone who was taking 3 prescription meds daily, fighting virus after virus, and watching helplessly as every bug out there knocked the whole family out from the first day of school throughout the winter and well into the spring!  I knew that the OTC meds we were using helped alleviate symptoms when they came up, but something more proactive needed to happen to help us get ahead of these health problems that seemed to be never ending.

About a year ago, I noticed posts all over the health blogs that I follow regularly about the benefits of various essential oils.  I marked them all to read later and moved on.  Then, about 6 months ago, another coworker mentioned the oils she is using, and I started asking questions.  I decided to just dip my toes in, having NO IDEA what the world of essential oils would teach me, and ordered my first two oils: peppermint (the old, familiar friend), and one called Stress-Away - I had been struggling with some anxiety issues and was feeling exceptionally stressed about work related issues, and was ready to try anything.

 I started putting the peppermint in my water during the day and noticed a change in how my body felt after lunch (less bloating, less feeling of sluggishness!).  I followed the guidelines for the Stress-Away oil and applied some to my wrists and neck and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the smell! (I'll post more about Stress-away in a future post)  It was fragrant and calming, without being overpowering or offensive to others (you should know that I am extremely sensitive to smells, and am the first one to complain about other people's scents bothering me - everything from headaches to sneezing fits!)  I started using the Stress-Away more regularly and found that I started feeling like something was missing on days that I didn't use it.


Around that time, my coworker mentioned that she was ordering some more oils, and invited me to add to her order if I'd like.  I felt like I was ready to try some more, so I ordered lemon and valerian.  I had read about both - lemon as a detoxifier and valerian as a sleep aid.  The only thing I knew was either using oils topically or in water, so I used my lemon in my water, alternating with the peppermint (because I had NO IDEA you could or should mix them!) and valerian in my tea at night - NOT a good taste!  To quote my husband, "It smells like peaches and feet!".  I liked the lemon well enough, but wasn't fully sold on the valerian.  My coworker started asking about what I thought about the oils, and sharing thoughts about the oils she was using.  I asked her one day, in desperation, about what she used for menstrual cramps.  She listed a couple of oils and a blend that I was completely unfamiliar with, and I knew I needed to start doing some research.  And one afternoon, when I could barely swallow because of what I was certain was strep, she introduced me to Thieves oil and Thieves spray.  Intrigued by the effect it had when she sprayed it on my throat, I dove in to my research even further!

Not long after, I was in a friend's house and she had a diffuser running - she shared that she diffused Thieves oil 24 hours a day, and she swore that her family had been the healthiest they've ever been since she started.  For me, I still just loved the smell and didn't understand what was really happening when she diffused it.  These are both friends that I trust, and that I feel live their lives similarly to me, so I was ready to learn more.  One weekend I glued myself to the computer and read everything I could find about oils, and thus began my journey.  I have learned so much in such a short time about how to use the oils, what oils to combine in order to maximize effects, what uses the oils had beyond fragrance, and the science of why the oils worked.  I very quickly became hooked!

Look for future posts about how I decided what kinds of oils to use and what oils are now a part of my regular routine!  And if you're interesting in trying oils for yourself, email me at wkharrop@gmail.com.  If you're interested in becoming a Young Living member, click here.