Anyone use essential oils??

[petesgirl]

So I'm generally not into alternative medicine type things but my friend gave me some essential oils to try (i kind of rolled my eyes at her because I feel like she wants me to use them and then start ordering them through her... Not a fan of that set up). One is to help with sleep and I have used it on my 2 yr old a few times and it seems to help him sleep remarkably well. I just don't know much about them... How often is it safe to use? Should I really be using it on him so young? Are there side effects, etc?

[abh5e8]

what EO are you using?how much?

i use a few. lavender will take the pain out of a burn pretty much instantly. i use a lot of EOs for cleaning.

[fedoragirl]

I wouldn't use it directly on your 2 yr. old's skin. We use a lot of essential oils but I've never directly put them on my kids' skins. That's a lot to absorb. I also don't use anything with lavender on DS. You can research it and form your own opinion. Essential oils are very beneficial and I have used them forever but you do need to know a little about how they can be used. Sort of like herbs...I would never drink a certain herbal tea without knowing the qualities of that herb.

[hellokitty]

I wouldn't use it directly on your 2 yr. old's skin. We use a lot of essential oils but I've never directly put them on my kids' skins. That's a lot to absorb. I also don't use anything with lavender on DS. You can research it and form your own opinion. Essential oils are very beneficial and I have used them forever but you do need to know a little about how they can be used. Sort of like herbs...I would never drink a certain herbal tea without knowing the qualities of that herb.

I am a big fan of EOs, I have too many favorites to list, but I agree about avoiding to apply anything, "neat" (direct w/o dilution). I need to run, but wanted to addresss the myth of lavender and TTO and boys. The article I am linking to is written by a well respected and established expert in EO safety and science.

http://roberttisserand.com/articles/TeaTreeAndLavenderNotLinkedToGynecomastia.pdf

[petesgirl]

She just gave me a little vial with a label on the lid that says 'serenity'. I can tell it has lavender in it but can't tell what else.
So, I'm confused if you don't apply it to the skin... Then do you diffuse it? She gave me a booklet with about a 100 different oils and their uses and almost all say to apply to the skin. A few say to diffuse. This particular one says apply a drop to your hand and rub it behind the ears and on the bottoms of the feet.

[lizzywednesday]

You can add them to neutral, "carrier oils" for massage. You can get carrier oil (usually grapeseed oil) in most natural foods markets. I have even seen it in the natural foods section of mainstream stores like Wegman's.

You can add them directly to the bath - I was doing this for DD with oil of lavender when she was itty-bitty in addition to Badger Balm's "nighty-night" sleep balm.

You can add them to lotions and shampoo.

I would use caution in applying directly to the skin - many can cause skin irritation and sometimes burns, depending on the oil.

[brittone2]

She just gave me a little vial with a label on the lid that says 'serenity'. I can tell it has lavender in it but can't tell what else.
So, I'm confused if you don't apply it to the skin... Then do you diffuse it? She gave me a booklet with about a 100 different oils and their uses and almost all say to apply to the skin. A few say to diffuse. This particular one says apply a drop to your hand and rub it behind the ears and on the bottoms of the feet.

It depends on whether it is a blend already mixed with a carrier oil vs. a straight EO. As PPs said, EOs can definitely burn skin when put on directly, or they may be too potent. So generally people use a carrier oil. Some companies sell products that are EOs already in a carrier oil. Just know what you are buying and using. The EOs are the expensive part, so it is important for knowing what is an okay price and so that you know whether to dilute in a carrier.

[petesgirl]

Thanks for the advice. This is why I try to stay away from stuff like this, there doesn't seem to be good info out there. Maybe I'll try a little in the bath or with lotion.

[hellokitty]

Thanks for the advice. This is why I try to stay away from stuff like this, there doesn't seem to be good info out there. Maybe I'll try a little in the bath or with lotion.

You can definitely try it with a little bit of lotion. It is a doTERRA blend for relaxation and claming. You can apply it to your back, feet and back of neck. Bath water may help, but it will not be very strong. There's actually a LOT of info on EO's. My favorite website (like the EO version of BBB) is: http://learningabouteos.com/forums/forum.php

Your friend is probably a doTERRA rep (I am one too). However, there are many reputable brands out there and this particular forum is a GREAT source for EO use, safety and general info.

[hellokitty]

Oh, and for your reference, the oils in the, "Serenity" doTERRA blend are:

Lavendar, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood & vanilla bean extract.

[stinkyfeet]

How funny! I was just doing research on them. I'm unfamiliar with then, but I needed some for a homemade dry shampoo recipe.

I also picked up apricot kernel oil today because I loved how it absorbed into my skin and hair and made both feel soft. I was looking into adding essential oils to that oil to give myself a "spa-like" feeling and add addition beneficial properties.

Does anyone have a favorite website to purchase these? (Sorry to hijack!!)

[fedoragirl]

Mountain Rose Herbs. Shipping takes a while as I was (am) on the East coast but the products are worth the wait. I love that web site.

[stinkyfeet]

Mountain Rose Herbs. Shipping takes a while as I was (am) on the East coast but the products are worth the wait. I love that web site.

Great! Thank you! I am always cautious about ordering from unknown places. :)

[mommymy]

She just gave me a little vial with a label on the lid that says 'serenity'. I can tell it has lavender in it but can't tell what else.
So, I'm confused if you don't apply it to the skin... Then do you diffuse it? She gave me a booklet with about a 100 different oils and their uses and almost all say to apply to the skin. A few say to diffuse. This particular one says apply a drop to your hand and rub it behind the ears and on the bottoms of the feet.

I use do terra balance on my son at night as well as myself and find that calms for sleep as well as at other times. I apply it directly to the bottom of my son's feet and also massage into the calves. You can use it directly or use a carrier oil. If it is to the bottom of the feet, I feel a carrier oil is not necessary but to other parts of the body, I would use a carrier oil. ( this also depends on what you are using as some oils have cinnamon or peppermint which might feel stronger on the skin than others)

Hth

[petesgirl]

I use do terra balance on my son at night as well as myself and find that calms for sleep as well as at other times. I apply it directly to the bottom of my son's feet and also massage into the calves. You can use it directly or use a carrier oil. If it is to the bottom of the feet, I feel a carrier oil is not necessary but to other parts of the body, I would use a carrier oil. ( this also depends on what you are using as some oils have cinnamon or peppermint which might feel stronger on the skin than others)

Hth
Great, thank you! Glad I'm not the only one using it for help with sleep.

[petesgirl]

Oh, and for your reference, the oils in the, "Serenity" doTERRA blend are:

Lavendar, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood & vanilla bean extract.

So, do you know it is doTERRA brand because they are the only ones with a blend named 'serenity'? The vial has no brand label and neither does the booklet she gave me, which I thought was weird.

[petesgirl]

You can definitely try it with a little bit of lotion. It is a doTERRA blend for relaxation and claming. You can apply it to your back, feet and back of neck. Bath water may help, but it will not be very strong. There's actually a LOT of info on EO's. My favorite website (like the EO version of BBB) is: http://learningabouteos.com/forums/forum.php

Your friend is probably a doTERRA rep (I am one too). However, there are many reputable brands out there and this particular forum is a GREAT source for EO use, safety and general info.

Thank you for the website, I'll check it out!!

[hellokitty]

So, do you know it is doTERRA brand because they are the only ones with a blend named 'serenity'? The vial has no brand label and neither does the booklet she gave me, which I thought was weird.

It is most likely doTERRA. Serenity is one of their blends and it's one of the bigger EO companies, so other companies wouldn't be using the same name for their blends. Other companies have their own blends, but they will have their own unique name. What kind of booklet did she give you?

[3blackcats]

How funny! I was just doing research on them. I'm unfamiliar with then, but I needed some for a homemade dry shampoo recipe.

I also picked up apricot kernel oil today because I loved how it absorbed into my skin and hair and made both feel soft. I was looking into adding essential oils to that oil to give myself a "spa-like" feeling and add addition beneficial properties.

Does anyone have a favorite website to purchase these? (Sorry to hijack!!)

Do you have the recipe for the dry shampoo?

[stinkyfeet]

Do you have the recipe for the dry shampoo?

Here is the recipe. I found it on the LHC forum. If you are curious how it works, PM me in a few weeks. Apparently, it takes a few weeks for the ingredients to mix together properly before you use it. I am excited to make it and try it out!

I currently use plain cornstarch and apply it with big stiff Sephora Bronzing Brush that I no longer use. If you read the authors notes, she says that cornstarch can leave your hair feeling a bit mucky. I found this to be true too (although, I find that all dry shampoos leave my hair feeling that way). The way she describes how this recipe works sounds so wonderful. She says that you can omit the expensive Honey Absolute if you first want to try it out to save money. I still plan to use my Sephora brush for application (I do a technique that is similar to how you use Bare Minerals foundation: dip, tap, swirl, and buff into your scalp.)


http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=55674