How to move forward with EO use...

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This post will be a little different from most. I'm not going to share a recipe or remedy I've discovered. It is more practical. How to put this knowledge into action.

In the beginning I spent some time with all of this essential oil and healthy living knowledge in my head and good intentions to apply it to life. However, good intentions and knowledge are just thoughts. Thoughts weren't changing how I did things, or my health. I needed action.

There were several reasons that action wasn't happening often enough.

• Missing some of the ingredients
• Missing some of the tools
• Fear I would do it "wrong" and waste the oils
• Too busy with the current pattern of doing things 
• Simply forgetting to use them when I intended

I want to address some of these common roadblocks toward regular EO use in this post.

Darn! I'm Missing Ingredients:

Don't let this stop you! If you see a recipe you want to try on Mom's EOs or any other site, determine to make it. Each EO has several qualities to it. Depending on what you're making, it is possible the recipe will work even missing one of the EOs. Do some of your own research and see if your missing oil would be a make or break ingredient. If it is... Many EOs  have similar qualities. Substitute an oils with similar qualities. You could pick just about any quality in an EO and find that same or similar quality in another oil.  Be brave. Try a substitute. There is an untold amount of information out on the web. You can use the Spark Naturals oil descriptions to learn qualities. This is a good, reliable research site as well. It also helps to have a few reference books such as this one. You can even message me and I'll be happy to give some suggestions to try. Some common substitutes I've used...

• Birch and Wintergreen  and Peppermint all have cooling and pain relieving properties. 
• Roman Chamomile and Lavender are both calming and relaxing
• Basil and Thyme both have germ killing properties
• Most citrus are uplifting and help with mood. 

Oops! I'm Missing Some of the Tools:

There is always more than one way to accomplish a goal. No diffuser yet? You can passively diffuse by using a tissue, piece of felt, rub some on your hands and

breathe in, or cotton balls in a jar. No roller? Try a spray bottle, or just dabbing the oils on. No fancy jar? Recycle a cleaned out kitchen jar. Don't know how (or have the ingredients) to make salve yet? Add the oils to your current lotion. Don't let the idea of somethings being "just so" stop you from experiencing your oils.

I'm Afraid I Will Do It Wrong and Waste Precious Oils:

Just start. Honestly, one of the things I have discovered about EOs is that it is pretty hard to "do it wrong". I mean, you have to be careful. Don't ever put oils in your ear canal or your eyes. Read your bottles and don't ingest any EO unless the bottle says FOR DIETARY USE. If you ever have question about the strength, dilute it. But when making blends or diffusing - try not to stress if you get 3 drops instead of 2. It's all good if you need to use a substitute. Experiment. If one thing doesn't work, don't toss it ~ add to it and try again. Trust your instincts.  If you can't stand a smell ~ pass it on for someone else to try (many people experience oils differently. It has a lot to do with body chemistry). Just make sure you start somewhere or you'll never know. You might be a blending genius!

I'm Too Busy and Stuck With My Current Patterns:

It can be hard to break a habit. What are your habits? Headache? Grab a Tylonol? Heartburn? Tums? If you are busy, set aside a time one day to make up a few few remedies before you need them. You can specialize to your frequent issues. Then, when the time comes you are ready to try something new.  Some of the first ones I had on hand...

• LLP in a roller for allergies
• Stress blend
• Headache roller

I Keep Forgetting To Use EOs When I Intended: 

I worked on this several ways. First, I put my roller blend oils in my purse so they were handy no matter where I was, and I took the Tylenol out of my purse. Next I "attached" certain oils with behaviors that were already natural. For example, I put some Jeddy's in a small spray and set it next to my face lotion. When I put my lotion on daily in the morning my Jeddy's was there and I used that as well. I also got my family involved in using the oils. Then, when something would come up, like a headache or cut, my kids would remind me I had oils I could use. If all else fails, you could place a reminder post-it note on your Tylenol bottle "try oils first"! Switch out one thing at a time. Don't try to do it all at once. I started with LLP for allergies. This was all I did for quite a few months. Then, when  saw how well it worked, I was compelled to try the next thing.

I'm here to help. If you have questions, feel free to message me on Facebook or comment on this post!

Are there other reasons you haven't started using your Essential Oils yet? Share your reasons and any solutions you've found!

Above all... Let's just get started!

~Wendy


There are affiliate links in this post. If you choose to buy something from Spark Naturals, you will not pay any more, but Mom's EOs will get a small portion. If you'd like to save money you can use coupon code benderboymom at checkout and save 10%. 

How to get results from your Essential Oils

This will be a short post. I've really found 2 key reasons I get results from Essential Oils

#1 - Consistency. 

For the first few months I used essential oils, I would use a few oils here and there, but not regularly. I couldn't seem to get into the swing of things. Consequently, sometimes oils worked for me and sometimes they didn't.   Honestly, consistency is the first, most important "tip" I'll give for EO use. It is important to try something new with consistency. This is true for anything in life, really. Think about it. Exercise works better when we are consistent. Eating healthy helps when we are consistent. Kids adjust better to a new rule when we are consistent. Our house stays cleaner when we are consistent with daily chores. You get the idea... Even pharmaceuticals are prescribed with the expectation you will take them as directed (with consistency) for them to work.

#2 - Be Brave and Creative

Try new things. These are natural, essential oils. As long as you follow some pretty simple safety rules, they won't hurt you. 

• Don't ever put them in your eyes or ears
• More is not always better
• Don't ingest them unless they are pure and say "for dietary use"
• Always read the bottles - some oils are only for a certain type of use or are photosensitive
• If there is ever a question on strength, dilute them with carrier oil. If you are unsure of your body's reaction to a specific oil, dilute. Dilute for children or sensitive skin
• Do some research to make sure the oil you want to use is safe for any medical conditions you have, including pregnancy
• If you are on prescription medication, check with your prescribing doctor first.
• Camp Wander did a great post on EO safety here

As long as you are careful, Be Brave! If I see a new recipe for something, I try it. If I don't have all the oils it calls for, I use what I do have, and try it. If I don't know which oil to use, I do a few minutes of research, and then try something I found. Sometimes I even just go in the drawer and see what smells like it might work, and try it! I believe God created us AND these oils. They work together. There really is an intuitive component to using oils. I believe that we were meant to heal naturally, and we have an intuitive sense of what might work or not. If we listen to our body and are a good student of it, we often find what works to heal it. Trust yourself enough to try something. Allopathic doctors "practice medicine", I can "practice oils" (staying in the safety guidelines of course). 

In the end, you will need to do what works for you. But don't be afraid to try something. Just get started!

If you are not sure where to start,  I wrote this post about getting started. Not sure which oils to use? I trust the 100% pure essential oils from Spark Naturals. Please make sure the oils you use are pure - remember, safety first. If an oil is super cheap at the flea market..... it is likely not pure. The Health and Wellness kit is a good set to start with. So is the Essential 4 pack. You can order direct from their site. No membership, no minimum, no need to order through me. If you use coupon code BENDERBOYMOM at checkout, you will get 10% off your order. Shipping is free on orders over $55 and only a flat rate $5 on smaller orders. 

~Wendy