How This Nourishes Your Body

I get a lot of questions about Essential Oils. . . do I think they are worth the hype? Do I use them? If so, how and which brand?

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the nutritional compounds inside many plants and herbs. Once extracted from the plant or herb, they bring many of the same health-giving benefits to the table. One reason they’re so powerful is because they’re the “essence” of the real plant or herb, only in a highly concentrated form. In fact, one small, 15mL bottle of lemon essential oil can contain up to 45 lemons!

Essential oils are often referred to as the “lifeblood” of plants and trees. They are the concentrated oils of herbs, plants and trees.

Essential oils are composed of very small molecules that can penetrate your cells, and some compounds in essential oils can even cross the blood-brain barrier.

Check out a few benefits —->

So, do I think EO are effective? Absolutely, I think every home should have a few of the main oils in their first aid/medicine cabinet/skin care. Do I think they are going to save the world like some seem to promote? No.

Which Essential Oil Company is Best?

There are two main large companies that you have probably heard of and considered when looking into buying oils, Doterra and Young Living.

Here is the thing, they are both great AND they are both multilevel marketing companies.

I am not a huge fan of MLMs simply because I feel like when people sign up, even if they do love oils, their goal is to sell it. So OF COURSE, they are going to exaggerate their LOVE for the oils. I have even found myself doing this from time to time if I don’t catch myself, so I get how easy it can be when you get a reward for people buying from you.

Because of the marketing, you may have been led to believe that they are the only companies that create PURE and THERAPEUTIC GRADE OILS, and that’s just not true.

Yes, most oils on the market are not pure, soured poorly, and have additives – but that doesn’t mean there are not other great companies out there.

Before you buy oils, look into the quality, sourcing, production, and testing methods.

I am not against Doterra or Young Living – in fact, I have oils from them both,  but now I choose to get my oils from Ancient Apothecary.

Ancient Apothecary

First off, it’s not an MLM 😉

Ancient Apothecary essential oils are:

• USDA certified organic
• 100% Therapeutic Grade
• Sourced indigenously as well as harvested from some of the top plant farms in Missouri, Europe, India, and the Middle East. The oils come from 10,000 acres of certified organic land.
• Ancient Apothecary essential oils are 100% pure/uncut with no bases, fillers, or any additives.

I buy AA oils for a few reasons – they are high quality AND cost efficient! Because these oils are not sold MLM style, they are much cheaper, without sacrificing quality.

I also love they have unique herbal formulations combined with essential oils like turmeric, ashwagandha, holy basil, medicinal mushrooms, and elderberry and much more.

My Favorite Essential Oils and How to Use Them

Now, how do I use EO every day? . . .

After Waking
A drop of peppermint and lemon in the palm of my hand. I then rub my hands together and cup them over my nose and take a deep breath in. Ahh so energizing!

Pre-Meals
1 drop of AA Digestion Blend in a little coconut yogurt or water to help stimulate my digestive system and reduce bloating. I also love to make a tea with peppermint, ocean minerals, brain octane oil, and coconut oil, and ghee blended for a serious energy boost.

After Showering – Skin Care

• Frankincense: I am obsessed with this oil for health and beauty purposes. I use this in my DIY Serum and always add a drop to whatever lotion I am using. I would say this is one of my top ingredients for the radiant skin! It has an incredible impact on cellular rejuvenation as well as increased immunity and reducing inflammation.
• Tea tree (melaleuca) is my go-to spot treatment for acne.
• Geranium rose is also amazing for skin complexion.

Through the day
I’ll pop something in my diffuser, my favorites are lemon or orange, but I also like to diffuse Ancient Fortress (similar to Thieves or OnGuard) quite regularly, especially in the winter months when I want to ward off coughs, colds and other bugs.

For cleaning

You can make an all-purpose spray with the following:

• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 15 drops of Ancient Fortress
• Shake everything up in a spray bottle, and you’re good to go!

At night

Just like red vs blue light impacts your circadian rhythm, different essential oils can also stimulate energy or promote melatonin. I absolutely love lavender or the Rest and Relaxation blend– a must-have to promote relaxation and optimal sleep for the whole family.

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