What are Essential Oils?

An essential oil is a concentrated liquid containing aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are simply the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic purposes, as well as for their spiritually and emotionally uplifting properties. Young Living has always been at the forefront of bringing this ancient tradition to modern users, introducing millions to a total mind/body wellness they may never have dreamed possible.

Primarily extracted through careful steam distillation but also through cold pressing, the purest essential oils are far more powerful than the botanicals from which they were extracted. Any time you hold a bottle of Young Living essential oils, you are holding nature's pure essence.

Starter List of Essential Oil Uses

Are you thinking about taking the plunge to use essential oils in your home? Are you unsure how to use the oils?  Here are some ideas to get you started using those little bottles of goodness! This is just a partial list, mind you! There are so many uses for each oil.

Single Oils


Lemon - detox, heartburn, bloating, increase energy, remove gum from hair, remove sticky labels

Lavender - burns, dry skin, sleep issues, rashes, sunburns, heal cuts & scrapes

Frankincense - anxiety, reduce wrinkles, swelling, scars, boost immunity taking internally

Peppermint - headaches, constipation, indigestion, soreness, gas, fever

Melaleuca A (tea tree)- deter lice, freshen laundry, toenail fungus, warts, cuts, scrapes

Oil Blends



Purification - sore throat, insect bites, boo-boos, pimples, stinky laundry, cramps

Panway - sore muscles, swelling, sciatic pain, stiffness, headache, cramps

Joy - stress, emotional pain, sleep issues, sadness

Citrus Fresh - anxiety, settle down kids, purify air, depression, concentration

Stress Away - stress reliever, PMS, worry, fear, depression, anxiety

Thieves - kill airborne bacteria, coldsores, toothaches, immune booster, mouthwash

What is a Carrier Oil?

You will hear us frequently use the phrase 'carrier oils'. Since this is not a well-known phrase to all, here is an explanation for you. 

Q:  What is a carrier oil?
Answer:  A carrier oil is a vegetable oil that can be used to dilute Essential Oils. Grapeseed oil, fractionated coconut oil, avacado oil, argan oil , jojoba oil, and Young Living's V-6 Vegetable Oil Complex are some of the many excellent carrier oils available. Since it is commonly found in household kitchens, olive oil can be used but many avoid it due to thickness and aroma.  
Note: Jojoba oil is not for internal consumption.

Q:  What does a carrier oil do?
Answer:  A carrier oil ensures that essential oils can be comfortably applied topically. The carrier oil does not dilute the essential oils' effectiveness.  

Q:  Why should I use a carrier oil?
Answer:  A carrier oil prevents waste due to excessive application and helps you spread the essential oil more evenly on the skin. It also stretches your dollar because you use less of the essential oil in your application. Some consumers use a carrier oil in their gel-caps to make a 'hot oil' like cinnamon more stomach friendly.

Q:  What oils are unsuitable as carrier oils?
Answer:  Vegetable shortening, butter, margarine or petroleum jelly should never be used as carrier oils. Over processing makes them unsuitable.

Three ways to use oils!

There are 3 ways to use essential oils. Each bottle is labeled to tell you how you can use each oil.

Aromatically

Use your diffuser or the diffuser from your starter kit. Add water to the fill line then add 2-6 drops of essential oil. Start small and add more if you need more. The less oil you use each time you diffuse the further your oils will go. The diffuser breaks the oils into teeny tiny drops that you inhale.
   
If you don't have a diffuser, you can also add a drop to the palm of your hand, cup your hands together then inhale or inhale straight from the bottle.  

Topically

This is where dilution comes in handy. Use a carrier oil to dilute your oil as necessary before applying it on skin. Check for skin sensitivity. Some oils are considered “hot” oils (meaning they will be very warm or hot on the skin and have a higher risk of sensitivity) such as cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, peppermint, oregano, thyme, Exodus II, and Thieves. Again if the skin is feeling hot, do not use water, but a carrier oil rubbed on your skin to help dilute it.

The best place to use essential oils is behind the ears, on the wrist, in the crook of the elbow, and on the bottoms of your feet. The bottoms of your feet have over 200,000 nerve endings and using oils there can help send oily goodness through your entire body!

Internally

A bottle will be labeled dietary supplement if it can be taken internally. If dietary supplement is not on the bottle, do NOT take them internally.

Put a few drops of oil into an empty gel capsule and swallow it. Empty capsules can be purchased through Young Living as well as online or in health food stores. 

Add oils directly to a glass of water or stainless cup (don't use plastic!!). Yes you can drink the oils this way. All of the citrus oils taste amazing in water and are wonderful in teas.

Finally, add a drop under the tongue. This is the fastest way for the body to absorb the oils but be careful with 'hot' oils!

*Please note that the information above about ingesting oils is to be taken at your own risk.  Studies have not shown nor disproved the use of ingesting oils to be helpful nor harmful.  Ann is erring on the side of not ingesting most....only the citrus ones in water or tea.

Oil Safety

Oh, my... This is a subject that I wish I had paid more attention to. When I first started using oils, I put lemongrass on my neck after a shower. I was a newbie and I'm not ashamed to say it. Lemongrass was an oil that I had used several times but this morning my skin started burning. 'Wow!', I thought, 'this is different, I should try to wipe some off'. The only problem was that it had mostly absorbed into my skin so rubbing it off didn't really make a difference. Next I tried washing it off with water. BIG mistake, it then started feeling like a fire on my neck. I'm not kidding, it was starting to get really uncomfortable. I even pulled out my phone to take a pic of my skin and see what was going on. Finally, I remembered reading something about oil dissolving oil in an oil face washing post (I'll share about oil cleansing with you another day). I grabbed some coconut oil and rubbed in on my neck and the burning finally dissipated. Woohoo!  Win for the newbie. I learned a quick but important lesson that day.

We want you to be safe when you use your oils!!  Don't do what I did. To help you here is a quick list of dos and don'ts for you to keep in mind when dealing with essential oils.     ~Leah


Oil Safety

• Essential oils are NOT water-soluble, they are oil-soluble. If an oil gets in your eyes or begins to burn your skin a little, DO NOT try to remove the oil with water – it will only drive it in deeper. Use a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or Young Living’s V-6, to dilute an EO if you have used too much.
• Some oils are photosensitive, meaning they should not be used on your skin before exposure to direct sunlight or UV rays. Using a photosensitive oil prior to sunlight or UV exposure could lead to pigmentation changes, rashes or cause your skin to burn. Photosensitive oils include lemon, orange, grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, angelica, etc. A reference book (The EO Pocket Reference book) can provide guidance on which oils are photosensitive.
• Caution should be used in pregnancy when using oils containing elements with hormone-like activity such as sage, clary sage, and fennel. Although no adverse reactions have been recorded in humans when using these oils during pregnancy, caution should be used. Always check with your doctor before using oils during pregnancy.
• Dilute oils for infants and small children 1-2 drops of pure essential oil to 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of carrier oil (coconut, V-6, etc.). The EO Pocket Reference book has a section on children.
  
• Do not drop oils directly in the ear canal, though they can be used diluted on the outer back area of the ear, under the ear lobe and down the throat (for an earache, for instance). Oils can also be placed on a cotton ball, which can then be placed in the ear.
• Do not drop oils directly in the eye. It will most likely sting and cause the eye to water (though it will not damage the eye). If oils get in the eye, a drop of V-6 carrier oil in the eye will provide immediate relief.
• Particular care should be taken when using cinnamon bark, lemongrass, oregano, and thyme – they are some of the strongest and most caustic oils.  It is best to dilute these with a carrier.
• Use extreme caution when diffusing cinnamon bark because it can burn your nostrils if you inhale it directly from the diffuser.
• Keep oils away from light and heat (over 90 degrees). They can maintain their maximum potency for many years if stored properly.
• Oils can dissolve plastics, petrochemicals, and paint due to the oil's potency. When adding oils to a drink, use a glass cup instead of plastic. After using your oil, make sure the outside of the bottle is free of oil. Use caution when setting a bottle of oil on a painted surface – if oil gets on the paint, the paint may dissolve right off!

Where to apply oils

So, you have some oils now and are wondering how exactly to topically apply them. Just remember that some oils may irritate so start slow and use a carrier oil. If you aren't sure about an oil, do a test patch first on your chest. If your skin is irritated, try using the same oil in a carrier oil (like Coconut oil, jojoba oil or olive oil etc.)

Where to apply oils to your skin

For earaches: apply oil to bottoms of feet, outside of ear, behind ear, along glands (remember absolutely NO oils in the ear canal)
For headaches: bottoms of feet, bridge of nose, temples (remember be careful of your eyes), back of neck, shoulders, behind ears, crown, top of skull
Stress: bottoms of feet, wrists, behind ears, temples, crown
Congestion: bottoms of feet, bridge of nose, brow bone, chest, behind ears
Energy & focus: bottoms of feet, wrists, temples, back of neck, crown
Sleep: bottoms of feet, chest, back of neck, wrists, temples
Cold & flu: bottoms of feet, throat, chest, wrists, behind ears, along glands
Allergies: bottoms of feet, behind ears, bridge of nose, brow bone, along glands, wrists

What are Essential Oils Used For?

If you don't have an idea what essential oils are good for, here is a good list for you to start with. Hint, they aren't just to make your house smell nice!  

Weight Loss

1. Lemon
2. Peppermint
3. Grapefruit

Use the oils in water (citrus oils taste great in water, but start slow with 1 drop as they can cause detox symptoms.) Peppermint is a hot oil, so for things like this capsules are recommended if you ingest.

Sleep Issues 

1. Lavender
2. Cedarwood
3. Peace & Calming
4. Valerian.

Rub a drop behind the ears, between the eyes on the forehead, or on the wrists.

Allergies

1. Lavender
2. Peppermint
3. Lemon
Add 3 drops of each to a capsule or mix in a bottle and add carrier oil and add to back of neck, base of skull. If having a major allergy attack, add a drop of lavender and swipe inside the cheek.  It doesn't taste so great but works every time!

Colds 

1.RC - add a drop to the chest and rub in to help cough 
2.Purification - add a drop and rub down outside of throat to help with sore throat
3.Thieves - add to bottom of feet to relieve cold symptoms and help feel better sooner, gargle with a drop in water to help sore throat or add to a diffuser to kill germs in the air
4.Peppermint - add to spine and arm pits to help with fever
5.Breathe Again - add to sides of nose to help with stuffy nose
6.Raven - add to forehead, down sinuses to help with sinus pressure
7.Citrus oils - add 1-2 drops to a glass of water and drink

Energy

1.Lemon- add to diffuser or take internally (2 drops of each) 
2.EnRGee - diffuse or add to bottoms of feet or wrists

Stomach Issues 

1.Digize - rub counter clockwise to stomach in a clockwise motion or take internally 
2.Fennel - take 2-3 drops internally for gas 
3.Peppermint - take internally or with added carrier oil to stomach 

Focus 

This is my favorite focus blend for overly active children. Add a roller top to Vetiver and apply to bottoms of the big toes. Also, mix equal parts Frankincense, Orange,Valor and Carrier Oil then apply on the Back of neck, base of skull.