The What, Why & How

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils could seem foreign to some. But if you’ve ever enjoyed crushing a fresh peppermint leaf between your fingers, or taken a whiff of the scent on your hands after peeling an orange, you’ve already experienced what essential oils are. Essential oils are simply distilled plants in a bottle.

It’s that simple.

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Why Use Essential Oils?

While essential oils have been used for centuries in many cultures, today we have increasing scientific evidence and research to show the effectiveness and safe nature of oils in our lives today.

Essential oils can be used to soothe skin irritations, promote healthy digestion, support good oral health and lots more.

How Do I Use Essential Oils?

You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy the wide benefits that essential oil holds. All you need is a basic understanding of how to include it into your routine.

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Aromatic Use

Diffusing is the most common and effective way to enjoy the benefits of an oil. Just keep in mind that you never want to use a diffuser that could alter the chemical profile by using heat. Simply inhaling an essential oil straight from the bottle or placing a drop on your hands, rubbing your hands together and inhaling the scent will allow you to breathe in the benefits.

Effective methods for aromatic application:

Spritz essential oils on clothing for a long-lasting, pleasant scent.
Drip two to three drops of oil on the floor during a hot shower (keeping oil away from the water path), and breathe in.
Place a drop of oil in your hand, rub the palms together, cup the hands over your nose, and inhale.
Apply oil to a cotton ball and place in the air vents of your vehicle.
Mix oil with water in a spray bottle and mist over carpet, furniture, or other linens in the home.

Topical Use

Due to their chemical makeup, essential oils can easily penetrate the skin and offer a localized benefit to the applied area. Essential oils are easily absorbed into the skin; however, you can prolong the benefits of an essential oil by using a carrier oil to slow down the evaporation of the oil, allowing it to moisturize the skin.

If you have particularly sensitive skin, or when applying essential oils on children, it is a good idea to use a carrier oil like Fractionated Coconut Oil. And some essential oils should always be diluted when used topically. Always follow usage suggestions for oils like Cinnamon, Geranium, Lemongrass, and Oregano, as they should always be diluted before topical use.

Internal Use

When you ingest an essential oil, it directly enters your blood stream through your gastrointestinal tract, where it is then transported throughout the rest of your body. As mentioned before, essential oils are lipid soluble, allowing them to be easily transported to all of your organs-including the brain. Just like everything else we consume, an essential oil can be metabolized by organs like the liver and then excreted. While using essential oils internally is perhaps one of the most potent methods, our bodies are quite accustomed to and well equipped for metabolizing essential oils when given in a proper dosage. As with anything we consume, it is always important to ensure that essential oils are used in appropriate doses in order to avoid toxicity.

Other effective methods of Internal Use:

- Add essential oils to your favorite recipes by replacing fresh or dried herbs and spices with a drop of oil when cooking or baking
- Place essential oil drops into a veggie capsule and swallow with water (this excludes oils that should always be diluted-Cassia, Cinnamon, Oregano, etc.)
- Take dōTERRA essential oil supplements
- Add an essential oil to a glass of water, your morning smoothie, milk, tea, or your other favorite beverages
- Place a few drops of an essential oil into a small amount of yogurt or applesauce