I don’t know if they’re as popular where you live as they are here in Nashville, but around here people are getting really interested in the health benefits of essential oils! In the Piñata house we’re always about doing things as naturally as we can, so when I started hearing more about essential oils I got very curious and started doing my research. I’m going to follow up this post with another specifically about using oils with babies and children, but this post will just be an overview of what I’ve learned.

1. Essential oils are natural compounds that are part of the immune system of the plants. These oils are extracted from various parts of the plants (roots, stems, seeds, flowers, etc.) and then distilled to become highly concentrated. Just like these oils help the plant stay healthy, they can do the same thing for our bodies as well.

2. Essential Oils can be used for ALL KINDS of purposes.

I was drawn to oils to help with my sleeping issues (I have had insomnia on and off since college), and to help Little Piñata’s little immune system get over all the bugs he was bringing home from daycare. During the fall he was getting cold after cold and we had so much disrupted sleep and passing along of germs, I was just over it!

But, in the meantime we discovered a whole lot of other oils, and found remedies for a lot of stuff we wouldn’t have guessed, including upset stomach, acne, and have even started getting on a regime to help with our hormones. No results on the last one yet, but we’re sure grateful for all the other benefits we’ve gotten! Plus, I’ve discovered you can use them to clean/disinfect the house, repel bugs from yourself or in the garden. Here is a list of the most common “Piñata Home Remedies.” We’ve got at least a dozen more oils that we use for a whole bunch of stuff, but here’s the ones we use most often.

Lavender – Our all-time favorite oil! We put it on all 3 of us to help us sleep at night. We actually put it on the bottom of our feet since that’s where the pores are the biggest, so the oils get into the bloodstream faster that way. It’s also good for anxiety and has quite a calming effect. But, it’s also great when anyone has any skin irritation or burn. It can also help as an antihistamine if you struggle with allergies.

Frankincense – We use this oil as a preventative measure since it’s known for cell repair, so it can even help your body prevent future illnesses! It’s also anti-aging, so it’s good to put on the skin to help with wrinkles, but also it helps our bodies keep those cells healthier for longer, which is pretty darn cool. If we ever have a skin issue that Lavender hasn’t helped with, we use Frankincense since it’s so powerful. It’s a go-to oil if you’re not sure what to use for sure!

Peppermint – I LOVE this oil for energy! It’s also so great at helping me feel better when I have a headach. I just put a drop on wherever my headache is and I feel almost instant relief. It’s a cooling oil, so it can help soothe kiddos when they have a fever. We wouldn’t have guessed it, but when Mr. P had a horrible case of poison ivy it greatly helped the itching and burning because of that “cooling” effect. Peppermint can also help with focus and memory retention and even nausea.

Melaluca – This oil is great and I use it like I would Neosporin whenever we get cuts or scrapes because it’s anti-fungal and good at killing germs. It also helps with skin issues, so we put Lavender and Melaluca together whenever he gets a “boo boo” (which kind of feels like every day!). It’s also recommended for ear infections, cold sores, acne and dandruff.

3. Oils service your whole body at once.

This is what blew my mind. Even though you may put oil on just one particular part of your body, the oils get into your bloodstream and can help your body heal itself from whatever imbalances are in your entire body! So, even though you might put Melaluca (Tea Tree Oil) on your face to help get rid of acne, it will also help your body fight any infections it is dealing with. This also means that you don’t have to rub an oil that you love all over your body to get the benefits. I love that I can just use a drop or two, which saves me a whole lot of money in the long run.

4. You can use oils aromatically, topically and (sometimes) internally.

First of all, essential oils are very aromatic. When you smell the oils the they go through your nasal passages and travel quickly to your brain. That’s why smelling lavender can have such a calming effect. If you want to use oils for mood or emotional issues, aromatically can be the best way since it gets the scent to your brain faster. A lot of people think you can put oils in your humidifier or heat them in water on the stove, but heating essential oils actually breaks down their chemical make-up and could therefore remove the healing properties. So, the best thing to do is to buy a diffuser. This is the one I currently have and I like it! It’s on the less expensive side since a few drops only last for 3-4 hours. I just ordered this one, and I hope it really does last up to 8 hours like it says!

Using oils topically is what we usually do in the Piñata home. But, it’s really important to know the safety of the oils you’re using. Most brands recommend diluting their oils in coconut, almond, olive or jojoba oil. There are very few companies that say you can use their oils “neat,” which means without dilution. So, be very careful when using oils on your skin. Always start by diluting until you know how your skin will react and always, always follow the directions of the manufacturer! There are also some oils that absolutely always need to be diluted (like Oregano), so do your research before slathering essential oils in your body. If they are powerful enough to help along your body’s healing process then you want to be wise with them.

I have only heard of 2 brands of oils that say their oils are safe to use internally.  The reason that most essential oils cannot be used internally is that there is no FDA standardization of oils, so many oils you could get online or in the store could have pesticides, synthetic oils, etc. in them. Unless the bottle you get specifically says it’s safe to ingest, just don’t do it! I had a friend who used Oil of Oregano from the store and it stained her husband’s teeth brown, so again, be safe!

5. Know your stuff!

I talked about this in #4 in regard to how to use the oils, but I think that before you use any essential oils you want to do your own research too. I could go on and on about the different types of oils, which ones are safe to ingest, which ones aren’t safe during pregnancy, etc., but you don’t want to read a long list of those kinds of specifics, but you DO want to be able to find those resources out there! Especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or wanting to use oils on your kiddos, you will definitely want to know which oils should be avoided and which ones are safe. Also, if an oil is photosensitive you don’t want to rub it on your belly and go out in the sun in your bikini because you will get a horrible burn that will last for weeks! Thankfully, the internet is a wealth of information and there are those out there that have been trained in essential oils. I actually have recently started teaching Essential Oils classes, so you could wall me for any questions you have and I’d be glad to help.

Here are some great online resources:

Everything Essential – I love this site because you can type in your specific issue and see what kind of oils are good for whatever you’re struggling with. They also have suggested protocols, which I love!

Aromatic Science – This site is so cool because you can look at all the studies being done on aromatherapy and healing, which is so neat for me to read that there is real science behind the use of essential oils.

6. Where to get Essential Oils

My preferred brand can only be purchased through wellness advocates that have been trained in knowing and teaching about essential oils. The reason we chose this brand is that after we started using a couple of store-bought brands in the fall and only saw small improvements, we didn’t see the results we were expecting. But, this spring, when I started using our now preferred brand on myself and Little P, we saw a big difference in how quickly he got over colds and how much better I was sleeping. So, if you’re interested in this brand, you can contact a wellness advocate local to you, or if you don’t know anyone, just ask me. You can also find other brands from stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or even Amazon. I personally can’t attest to the efficacy or safety of other brands, but that’s where we first started our use of essential oils as well.

What about you? How do you use essential oils? Have you seen a difference in your family’s health?

*I do not claim to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure disease. If you are under a doctor’s supervision, please consult with them  before making any changes.