Today’s post is a fun one! It also highly requested! Essential Oils! I know there is a ton of oily people out there and many who want to know more! So, I am glad you are here with us today because a beloved family member of mine is going to share a ton of oily knowledge with us in this post!! Get ready to take notes!

Amy Chastain

My name is Amy Chastain. I’m a Jesus seeking, wife of 23 years, mother of 5, homeschooler, and real estate broker who grew up in Indiana but has almost been in Florida long enough to say I’m from Florida. I’m cold if the temperature drops under 60 degrees. So I would say that counts too!

A little backstory

Several years ago, I sat in on an eye doctor appointment with my dad at the world-renowned Bascom Eye Institute. The Doctor in no uncertain terms was not an advocate of OTC (over-the-counter) allergy medicine. I was living on allergy meds to survive so this caught my attention! The next week, I had a pretty severe cold and had to travel out of state to attend my grandfather’s funeral. My sister introduced me to what at the time I referred to as voodoo aka essential oils. I wanted more information and needed to do some research myself.

I attended an online informational session a friend was hosting, asked a ton of questions and then purchased my first Young Living Starter Kit. You guessed it, I was hooked on essential oils and their benefits. My goal was to eliminate or significantly reduce my usage of OTC products for allergies, headaches, fevers. This is exactly what I’ve done. I am going on 5 years without taking OTC allergy medicines. This was HUGE for me! I’ve also reduced my usage of OTC products in general for headaches, preventative health, and cosmetics. The learning curve was intimidating because essential oils are different than what we’ve all been blasted with from the marketing of pharmaceutical companies.

Necessary Disclaimer

I am NOT…a nurse, doctor, vet, respiratory therapist, psychologist, development specialist, an herbalist of any kind! I do NOT have…a medical degree, medical practice, or license to practice medicine.
WHAT I DO know…what has worked for my family, what many testimonials other folks have shared, what I am willing to try and not try for my family to feel good, get better, and stay healthy. Just to be clear, this post is about ME, MY experiences, and what I am doing. (So in the necessary, snarky legal terms: I am NOT responsible for what you choose to do with any of MY opinions or testimonies. As with any medical issue, do YOUR own research and seek what is the best option for you and yours!) FOR ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCY, GET OFF THE INTERNET AND CALL 911!!!

That said…. I’d love to share with you about Young Living Essential Oils. I do not love the fact that Young Living is a Multi-Level Marketing Business but I absolutely LOVE their oils and non-toxic products. I’ve tried to replace one household item at a time with something non-toxic or homemade. I make our hand soap, countertop cleaners, bathroom cleaners, air fresheners, carpet cleaners with Young Living products. Instead of grabbing OTC for a sore muscle or a headache I grab an essential oil. It was easy because they work!! When something works you aren’t hesitant to do it again and again!

HOW DO YOU USE ESSENTIAL OILS?

There are three ways I use essential oils:

 TOPICALLY– I apply it to my skin in a variety of locations. Behind my ears, wrist, feet, down spine… Remember a little goes a long way. Less is more!! DO NOT put essential oils in eyes, ears or other sensitive areas.

INTERNALLY– yep swallow the oil in a capsule or put it under my tongue. Sometimes controversially in the oily world but like I said before it’s a personal preference.

AROMICALLY– I put the oils in a diffuser like the Young Living’s Dewdrop™ and turn it on!  This particular diffuser functions as a humidifier, atomizer and aroma diffuser.  This ultrasonic technology breaks any mixture of essential oils and water into millions of microparticles, disperses them into the air, and releases the constituents found in the Young Living oils.  I think we have 6 diffusers in my house. Actually, I also put oils in a diffuser necklace or as I call it a smelling cartridge to inhale. I then hold it up to my nose and inhale. If you’ve ever been with me on an airplane you’ll see me using this method to stay cool, calm and collected.

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?

This is a common question friends and family may ask you when they see you using your oils. I read this in an online class and saved it because I thought it was a great explanation. “Essential Oils are the lifeblood of plants. When a plant gets injured, the oils kick into gear to provide protective properties. Just like when humans get hurt, Essential Oils provide major healing properties. Rather than suppress the immune system, disrupt other bodily functions, or simply offer relief by concealing symptoms, properly administered natural methods of healing like essential oils support and stimulate the immune system to help the body to actually heal itself, which it was designed to do.”

Essential oils’ unique lipid-soluble structure is similar to the make-up of our cell membranes. They are relatively small, which enhances their ability to penetrate into cells thus, traveling throughout the blood and tissues in a matter of minutes when applied to the feet or soft tissue.

– Essential Oil Desk Reference According to the Essential Oil Desk Reference the power of essential oil lies in its constituents and their synergy. There are 14 categories of essential oil constituents. (basically part of a whole) Each essential oil is composed of 200-500 different bioconstituents, which make them very diverse in their effects. No two oils are alike! Because essential oils are composites of hundreds of different constituents, each oil can exert many different effects on the body. For example, Lavender has been used for burns, bites, headaches, stress, insomnia and hair growth among other uses. The beauty of this is that one oil bottle you buy has a multitude of uses.

HOW DOES AROMICALLY WORK?

When fragrance is inhaled, the odor molecules travel up the nose where they are trapped by olfactory membranes that are well protected by the lining inside the nose. When stimulated by odor molecules, this lining of nerve cells triggers an electrical impulse to the olfactory bulb in the brain. Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balances, essential oils can have profound physiological and psychological effects. The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain, the emotional control center. Anxiety, depression, fear, anger, and joy all emanate from this region, all other senses are routed through the thalamus.

CAN YOU BUILD UP AN IMMUNITY TO ESSENTIAL OILS LIKE MEDICATION?

Micro-organisms cannot develop an immunity to therapeutic grade essential oils. For real! This is what makes them so effective as natural antibiotics, disinfectant hand soaps, hand sanitizers, and cleansers. I wonder if it is one the reason why pharmaceutical companies do not sell them? Think of it like this: essential oil is the liquid part of the plant. This fluid moves through the plant very much like lymph moves through our bodies. It serves to protect the plant from microorganisms and insects that want to chew on its tender leaves or bore into its stem.

Or, on the other hand, you have essential oils like clove, cinnamon and rosemary, all found in Young Living Thieves, where each batch is slightly different from the next. Microorganisms cannot develop resistance to them. They are highly effective, natural antibiotics. And because they are from living plants, they are similar in chemical makeup to our bodies. They work in harmony with our bodies. They do not create a microbial upset in our digestive tract and they do not create “super-bugs.” They keep microorganisms guessing and that is just all right with me.
Kathi Keville, Mindy Green. 2012. Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art. Random House LLC. Copyright

WHY YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS AND NOT OTHERS?

Not all essential oils are created equally. Young Living will never knowingly compromise by adding synthetics, contaminants, or cheap fillers, or by using unethical production practices. The process of sourcing products from carefully vetted corporate-owned farms, partner farms, and Seed to Seal-certified suppliers and testing them extensively is the standard. If the exhaustive tests show that a product doesn’t meet their standards, they don’t buy it, or they reject the batch. I trust their Seed to Seal quality and can trust there aren’t fillers in my bottle, it’s pure!!

HOW DO I GET STARTED OR LEARN MORE?

Essential oils can be intimidating but with accurate information, I challenge you to give it a try. You’ll be amazed! I am willing to help you or guide you in the right direction if you are looking for more information or trying to decide how to start. Youngliving.com is a good place to learn. The starter kits are the most bang for your buck and can include a diffuser.

You are welcome to contact me directly via email Amychastain1@gmail.com; phone 407-491-7528; My Young Living Member 2479988. I enjoying helping people solve problems with essential oils. I run a Facebook community for my oily friends to support and share our methods. Feel free to friend me there and I’ll add you to the private group. You can find me at Amy Rich Chastain.  It’s fascinating and rewarding to see lives changed and people become healthier versions of themselves!

Great Information!

I just want to second Amy in saying Essential Oils can be a game-changer in your home and health! I personally use many different oils in my daily life as well! Nothing but great reviews from me! I hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to reach out to Amy if you have more questions or want to get the hook up on some oils for yourself!

P.S. if you want to check out my latest IVF update you can find it here!